'The one simple factor that can slow me down at work.'

Feeling sluggish? Struggling to concentrate? One simple factor could be slowing you down…

If you were staring down the barrel of a paintball gun, what would you do?

Would you:

a) Grab the nearest paint gun and retaliate?

b) Grab a bulletproof vest and defend yourself?

c) Use reason and words to avoid being hit entirely?

The answer is d) none of the above – you may need to get yourself hydrated, fool.

You see, thanks to the clever people at Zip, we have it on good authority that being well hydrated can help you dodge a potentially painful paintball. This was demonstrated in their latest video in which they put two brothers, Kyle (who was hydrated) and Ryan (dehydrated), against each other in a game of “who can press this buzzer quickly enough?”

The consequences of their slow reaction time was a machine-operated paintball delivered to any area of their body. The result is a painful-looking but very hilarious video (post continues after video):

Thankfully, the paintball hit can be avoided by making sure you are consuming enough water. (Phew).

In the Mamamia Sydney office, we’re lucky enough to have a Zip HydroTap, with instant chilled and boiling water. We’re all benefiting from “the Zip effect” – that is, that staying hydrated is the key to better overall health and well-being.

This is definitely true for me, as I noticed I am generally a much nicer person when I have a bottle of water on my desk at all times.

Sure, I’m not having to dodge paintballs at my desk, but when I am dehydrated my mental alertness is certainly tested and the result is me either staring into the distance for long periods of time, or being very distracted when people are telling me important-sounding things.

(I say “important-sounding” because I really wouldn’t know, I wasn’t listening.)

The other benefits of being well hydrated have been proven time and time again. One Medical Group have said keeping hydrated can:

• Help prevent a dry mouth (which is very, very serious because it can cause bad breath).
• Help to ensure your cardiovascular health (which is very, very important because your heart helps you, you know, live).
• Keep your muscles working well (important because you use these to do things).
• Keep your skin nice and supple (self-explanatory, really).
• Help filter toxins (your kidneys just love water and they need it to get rid of all the bad things you put in your body – alcohol, here’s looking at you, kid).

As we’ve seen, another significant benefit that isn’t mentioned anywhere is being able to brag to others about how you could beat them in the “who can press this buzzer quickly enough” game. So that’s important to remember.

Aside from the benefits of hydration, the Zip HydroTap tap itself is a handy little device that makes the whole “drinking” experience much more fun. It gives you deliciously chilled or perfectly hot or delightfully sparkling water instantly straight from the tap. You literally just need to press the tap and it comes out.

Don’t ask me how, it’s wizardry.

Added to this, the tap provides a perfect opportunity for a quick stretch of my legs/peek at the delicious food my unsuspecting co-workers have accidentally left in the kitchen. So everybody wins. (Except my co-workers whose food I’ve stolen.)

Like my buddies Kyle and Ryan from the video, I am more than convinced of the benefits of drinking more water and staying hydrated.

Now, I need only convince unsuspecting co-workers to play the “who can press this buzzer quickly enough” game dehydrated with the winner taking their delicious looking lunch.

A flawless plan.

How do you stay hydrated?

Want more? Try these:

The 7 major health repercussions of not drinking enough water.

Why being dehydrated is just as bad as drink driving.

A foolproof way to drink more water (and love it).