The Goal
My SMART goal centers on hydration. The goal is to increase my water consumption to the recommended 2L per day at least 3 days a week for the next four weeks.
Before this class began I was in the contemplation stage. I knew I needed to drink more water, especially in the summer months, but had not done anything to move towards this lifestyle change. Because I tend to get headaches, which I’ve linked to mild dehydration, drinking more water felt like a purposeful and beneficial wellness goal that would not be just for the duration of the class to complete the assignment but would also hopefully become something that I can continue working towards after this class is over. Further, I had noticed in the past when I was drinking more water …show more content…
Thus, the benefits from being consistently hydrated are multifaceted. Hydration allows for maximum physical performance. Especially during extreme heat or intense physical activity, dehydration can “lead to altered body temperature control, reduced motivation, increased fatigue and make exercise feel much more difficult, both physically and mentally” (“7 Health Benefits,” 2015). Staying hydrated also keeps energy up, fatigue down and the brain functioning properly (“7 Health Benefits,” 2015). Drinking water helps strengthen the muscular system and to regulate the digestion system and body …show more content…
Also, I find that the more water I drink the less I crave sweets or other not so healthy beverages (such as Coca-Cola). I think this is partially because I am not allowing myself to get thirsty because I am constantly hydrated and because I don’t feel as hungry because my stomach is partially full of water. I am not someone who needs to lose weight by any means but I am not an overly health conscious person and the reduction in sugary and unhealthy food from drinking water is something that I am hoping for. Lastly, I am hoping that by staying properly hydrated I can reduce the frequency, duration, and intensity of my headaches. I have had issues with headaches since I was a teenager and they are especially bad during the summer months which leads me to believe that dehydration worsens my headaches. I cannot say whether dehydration is always the cause but generally if I increase the amount of water (and maybe take an Advil) the headache will subside.
Challenges
The main barriers I expect to face are access to good tasting drinking water at work to refill my water bottle with and remembering to track how much water I am consuming daily. Other barriers I expect to face are forgetting to drink water, not wanting to drink water because of the increased urination, and desire to drink other beverages due to weather or time of day
My SMART goal centers on hydration. The goal is to increase my water consumption to the recommended 2L per day at least 3 days a week for the next four weeks.
Before this class began I was in the contemplation stage. I knew I needed to drink more water, especially in the summer months, but had not done anything to move towards this lifestyle change. Because I tend to get headaches, which I’ve linked to mild dehydration, drinking more water felt like a purposeful and beneficial wellness goal that would not be just for the duration of the class to complete the assignment but would also hopefully become something that I can continue working towards after this class is over. Further, I had noticed in the past when I was drinking more water …show more content…
Thus, the benefits from being consistently hydrated are multifaceted. Hydration allows for maximum physical performance. Especially during extreme heat or intense physical activity, dehydration can “lead to altered body temperature control, reduced motivation, increased fatigue and make exercise feel much more difficult, both physically and mentally” (“7 Health Benefits,” 2015). Staying hydrated also keeps energy up, fatigue down and the brain functioning properly (“7 Health Benefits,” 2015). Drinking water helps strengthen the muscular system and to regulate the digestion system and body …show more content…
Also, I find that the more water I drink the less I crave sweets or other not so healthy beverages (such as Coca-Cola). I think this is partially because I am not allowing myself to get thirsty because I am constantly hydrated and because I don’t feel as hungry because my stomach is partially full of water. I am not someone who needs to lose weight by any means but I am not an overly health conscious person and the reduction in sugary and unhealthy food from drinking water is something that I am hoping for. Lastly, I am hoping that by staying properly hydrated I can reduce the frequency, duration, and intensity of my headaches. I have had issues with headaches since I was a teenager and they are especially bad during the summer months which leads me to believe that dehydration worsens my headaches. I cannot say whether dehydration is always the cause but generally if I increase the amount of water (and maybe take an Advil) the headache will subside.
Challenges
The main barriers I expect to face are access to good tasting drinking water at work to refill my water bottle with and remembering to track how much water I am consuming daily. Other barriers I expect to face are forgetting to drink water, not wanting to drink water because of the increased urination, and desire to drink other beverages due to weather or time of day