The importance of hydration and the benefits of providing healthy drink options for employees

It’s widely understood that staying hydrated is an essential contributor to our overall health and well-being. As a considerable amount of our time is spent working, it’s important to maintain beneficial hydration habits in the workplace to keep your employees feeling and performing their best.

From making it easier to access great-tasting healthy beverages on-site to encouraging regular consumption of water with state-of-the-art dispensers, we’ve gathered some guidance on the benefits this can have as well as some of the best vending solutions for providing healthy drinks for workspaces. Discover just how important hydration is for workplace performance, as well as the benefits of encouraging regular water and healthy beverage consumption, below.

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On average, how much water should you drink a day?

The NHS Eatwell Guide suggests that on average, we should be drinking 6-8 250ml glasses of water a day, bringing our daily water intake to around 1.5-2 litres. This figure isn’t just exclusive to plain water, as it also includes low-fat milk, tea, coffee, and other sugar-free soft drinks.

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How does hydration affect work performance?

The human body is made up of around 60% water, so it’s essential for maintaining healthy bodily functions. Making sure that we get enough water each day is one of the simplest and most beneficial steps that we can take to maintain our overall health, but how might a lack of hydration affect your team?

Lack of adequate hydration can impair mood and concentration, making it difficult to focus and perform to the best cognitive ability in a variety of workplaces, from factory floors to busy offices. Studies show that even the mildest forms of dehydration can impair many aspects of brain function, so drinking enough water ensures that we maintain healthy energy levels and alertness to power us through the working day.

By offering vending solutions that accommodate healthy hydration practices and support workplace well-being, you allow your team members to make better choices, consume healthier beverages and form beneficial long-term habits. Providing the nutrition and hydration that your team needs to thrive can support your overall workplace productivity, even if it’s as simple as ensuring there’s a water cooler or selection of healthy cold drinks on site, which is where a Your Refreshments solution is incredibly helpful.

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Why choose a Your Refreshments water machine?

Our range of water machines makes it easier to access refreshing drinking water in the workplace, designed to complement your environment. Whether it’s a simple bottle-free dispenser for your breakout area or a fully integrated countertop serving hot, cold, and sparkling water between meetings and client visits, each of our machines includes the latest innovations in a wide variety of sizes and styles. The variety of countertop taps and mains-fed units available means that no matter the space, you can extend your utilities whilst creating a professional-looking environment.

From design to installation, our machines are convenient to maintain and cost-effective. We work alongside leading water suppliers to provide reliable and hygienic solutions. By connecting our water machines to your existing water supply, we avoid the environmental and financial impact of transporting heavy plastic containers that traditional water coolers require. It offers great-tasting water, at a fraction of the environmental impact caused by alternative solutions.

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Some of our popular water machine solutions

Borg & Overström B3 water dispenser

For busy offices that frequently welcome guests, the Borg & Overström B3 is the ideal solution. It uses a means-fed water system and ultra-hygienic, pressure-sensitive dispense controls to provide a choice of clean, filtered chilled, ambient, sparkling, or instant hot water.

With a large dispensing area that can accommodate 500ml refillable water jugs for meetings as well as an integrated cup dispenser that’s compatible with biodegradable cups, the Borg & Overström B3 can easily accommodate large gatherings. Its compatibility with refillable water containers makes it ideal for the environmentally conscious workplace, whilst its sleek design complements any commercial setting.

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Brita Vivreau ViTap water dispenser

This popular water dispenser is the ideal addition to breakout areas and staff rooms where access to refreshing water is essential.

The ViTap can dispense chilled and sparkling water to refill bottles, as well as instant hot water for herbal teas, to encourage healthy hydration habits in the workplace. Its smart design conceals the machinery, leaving only a sleek tap on display on the work surface, helping to keep your workplace tidy. Available in two heights and with a choice of five different configurations that serve clean, filtered water straight into refillable bottles, the ViTap eliminates the need for single-use plastic cups.

The mains-fed water system is designed with convenience in mind, from connecting to your wastewater system so you don’t have to empty a drip tray, to its removable nozzles that enable easy cleaning. The ViTap also has the additional option of custom-branded refillable water bottles, cups, and jugs available for corporate merchandising.

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Why offer healthy alternatives to soft drinks that are full of sugar?

Providing a selection of healthier drink options to accommodate a range of tastes, such as herbal teas, fruit juices and smoothies, is a foundation for driving wellness in the workplace. Offering healthy alternatives to soft drinks that are typically high in sugar and caffeine, such as energy drinks and fizzy drinks, helps your workers to reach the target of 1.5-2 litres of water a day. Fruit juices and sugar-free soft drinks can also help to achieve this.

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The benefits of providing healthy beverages in the workplace

Not only does providing fresh drinking water and healthy beverages in the workplace help your employees to stay hydrated, but it also:

• Encourages your team to be mindful of their wellbeing during the working day
• Helps to keep your team feeling their best and performing at their peak
• Offers an opportunity to break out with team members over a refreshing beverage
• Provides convenient in-house solutions to save time searching for drinks elsewhere.

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Why choose a Your Refreshments cold drink vending machine?

Working alongside leading European manufacturers to deliver robust, reliable, and practical solutions, a Your Refreshments cold drink vending machine brings your favourite cold drinks directly into your workplace, meaning your team can enjoy refreshing soft drinks around the clock.

Our machines are convenient, with a range of sizes available to suit your space and the flexibility to choose a bespoke mix of products, including bottled water, fruit juices and smoothies. With contactless payment technology that means a delicious beverage is only a tap of a payment card away, our easy-to-maintain vending machines guarantee a satisfied workforce and an impressive addition to the office for visitors to enjoy.

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Some of our popular cold drink vending machines

Necta Tango vending machine

The Necta Tango is well-adapted to serving a vast range of beverages and snacks in busy workplaces. With a large product capacity to satisfy high demand and the flexibility to combine a selection of snacks and confectionery with your cold drinks offering, the Necta Tango is ideal for fast-moving workplaces that need a quick-fix energy boost in one place.

Among its cold drinks selection is a variety of fruit juices, smoothies, and bottled water, kept at a refreshingly chilled temperature thanks to the Tango’s high-efficiency cooling unit, which also maintains low energy consumption.

Its smart, compact design combines an attractive, LED-lit shop window effect with an intuitive user interface that makes it accessible and simple to use. With such a vast range of products available to stock in your vending machine, the Necta Tango is the ideal choice for offering a variety of refreshments to a large workforce.

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Necta Twist vending machine

The Necta Twist blends a straightforward compact design with an easy-to-use control panel for a functional and convenient office vending solution.

Its extensive product capacity spans seven separate product trays, providing you with a choice of both bottled and canned drinks alongside a variety of healthy snacks and confectionery.

Accessible with a contactless payment card, the Necta Twist enables your team to quickly grab a light refreshment between meetings and during break times, so that they can enjoy a great selection of beverages and snacks all in one place. It’s also designed with a high-efficiency cooling unit, meaning the Necta Twist consumes less energy whilst keeping your drinks chilled and fresh for 24 hours a day, with the additional option of a cashless payment system to make office refreshments even simpler to access.

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Your Refreshments is here to make office hydration simple

Beyond helping your team to be mindful of their health and well-being day-to-day, offering water and soft drinks in the workplace also encourages them to adopt long-term habits like regular hydration and healthier lunch choices. Whilst water is a strong choice for quenching thirst, we also offer a range of healthy drinks for workplaces to enjoy and supplement their nutrition. Our reliable water dispensers and vending machines make it easier to prioritise water hydration in the workplace and offer a variety of healthy alternatives to soft drinks with one trusted solution.

Our friendly team offers in-depth consultations to understand your requirements and offer insights into our products to help you choose a vending solution that suits the tastes, usage, and capacity of your team all in one place. Call us on 020 7082 555 or email sales@yourrefreshments.co.uk to speak about our vending solutions with an experienced Your Refreshments consultant, discover our range of healthy drinks for workspaces and begin your journey towards healthier workplace drinking habits.