It’s common knowledge that drinking enough water is one of the best things you can do for your body. Drinking water aids in digestion, is great for your skin, and literally fuels your body. One of my top personal goals for 2016 is to drink more water – something I’m admittedly not that great at right now. I’ve teamed up with health educator and rockstar fitness coach, April Storey, to learn more about the benefits of staying hydrated…and also how to do it! If you are like me and seriously need to step up your water intake game, check out these 5 tips on how to stay hydrated (and a free water log) below!
“Drinking water flushes toxins out of our body which can result in clear, glowing skin and drinking enough water leaves you feeling more full resulting in less calories consumed. To summarize, drink more water!”
– April
Buy a water bottle that suits your lifestyle.
While buying a water bottle may seem like hydration 101, think about how many water bottles you own that you don’t actually use. If your water bottle is too big, too heavy, too inconvenient – you just won’t use it. I was rocking a CamelBak water bottle for a while and only used it around the house because it was way too big to fit in a purse. My boyfriend still uses and loves his CamelBak, but an adorable and compact Bkr made way more sense for me.
Log your water intake.
Tedious? Sure. Logging your water intake can seem like overkill, but by taking note of when you finish off a glass of water you’ll have a heightened awareness of just how much water you drink in an average day. When I first started using my Fitbit, I logged my water intake into the iPhone app and became painfully aware of how little water I was drinking. There were even some days I had only one glass of water! Not good. Logging your water intake can help you to understand when you are right on track to hit your daily goal, or when you need to step it up and throw back another glass of water.
Get creative – craft up your own flavored water.
Some people have issues staying hydrated because they just don’t love the taste of water. It is admittedly plain, after all. If you’re part of this crowd, get creative and create your own flavored waters! Slide some cucumber slices into your glass or toss in a lemon wedge for some added flavor. If you really want to get fancy, there are even some water bottles that have a fillable core that you can pack with fruits to create your own flavored waters on the go.
“Strawberries, kiwi, cucumber, oranges, mint, lime, etc are great flavors to mix in for added flavor. Try different combinations and you will never get bored.”
– April
Stock up on water-rich foods.
Bagels are the love of my life, but even I can admit they aren’t packed with water and nutrients. If you’re looking to amp up your hydration, stock up on water-rich foods like watermelon and other fruits! Did you know watermelon is made up of around 80% water? …which probably explains why it’s called a “water” melon. Genius level stuff right here.
Never leave the house without water.
We all run through our checklist as we make our way out the door: keys, check. wallet, check. Add water to that list! Make an effort to take your water bottle with you on the go and it’ll be much easier to stay hydrated!
“Challenge yourself to drink 8 glasses of water per day for an entire month! When you reach your goal reward yourself with a pedicure or some new makeup for that healthy, glowing skin!”
– April
Armed with all these awesome tips on how to stay hydrated, I’m excited to tackle my 2016 goal of drinking more water – how about you? To make accomplishing your hydration goal even easier download your free water intake log below! And definitely take the time to check out April’s Facebook and Instagram pages for some awesome health and fitness info and inspo!
What health and fitness goals do you have for 2016? How much water do you typically drink in a day?
xoxo Blonde
Such an important topic! I was logging my water intake with an iphone app during the summer but right now I’m a disaster again! Thank you for the tips, I will definitely try some of this out 🙂
I was great about logging my water during the Summer too! I had just gotten my Fitbit and was alllll about logging every glass I drank into the app. I am thinking a print out actually works better because it’s a little easier to do a physical quick scribble over a glass I’ve finished versus going into an app and having to hit buttons to log it. Still figuring out the right process 😉
I’ve always been that girl who carries a water bottle every where, and I love seeing other people making a goal to drink more water!
Oh my gosh I aspire to be like you! lol I’m SO BAD about drinking water…but I’m really trying! How many glasses do you think you drink in a day?
xoxo Kelsey
When I’m at home I keep a big (and I mean BIG) cup of water at me desk/next to me. If it’s there, I will drink it throughout the day and refill it at least once or twice. When I’m at work, in class, or on the road, I bring a big reusable water bottle with me. I also don’t really drink anything other than coffee or water during the day!
So smart! You’re right. I find that if it’s accessible, I drink it. If I have to work for it, I don’t!
This is such a great post – definitely picking up on the fact that I need to take more notice to my water intake!
xxx
http://www.insidein-insideout.net
Drinking enough water is super important!
Your blog looks awesome buy the way! So high fashion. Excuse me while I spend the next half hour perusing your posts! 😉
xoxo Kelsey
These are great tips! I am always aware that I’m not drinking as much water as I should be. But this year, I’m trying to get better with it by starting more healthy eating habits. I didn’t know that the FitBit also tracked water intake – just another reason why I need to get one!
oxo, Lesh
http://livinglesh.com
Hi Lesh! It can track your water intake! BUT you have to manually log it in – it doesn’t track automatically (that would be cool if it did). That’s why sometimes having a printable like the one in the post is easier because you can just scribble fill in a glass versus having to go into an app and log it!
xoxo Kelsey
I thought we had the same water bottle and I got really excited! But this is a great post – I always have my water bottle on hand! My friends comment when it’s not with me, haha.
What! What water bottle do you have?!