Are you sure that you have been drinking water in the right posture? Have you ever checked the way you drink water? Have you given any thought to this aspect, ever before in your life? Well, think for a moment and examine the posture you drink water mostly, throughout the day. Was it sitting or standing? Firstly, it is very crucial for you to give immense importance to your posture while drinking water. Amazed? Well, it is not a joke.
Everyone around us, advise us to keep our body hydrated and that we should consume at least 10 to 12 glasses of water in a day. We should start our day with a glass of water, but no one has ever pointed out the wrong posture we have while drinking water. Secondly, both the aspects are equally important; drinking an adequate amount of water and also to drink it in the right posture.
People must have told you not to drink water after running or in-between exercising, but there would have been very few, who must have enlightened you with the knowledge of correct posture while drinking water. Read on to find out what exactly the right position is to drink water to reap its maximum benefits and how to avert the harm that a wrong posture does.
Does Posture Matter While Drinking Water?
What is the Correct Posture of Drinking Water?
Water is a necessity for survival and plays a very vital role in the proper functioning of our body. You should consume water in appropriate quantity daily and in the apt posture too. According to the researchers and the health experts, water should be consumed in a sitting position rather than standing. Also, there is a very close relationship between the water consumed in a standing position and the speed at which it gets taken. Both of these aspects affect the human body.
How Drinking Water While Standing Is Harmful?
Drinking water while standing harms the body because while we stand and drink, our nerves are in the state of stress and the process of quickly gulping it down worsens the situation. It creates a disturbance in the balance of fluids in the body that ultimately leads to the acceleration of toxins(1) in the body. Increase in indigestion also disturbs the digestion process. Thus, sitting is the best posture for drinking water.
The other different adverse effects of drinking water in the standing position are –
- It leads to the accumulation of fluids in the joint area, ultimately leading to triggering arthritis.
- The process of filtration in the kidneys also gets disturbed.
- It increases the level of impurities in the kidney and bladder that leads to urinary infection.
Thus, for everyone who has been not giving substantial importance to their body posture while drinking water and have been drinking water while standing or walking, it is crucial to change this habit and adapt to the correct position of drinking which is sitting. It is also essential for you to drink water at a slow pace to reduce the level of the acids and toxins in the body that is paramount for better functioning of the body.
[Read: Drinking Water At The Right Times]
Benefits of Drinking Water in a Sitting Posture
According to the researches by the Ayurveda, one should avoid drinking water while standing as it has many health risks, which is a shocking fact. Many antimicrobial benefits get associated with drinking water in the sitting posture. Also, there are additional benefits of drinking water in this correct posture, which are –
1. Prevents the Stomach Wall from Damage
Have you ever noticed that it might be effortless for a person to gulp water quickly in the standing position? But while sitting, we tend to drink water slowly in comparison to the standing posture. This slow movement of water is very crucial for preventing the stomach walls, which get damaged due to the harsh flow of water when it gets consumed in the standing posture.
The slow flow of the water from the mouth to the stomach also helps in the effective functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. The stomach lining in a human body will get affected over the time with the harsh hit of the water when drank in the standing posture that will ultimately increase the digestion problems and will make the stomach sensitive.
[Read: Drinking Water from Copper Vessels]
2. Prevents Accumulations of Fluids in the Joints Area
The most significant side effect of drinking water while standing is it leads to the collection of fluids in the joint area which may turn out to be a more serious issue in the future. It thus gets recommended to drink water in a sitting position as this prevents the accumulation of fluids in the joint area.
During the position of sitting, the nerves are mostly in a calm state which is perfect for the proper functioning of the body. But while standing our nerves are in a tense state, and this state leads to a fight mode, which builds a disturbance in the balance of fluids in our body. This disturbance leads to the collection of fluids in the joints, that damages the joint in many different ways, and ultimately it leads to arthritis.
3. Helps in Effective Dilution of Acids and Prevents Heartburn
It is a known fact that water plays a vital role in the dilution of acids that are present in the stomach. Have you ever tried understanding this concept of drinking water at a slow pace? Well, the connection between drinking water at a slow speed and drinking water in a sitting posture, both have some similarities. In our body, there is a production of various acid juices by the stomach and the liver.
All these juices are not beneficial for the body. But the dilution of all these juices is paramount. It is, thus, recommended that water should be consumed in a sitting posture as this helps in better dilution of the acids that further aids in preventing heartburn and acidity problems.
When a person drinks water in the standing position, the first damage occurs to the sphincter that is present in the lower part of the esophagus and is the main organ that connects with the stomach. Due to the rapid flow of the water, the various acids that require dilution do not get adequately diluted, and a raft of backflow of acid gets created in the stomach that leads to acidity issues and heartburn(2) problems in the body.
4. Prevents the Kidneys from Getting Damaged
Sitting posture is also helpful to prevent the kidneys from further damage. The kidneys majorly conduct the process of filtration in our body. This function has to be carried out smoothly and is of paramount as any disturbance in this process may lead to more significant issues and life taking diseases.
So, it is crucial for us to drink water in a sitting position as it will help our kidneys to function appropriately, as the accumulation of impurities in the kidneys and also in the bladder will get reduced. Otherwise, if we keep drinking water in the standing position, then our body will also suffer from urinary infections that happen due to the storage of impurities in the kidneys and the bladder.
Water, 8×8 Rule!!
Many people do not give a lot of importance of drinking water regularly and the need for keeping a body dehydrated. They have their own opinions about it. But sooner or later, they will understand the need for an adequate amount of water in our body and why it is crucial for us to stay hydrated.
For those, who still consider this aspect irrelevant should stop acting ignorant to this topic and should first learn about the magical water rule of 8×8.
How to Implement the 8×8 Rule of Drinking Water?
This rule is straightforward and will bring forward various aspects that will highlight the requirement of keeping a body hydrated. Now, the water rule of 8×8 states that a person should consume eight glasses of eight ounces of water in a day and follow it daily. It gets regarded as the hydration goal that everyone should pursue in their day to day life.
According to this rule, the water needs of different people may vary, depending on their physical activities and the climate in which they live. Also, the other beverages that a person consumes also contributes to the water intake goal of a person every day.
It is also imperative that the water rule of drinking eight glasses of eight-ounce water in a day should incorporate the correct drinking posture, and this will help in developing an efficient habit in a person. Firstly, people who do not possess the proper practice of drinking sufficient water in a day will build into a great habit of at least drinking eight glasses of water.
Secondly, the people who still find it a joke or some superstition to sit while drinking water will understand the true meaning and benefits of drinking water in the correct posture, that is, in a sitting state.
[Read: Benefits of Drinking Cold Water]
Problems that the 8×8 Rule Targets
The adequate amount of water and the knowledge of proper position will help in addressing the various problems which our body may suffer from, like kidney issue, heartburns, acidity, stomach sensitiveness, urinary infection, and etc.
Many problems of our daily lives like headaches, constipation, lack of physical strength, dry throats, and many others are an outcome of dehydration.
The water rule 8×8 is also popularly known as the approach of “drinking at least eight glasses of water in a day.” This rule thus facilitates and helps the body in the treatment of many diseases and also prevents the body from letting a few conditions that can massively affect us.
Also, the wrong position of drinking water will make the situation worse in the long run.
Hence it is imperative to believe that this scientifically proven approach of drinking water in the correct posture is not a joke or a myth anymore. This article is vital enough in clearing the various myths associated with the drinking posture.
If this article brings even a change of ten percent in your approach towards the drinking posture and also practicing the water rule of 8×8, it will act as a boon for you in the long run. Now don’t think twice as this article has narrated all the benefits, importance, drawbacks, and many vital aspects in a detailed and fun manner and at the end of the day, it is we who are responsible for our life. So, grab a glass of water, sit and enjoy its benefits in every sip.
