Why My Father Always Used a Small Glass of Water

Now I know why my father always had a small glass of water instead of a big one.

It never made sense to me. I was a lazy, comfortable kid who never had a problem sitting still.

But for him, it was a simple reminder to get up and walk.

The glass was so small it took only 2–4 sips to empty. And every time it ran out, he'd get up and refill it himself.

My lazy brain used to think, “Why doesn’t he just ask me to refill it for him?” That’s what my older siblings would usually do; they’d ask me to get things for them. So whenever his glass was almost empty, I’d stay quiet, hoping he wouldn’t notice and ask me to refill it.

He never did.

He always got up himself.

Now I understand the habit.

It wasn't really about the water. It was about creating little reasons to get up and move throughout the day.

A small glass meant more trips to the kitchen. More trips meant more opportunities to move instead of staying in the same position for hours.

And sometimes, it's the little habits that make it easier to break up long periods of sitting.

I didn't get it then.

I get it completely now.

If you spend long hours sitting and deal with lower-back or sciatic discomfort, this simple habit might be worth trying. And it's not the only thing that helped.