Why You (yes especially you) Should be Drinking More Water

There is one thing that most of my patients have in common: no matter their symptoms, almost nobody is drinking enough water. Whenever I ask the question “how much water do you drink every day?” I get one of two answers. Either they know they’re not drinking enough, or they think they are, but they’re not even close. It is rare that I hear of a patient who is adequately hydrated.

Many people admit they’re not drinking enough and know they should drink more. Some say “oh I’m doing great! I have 3-4 glasses of water every day (spoiler alert, not enough)! In both cases, there’s a gap in information. If everyone with urinary complaints knew what I know, they’d be carrying around water bottles all the time. 

So how much should I be drinking? 

Old school knowledge was that everyone should drink 8-8oz glasses of water every day. It’s easy to remember and pretty simple, but to assume that the metabolic needs of a 5’4 physical therapist are the same as a 6’3 construction worker is crazy. 

More recent advice is to divide your body weight in half and drink that many ounces of water daily. This isn’t perfect as it doesn’t account for working out, heavy sweaters, etc, but it’s much more personalized.

Up to 60% of an adult human body is made up of water, and it’s super important to keep it replenished. This makes for better joint health, digestion, headache symptoms, weight management, brain performance, and more. Okay. Off my soapbox. Let’s talk about barriers. 

I have leaking/urgency. I’m afraid if I drink any more it’ll just get worse.

First of all, fair concern. I get it. When you have issues with leaking or urgency, the last thing your instincts tell you is that you should drink more water. If this sounds like you, keep in mind that more often than not, these conditions are not caused by an overflow issue. While that does happen, it’s not very common.

That means that although you may constantly feel an urge to go or have leaks, it’s not necessarily because your bladder is overly full. These issues can be habitual, nerve related, or, more often, worsened by what we eat and drink (or don’t). 

Every person’s body is different, and different foods and drinks trigger different responses. Your pelvic floor physical therapist can help you dial in exactly what it is in your diet that causes your symptoms to worsen.

Suffice it to say, there is a sensor in your bladder that is meant to work as a stretch sensor, alerting your brain that it’s time to pee. When it’s working properly, your first alert signal comes at about 50% full. After pregnancy and other traumas or dysfunctions, this sensor can change from being triggered by stretch to being triggered by being irritated. 

We’ve all felt the urge to pee after drinking too much coffee or after a few drinks at the bar. This is exactly the same thing! Some other common irritants are carbonated beverages, artificial sweeteners, and citrus fruits.

One irritant that my patients are always shocked by is concentrated urine. That’s right, if you don’t drink enough water, your urine condenses and becomes a bladder irritant all by itself. That’s where the counterintuitive nature of my request comes in. Yes, you’re leaking. Yes, your urgency is disrupting your life. Let’s call it a trust fall – just try for a week of drinking more water. See if it helps. 

Okay….that just doesn’t feel possible for me. Do you have any tips? 

This part is hard. You probably noticed from my last section that adding lemon or lime can be irritating for your bladder. I love to drink seltzer, but carbonated beverages can be tough, too. Artificial sweeteners are often present in water flavoring drops, so that option might also not work for you.

My favorite piece of advice is to pick a water bottle that you can get excited about. I have a stainless steel Yeti water bottle with a straw. The straw helps me drink a lot of water quickly and the stainless steel keeps it ice cold, just how I like it. Some people like water bottles that have little time markers printed on the side. The Hidrate Spark connects to your phone and lights up when it’s time to take a sip. 

Most clear liquids can also count towards your water goal. If you eat a lot of soup, that could be 8-10oz right there. Fruit with lots of water counts in your favor if you’re really struggling with your numbers.

Lastly, you can still dress your water up with some infusions. Citrus is a common trigger, but cucumber and mint are fair game, as are frozen blueberries and chia seeds. You can also try infusing your water with peach, mango, watermelon, cherry, raspberry, coconut, and more!

*Guys I’m not sponsored by anyone but I’m not above it….if you’re a sponsor and you want to send me a waterbottle ;)*

You’ve got this.

I know you’re in your comfort zone. You’ve got a plan and you don’t want to deviate in case your symptoms get worse. I hope this information gives you the confidence to give it a try – and when you do, make a go of it for at least a few days to even a week. You may not notice an immediate improvement, but give it time and give your body the edge it deserves to work towards feeling your best.