Movement and hydration work hand in hand

SALT LAKE CITY — Did you know that there’s a very deep connection between movement and hydration? It may not seem like it, but moving your body can help you stay hydrated just as much as drinking water does.

In the latest Let’s Get Moving with Maria podcast episode, Maria Shilaos spoke with Gina Bria, Anthropologist, Founder of the Hydration Foundation, and co-author of “Quench,” to learn some simple movements you can try right now to give you the hydration you need.

Water in the body, it’s not just liquid

The first thing Bria wants people to realize is that water in our body doesn’t just come in liquid form.

“We are far more made of water than we ever imagined … There’s a new understanding that water also comes in a gel form like an aloe, or a cactus, or even bone broth. That’s our tissue,” Bria said.

Because our body is made up of so much water, moving our body generates electricity. That is where the energy to run our body comes from.

“It’s the movement of that gel—those tissues—that distribute hydration throughout our system,” Bria said.

One gentle movement that can help is dropping your chin to your chest and then raising your head back up. This will look like you’re doing a deep nod.

“That movement is flushing the entire spinal canal down your back,” Bria said.

Some other movements you can try are the chin over the shoulder, the arms over the head, and the fingers to the toes. These can help the liquid dynamic flow through your body.

Follow Let’s Get Moving with Maria on Facebook and Instagram.