5 Ways To Drink More Water
There are so many things to remember when trying to keep yourself healthy. Are you eating enough vegetables? Getting enough exercise? But, there’s one element of health that most people neglect – drinking enough water!
Although this can seem like a really minor aspect of overall health, not drinking enough water can be hugely detrimental to our systems. Without an adequate amount of water every day, you can experience dehydration, which can lead to low blood pressure, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. Water can help with everything from lubricating your joints and protecting your internal tissues to regulating your body temperature and helping your body get rid of waste.
Not sure how much you should be drinking? It’s suggested that men should drink about 3 liters (or 13 cups) of fluids every day, while women should be drinking about 2.2 liters (or 9 cups). Because men are generally larger and have more muscle mass, it’s suggested they drink more. If this amount seems overwhelming, think of it broken down into smaller chunks – it’s really just four to eight sips of water every hour.
Don’t worry if you’re stumped on ways to drink more water. Here are five tips to help you get hydrated!
1. Make your water more interesting
Sometimes it can feel difficult to be motivated to drink water, because it can be, well, boring. There are plenty of ways to fix that! Add some fruit slices (grapefruit, strawberries) or cucumbers to your water for a refreshing twist. You can even freeze some lemon slices to add to your water bottle when you’re on the go. Some people like to add ginger or herbs (basil, mint, lavender) to add an interesting flavor to their water. If you like carbonated drinks, drinking beverages like sparkling water or club soda is better than drinking unhealthy sodas or sugar-filled juices. Even just Googling ‘infused water recipes’ will give you tons of awesome suggestions to get you started!
You can also make your water-drinking a little more fun by drinking out of a cool water bottle or silly glass. Even a crazy straw can encourage more sips! Little things like this can actually help you reach for your water more often (and less begrudgingly!).
2. Incorporate drinking water into your daily routine
If you’re just not used to drinking lots of water during the day, it can be challenging to remember to do it. By inserting the habit of drinking water into your routine, you’ll force yourself to drink more – without really even having to think about it too much. For example, if you love having coffee in the morning, drink a cup of water before your cup of joe. Then, drink a cup of water right when you get to work. You can even add in a cup during your bedtime routine so you won’t forget. Drinking water at an exact time and place every day will ensure that it won’t slip your mind. If you want to make extra sure you’ll remember, have a glass of water right on your nightstand by your bed or by your coffeemaker, so it’s completely visible during your daily routine. You’ll be less likely to forget if your water glass is always out in the open!
Another way to make it part of your routine is to have a daily activity that you link with drinking water. You can make a habit of drinking a glass every time you get back from a bathroom break. If you’re at work, drink a cup every time you pass the water cooler or get up for a snack. You could even drink a full cup of water before every meal. Incorporating more water into your everyday routine means you’re more likely to feel energized throughout the day as well!
3. Mark up your water bottle with time goals
One of the best ways to drink more water is to actually mark your water bottle with time goals. You can use tape, a label maker, or a permanent marker to add goals directly to the bottle. You can mark how much water you’d like to drink by each part of the day. This is a super easy way to see if you’re actually meeting your daily goals, or if you need to drink more to catch up! It’s also more likely you’ll feel motivated to drink more if you’ve personalized your bottle just for your goals.
4. Make it a game
It’s always easier to meet your goals when you make it fun! You can incentivize yourself to drink more water by rewarding yourself when you reach your goal. If you meet your whole water goal for the week, you can treat yourself to something special! This system also works if you want to take away some perks for not drinking enough water (maybe no Starbucks or Netflix?). You’re much more likely to meet your goals if you’re making it more interesting for yourself!
You can also use competition to get yourself to meet your goals. For example, if you finish your whole water bottle by noon, you can reward yourself! Then, you can keep setting and surpassing new goals. Do better with outside motivation? Compete with friends, family, or coworkers to add some friendly bets to help meet your goals. Try setting the goal to drink at least five glasses of water during the day – whoever meets the challenge first wins a prize!
5. Set a timer on your phone
These days we use our phones for everything. Why not use it to help you drink more water too? Set a timer on your phone to give you reminders to drink throughout the day. Every time you get the alert, make sure to drink a full glass of water. You can also use apps to help remind you to meet your goal. There are several ones on the market that can help you easily track how much water you’ve had during the day. There’s even a high-tech smart water bottle that records every ounce you drink and then sends that data straight to your cell!
Follow these five tips on ways to drink more water, and get ready to become a more hydrated (and healthier) you!