8 glasses of water a day…is it really that important? Why yes, yes it is. Ideally, you should be consuming around one-third to one-half of your body weight in fluid ounces of water per day. This helps your body with everything from keeping your skin looking youthful to aiding digestion to accelerate post-workout recovery periods.
But what if you (like most of us) are struggling to meet the recommended daily minimum of water consumption? Try these 5 tips below to help you master a new hydration habit this year:
5 Ways to Drink More Water in Your Day
1) Use the clock as your cue.
Assign certain times of the day as “water drinking time.” It may sound silly, but drinking a glass of water at specific intervals throughout the day can help you get into a more consistent routine.
What’s the best time of the day for a planned water break? As soon as you wake up! Drink a cold glass before doing anything else, since it’ll help you replace water you’ve lost through sweating and breathing in your sleep (plus it’s great for your metabolism).
Other great times of the day to stop, drop, and hydrate are 12 p.m., 5 p.m, and 7 p.m, or anything that fits your lifestyle and schedule. Of course, you can and should drink water outside of just these scheduled water breaks; just aim to avoid drinking too much during a meal itself, as this could lead to indigestion, bloating, and impaired absorption of nutrients.
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2) Go 1-for-1 with any non-water beverage.
Love your coffee, tea, wine, or even seltzer? No problem. Enjoying beverages like these can be perfectly fine if done in moderation (though we generally advise against juices and sodas, since their high sugar content imposes just too great of a negative effect for them to be worth it as far as we’re concerned). Just make sure that for every drink you have, you follow with a glass of water, as well.
3) Get techy.
Need to drink more water? Yes, there’s an app for that. Check out some of these top-rated water apps that offer reminders and allow you to track your daily intake.
4) Infuse your water with fresh fruit or herbs.
Nothing tastes better than cold filtered water, but if you’re looking to add a healthy but delicious twist to your glass, try infusing with strawberries, mint, cucumber, melon, blueberries, or even basil. You can even infuse on the go with infuser water bottles like this one from Great Gear.
5) Never leave home without a water bottle.
If you’re willing to treat your water bottle as an appendage of your own body (i.e., you always have one with you), then you’re far more likely to take sips throughout the day. So, buy your favorite reusable bottle and bottoms up
