All tagged sleep benefits
As the seasons change and the nights draw in it’s the return of the coughs and colds. I always find it’s when the children go back to school after the summer holidays that colds start to make a reappearance. It always amazes me just how quickly someone in the class gets a cold and passes the germs around.
You might think that the key to optimal health is eating well and getting plenty of exercise. While these play a very important part, if you don’t also prioritise your sleep and relaxation you could be putting your health at risk. Modern day life is hectic and often relaxation is seen as a luxury and sleep is cut to squeeze even more activities into our busy days. However long-term lack of sleep and relaxation can impact your health in many ways.
We are made up of over 60% water and every cell in our body requires water just to function. Even the smallest degree of water loss can impair both physical and mental function. If you go for a run and at the start weigh 72.5kg and then after 20 miles weigh in at 70kg then this equates to a 4% body weight loss. A 4% body weight loss will mean that your exercise performance will be cut by about 25% - not something you need during a long race! There is no doubt that water is essential to life, but still there are many people that don’t drink enough.