We all know that drinking water is important for our overall health, but many of us find it difficult to drink enough water throughout our day. If you struggle with drinking enough water, here are 10 tips to help you increase your water intake.
In order to prepare for an upcoming health and fitness challenge, Jill and I created a survey for our Clean Fit Lifestyle members. We asked members what they would like to have included in our next challenge.ย
Several people responded that they would like hydration/water intake to be addressed. Some people were interested in having a daily water goal. This led me to ask our community more questions and to do some research on water intake.
How Much Water Should You Drink Per Day?
I found out that there is no set scientific standard that states how much water a person should drink. One general guideline is the old 8×8 rule. 8 glasses each containing 8 ounces per day.
Another more recent guideline I found is half an ounce to one ounce for each pound you weigh. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds you should be drinking between 75-150 ounces per day.ย
Like most things when it comes to health and fitness, there is no one size fits all. Age, gender, activity level, climate, and overall health all impact the amount of H2O you should be drinking each day. As does whether or not you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
I like to use the color of my pee as an indicator. If it is almost colorless or pale yellow, hooray for me I am remembering to drink my water. If it is dark yellow, I better pump up the jams throughout my day. When in doubt, consult your physician.
Health Benefits Of Drinking Water
Water plays a major part in our overall health and well-being. There are a plethora of benefits to drinking enough water.ย Here are just some of the many:
- Increases energy
- Rids waste through urination, perspiration, and pooping ๐
- Cushions tissues
- Regulates body temperature
- Improves brain function
- Prevents headaches
- Improves skin health
- Promotes weight loss
10 Tips To Help Increase Water Intake
Most days I have no trouble drinking water throughout my day, but there are days that I look at the clock and realize I haven’t had any water for 4-5 hours.
This usually happens when I am working on my computer, and I forget to bring water into the office with me. If I have the water with me, I drink it and refill it often.ย
I’ve figured out a few tricks to help me remember to drink my H2O and I’ve gotten some tips from friends. If you are struggling with drinking enough water, here are some tips to help you.
1.ย Keep Water On Your Night Stand
I put a glass of water on my nightstand before bed every night, and drink it first thing in the morning. Drinking water first thing in the morning helps to get your metabolism fired up, flushes out toxins, and helps rehydrate your body.
2.ย Set An Alarm
Create a water goal and set an alarm on your phone to help remind you to drink up throughout your day. When I am working on my computer and my Fitbit reminds me to take some steps, I not only walk around, I also drink my water.ย
3. Use A Tracker
Using a tracker is a great way to help form a habit. There are several apps that can help you track your daily water intake. Some of them will even send you reminders which goes along with tip #2. Bustle has a list of 6 water tracker apps. The article includes the pros and cons of each app.
4. Add Some Flavor
Infusing your water with fresh fruit and/or herbs will help eliminate the boredom of plain water. I especially like infused water in the summer. My favorite combo is strawberry and lemon. So refreshing on a hot summer day in Texas!
5. Use A Filter
Not lovin’ the taste of your tap water, and don’t want to continually purchase water bottles? Invest in a water filter. Healthy Kitchen 101 has a great post on 12 of the best water filter systems.
I have never liked the taste or smell of our tap water. I have been researching the best water filtration systems for over a year. We recently decided to replace our Brita water pitcher and invest in a Berkey. (I plan on doing a whole blog post about it once we have used it for a while.)
6. Find Your Perfect Temperature
It might sound silly, but if you do not like the temp of your water, you’re probably not going to drink it. I prefer my water cold, but I will drink it at room temperature. My husband has to have his ice cold or he will not drink it. See #7
7.ย Find A Favorite Drinking Vessel
There are countless vessels that will hold your water. They range from super simple and inexpensive to high-tech and pretty pricey. Check out this smart water bottle I found on Amazon. It has a tracker and sends you smart reminders! How cool is that?
Finding your perfect temperature will help you select your favorite vessel. If you like your water ice cold, you may want to select a vessel that is vacuum insulated. If you want to avoid plastic, you may want to choose stainless steel or glass.
Good Housekeeping has a list of 7 of the best water bottles. I use a pretty floral stainless steel tumbler that my daughter bought me for my birthday a few years ago. It’s insulated, hold 12 ounces of water, and keeps it nice and cold.
If you will be filling your water vessel away from home, check out Entramping’s list of top 10 best water bottles with filters. Entramping is a fabulous travel blog devoted to discovering and sharing the passion for outdoor adventure in all its forms. They based their list on years of experience, readers’ opinions, and top filtered water bottle features.
8. Always Keep It With You
Get your favorite vessel, fill it up with filtered water at your perfect temperature, and take it everywhere you go! If it’s a hot summer day, infuse it with your favorite combination of fruits and herbs. Refill throughout your day!
9. Replace Soda
Skip the soda and other drinks that have no nutritional value, and replace them with that water that you are carrying around with you all day. Your body will thank you!
10. Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
ย There are plenty of healthy fruits and vegetables that can contribute to your daily water intake. Here are some awesome water-rich fruits and veggies to help keep you hydrated:
- Watermelon
- Strawberries
- Cantaloupe
- Cucumber
- Lettuce
- Zucchini
- Celery
- Tomatoes
- Grapefruit
- Cauliflower
Water plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy body. I hope these tips will help you to stay hydrated throughout your day. What tips will you be implementing to help you increase your water intake? Do you have a favorite tip that I haven’t included? Let me know in the comments below.
Laura Noelle says
Fantastic tips! I notice that I also “forget” to drink water while working at the computer or around the house. Always on my goal list to drink more! I want to try to infuse with fruit. Strawberry water sounds amazing!
smallgesturesmatter@gmail.com says
Thanks Laura! I love infused water in the summer. It gets soo hot here in Texas and the infused water is refreshing.
Cathy Walters says
These tips are great. Many of them I have put into place in my own life. The one that is most useful for me is the water intake tracker. It causes me to be intentional about drinking my water. Thank you for these great ideas!
smallgesturesmatter@gmail.com says
You’re welcome Cathy. Yes, the intake tracker is a great way to keep on top of your water intake.
Delia says
I always have good weeks and not so good ones when it comes to drinking water. I’ve actually wrote about this on my blog as well because water is so crucial for our health and yet we always seem to need help remembering to drink it. Any tips are always welcome!
smallgesturesmatter@gmail.com says
Delia I’ll have to check out your post. Since writing this post, I have been a lot better about making sure I drink water all day long.
Stacy Zant says
Very informative and a much needed reminder. I sometimes drink an excessive amount of water without thinking about it and then there are those days that I realize I did not drink enough water for the day as you stated in your article. I especially love the idea to add fruits and veggies for flavor! ๐
smallgesturesmatter@gmail.com says
Adding fruits and veggies definitely make it easier to drink that water all day. ๐
Chhavi says
I have a bad habit of forgetting to drink water. Keeping a bottle besides me at all time and using a tracker really helped me get on track.
This is a great post.
smallgesturesmatter@gmail.com says
Thanks Chhavi! Glad you have been able to stay on track with your water intake.
Taylor Bishop says
Thanks for the advice for drinking more water. I’m glad you mentioned that you should try to have a good drinking vessel, especially if you want to drink water a certain way. This also seems ideal if you like the container well enough that you want to take it with you everywhere.
smallgesturesmatter@gmail.com says
YES! The vessel is everything. I use the same one every day. ๐
best masticating juicer under 200 says
Great post. Awesome information share. Thank you so much for sharing it.
smallgesturesmatter@gmail.com says
Glad you liked it! ๐
jex says
Thanks for the advice for drinking more water.
YES! The vessel is everything. I use the same one every day.
smallgesturesmatter@gmail.com says
You are welcome! So glad you have a vessel you love. I agree it is everything!