Summer is here and it is more important than ever to stay hydrated. Increasing water intake can often feel boring. “When I was a child, I thought the “adult drink” was coffee. When I became a teenager, I thought the “adult drink” was beer. As an adult, I’ve realized the “adult drink” is in fact… water (Anna Brandberg @annabrandberg-Twitter).” After you calculate your daily recommended water intake (usually 50-60% of your body weight in ounces plus more for exercise or breast feeding) you can decide on ways to get to that goal. Here are some of our best tips for drinking more water. Here is an example of how to calculate your intake, from Restore:
Your weight: The first step to knowing how much water to drink every day is to know your weight. The amount of water a person should drink varies on their weight, which makes sense because the more someone weighs the more water they need to drink. A 200 pound man and 100 pound woman require different amounts of water every day.
Multiply by 2/3: Next you want to multiply your weight by 2/3 (or 67%) to determine how much water to drink daily. For example, if you weighed 175 pounds you would multiply that by 2/3 and learn you should be drinking about 117 ounces of water every day.
Activity Level: Finally you will want to adjust that number based on how often you work out since you are expelling water when you sweat. You should add 12 ounces of water to your daily total for every 30 minutes that you work out. So if you work out for 45 minutes daily, you would add 18 ounces of water to your daily intake.
5 Easy Ways to Stay Hydrated this Summer:
Add Flavor
Infuse your water with fresh fruit and herbs. The longer you let it steep the tastier each cup will be. Try combinations like cucumber and mint or blackberries and basil. Use a pitcher in your fridge or try a cool infuser water bottle. Try herbal tea, choose a tea without caffeine. Drink it hot in the winter and cold in the summer.
Create New Habits
Drink a glass of water after every bathroom break. Drink a glass of water before every meal. Bring a water bottle to work out and finish the bottle before you leave. Drink a glass of water every time you brew coffee. Drink a glass of water during daily transitions. Finished brushing your teeth? Getting out of bed? Before going to bed? Before leaving the house? Drink a glass of water at these transitions. Creating these little rules for yourself will help you to increase your water intake.
Use a Gallon Jug
Tracking small glasses of water can be daunting. Fill a gallon jug with your recommended daily amount of water and only drink from it. Or get a larger container to drink from, 30 oz or larger so you only have to keep track of filling it 2-4 times per day. Reusable water bottles are good for the environment too
Eat Water Rich Foods
Sneak extra water in every day by eating your H²0. Some top picks include cucumber (96% water), zucchini (95% water), watermelon (92% water), and grapefruit (91% water).
Get a Cool Reusable Straw
When you drink out of a straw you will drink more, faster. Reusable straws are good for the body and the environment. When a straw is in the mix it’s almost difficult not to suck down an entire glass or bottle of water.
There’s nothing like a reward, even a small one, for accomplishing something you set out to do. It just makes you want to keep hitting that goal! Make a rule that if you hit your goal every day for a week, you get yourself that fancy coffee beverage or spend even longer than usual binging on Netflix or scrolling through Instagram. Maybe after you’ve hit all your water goals for a month or two or six, you reward yourself with something even more significant. Sure, hydration and the health benefits of water are their own reward but we could all use a supplemental reward every once in a while.