Hydration Hacks: How to Drink More Water

I think we all know how important it is to drink water, but it's not always easy to get our daily intake. It took me a while to figure out how to make hydration part of my day. I use a few tips and tricks to make sure I'm getting half of my body weight in ounces each day, and you can try them, too.  

1. Flavor Your Water

Try flavoring your water with tea bags or fresh herbs and fruits. Fresh mint makes your water taste refreshing without using any sugars or unhealthy additives. You can also add berries, watermelon, cucumber, lemon, and whatever other fruits you prefer. Many tea companies sell cold tea infusers that are made specifically for cold water. These flavors will make drinking water much more exciting and delicious. What’s your favorite?

2. Buy a New Water Bottle

As silly as it may sound, having a nice water bottle can motivate you to use it more. Just as new workout clothes can motivate us to go to the gym, a shiny new water bottle can trigger that same feeling and help us hydrate. There are many beautiful bottles out there and even some high-tech ones that connect to your phone and remind you to drink water. Many water bottles also contain marked measurements and fun messages on the side (“You’re almost there…”), which is very helpful if you want to keep track of your water drinking progress throughout the day. Find something you love and use it.

3. Download a Water-Tracking App

These days, there really is an app for everything, including drinking water. These apps will help you track your intake and show you how close you are to your daily intake goal. Most of these apps also send reminders throughout the day. If you are someone who checks your phone constantly this might be a great option – it’s not for everyone though. If the thought of yet another notification on your phone is causing you stress – then the new water bottle might be the better option. 

4. Bring Your Water Bottle with You Everywhere

It's difficult to remember to drink water, especially if it's not nearby. Visual reminders, such as your water bottle, help tremendously. Take your water bottle everywhere with you, and make sure to refill it as soon as it's empty. Even if you're just walking around the house, bring a water bottle, or have more than one throughout your house. If you can make this a habit, then the practice of drinking water will become much easier.

5. Drink Sparkling Water 

When you're feeling bored of regular water, try drinking some sparkling water instead. There are so many flavors of sparkling water, which taste similar to soda (without the sweetness). You can try endless flavor combinations, and the carbonation is refreshing and exciting. When something tastes good, you don't need to have a habit of drinking it, you will want to! Sometimes I even put mine in a nice wine glass. It makes it extra special. 

6. Start early in the day

My personal breakthrough with hydration - working out early in the day. 10 minutes into the workout and I’m looking for my water bottle. Once I start to drink water it’s so much easier to keep going during the day. On days when I don’t get that workout in, it can be 2 pm and I’m realizing I didn’t drink any water yet. Can you relate? 

If you need help creating new, healthy habits feel free to reach out or schedule a free information call here.