When you hear hydration, you probably think of drinking water. But what does it mean to be hydrated when we talk about the tissues in our bodies? Do we need to drink more water for our tissues to stay hydrated?
Actually, no, drinking water has nothing to do with how much water there actually is in our tissues. And the clue to that riddle is kept in our fascia. I have written about fascia before but just as a quick reminder fascia is the 3D spider web of fibrous, gluey and wet proteins that binds all our cells together in their proper placement.
The two parts of fascia
Fascia has a fibrous part which is collagen. And a gel part which loves and soaks up water like a sponge. The more hydrated it is, the more easily we move.
How do the tissues stay hydrated?
The answer to that question is – by movement. When we use our bodies for everyday tasks, for exercise, for walking and stretching, we are squeezing the water out of the sponge and then the connective tissues soaks back up more water.
How do tissues get congested and “stuck”?
We all have parts of our bodies that we don’t move much or even at all. With time these parts will become restricted as the water in them is not regularly renewed. The tissues will lose their sponginess and will be less able to glide to accommodate movement.
The most important reminder
The most important reminder from all this is that we need to move more and move better. We want to get to all those underused places that we don’t even notice. How many times per day do you lift your arms up for example? Maybe once or twice to get something from a high shelf? Nowadays we don’t even close the car boot, we just press a button.
Yoga is one of those activities that tends to challenge us in exactly those congested and stuck areas. Moving in unusual ways is amazing for the health of our tissues and can help us stay active as we age. Active and enjoying our bodies and all the things that we love doing like sports, hiking, playing with our grandchildren..
Photo by Daniele Levis Pelusi on Unsplash
