From pool to cold tub to ice bath to hydration, how water is key to our health inside and out
- We need 8 to 10 glasses of water a day to maintain good health – not surprising, as the human body is about 60 per cent water
- Being in or around water is also beneficial, whether we swim in it, inhale it as steam, or immerse ourselves in a cold tub or an ice bath
“Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink,” wrote Samuel Taylor Coleridge in his 19th-century poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
The speaker, a sailor on a becalmed ship, is surrounded by salt water that he cannot drink. The moral of the lengthy tale is to appreciate all forms of life.
Water is crucial to nearly all life forms, particularly human life, but fresh water is a dwindling resource. World Water Day, an annual United Nations observance day that falls on 22 March, celebrates fresh water and raises awareness of the 2 billion people living without access to safe water.
The most important resource on the planet, water covers 70 per cent of the globe. It also makes up about 60 per cent of the human body. The brain and heart are composed of 73 per cent water, the lungs about 83 per cent, the skin 64 per cent, muscles and kidneys 79 per cent – and bones 31 per cent.
This is why drinking water plays a key role in keeping our organs and bodily systems functioning smoothly. Michelle Lau of Hong Kong’s Nutrilicious, a nutrition consultancy and communications company, says adults need to drink eight to 10 glasses a day to maintain healthy hydration.
Beyond sustaining life, water has multiple health benefits.