While doing a run streak, I find myself wanting to stay hydrated. It can be hard to get in your daily water. It is important to stay hydrated. Whether you are an inside the gym once it hits 70 degrees kind-of person or a stay out in the 100-degree direct sunlight kind of person, hydration is important. Here’s the thing it’s not just about water either!
I struggle with drinking enough water every day. It’s a struggle between having to justify to my employer why I am taking my 50th trip to the bathroom and staying hydrated. I swear I have a kid-sized bladder!!! The struggle is real. Some people say, “Oh, your body will get used to it! Just drink the water.” Here’s the thing, everyone is different. You will get used to your new normal. Your body will thank you and you’ll perform better in your workouts (and everyday life too)!
Here are some tips to get in your water every day:
1. Mint Water (or Any Flavor Infused Water)
Keep a glass carafe in the fridge with mint leaves or sliced fruit. I really like the 1-liter carafe with the lid. With glass, you don’t have to worry about funky flavors with metal. Also, people worry about plastic. The infused mint water will last the week in the fridge (but I bet the original liter won’t last that long!!). The great thing is after the first infusion, you can top off the carafe with each glass you drink.
Don’t like mint or need some other infused water ideas… You can try some of my other favorites. Cucumber-Lime, blackberry-ginger, or cinnamon-apple are a few of my flavors in rotation. For even more Infused water ideas, check out my Pinterest board!
2. A Good Water Bottle
Whenever I start ramping up my water intake, I like to get a new water bottle or pull out one I haven’t used in a while. There is something about the shiny new toy syndrome that really works for ramping up my fluid intake. My all-time favorite bottle is the Camelbak Podium Insulated Water bottle.
My friend Eileen turned me on to these bottles. They keep things cold. Every so often I put it to the test. The most recent test was leaving it in the car when I went for a 4-mile walk. When I got back to the car, I was really hot and need something to drink. Luckily, I had my water bottle and put cold mint water in it before I left the house at 6:15 am. It was almost 10:30 am. My water was still cold. It wasn’t as cold as it was when it left the fridge but it was cold. If I had put ice in it, it would have been colder than the fridge. (Side note: I don’t recommend leaving your hydration in the car. Take it with you!!!)
3. Ice!
I love my water cold. The colder the better. Sometimes I have skinny neck water bottles and need to put ice. I use a silicone finger-shaped ice-cube tray to fit the ice through the opening. I got it Halloween time and re-purposed it for water bottles. If you want something similar, you can get this ice cube tray.
4. Water To-Go: Say Yes to your Server
It seems like whenever I’m dining out, my server asks if I need anything else or straight-up offers me a to-go water. The offer generally happens more when I have made the refill my water-glass a bunch! (Everyone likes to support healthy habits!) Next time your server asks you that question, say, “Yes! May I please have a large water to-go?”
(Bonus Tip: If you place a to-go food order and the bartender asks if you would like a drink while you wait, say, “Yes. If possible may I get it in a to-go cup?” Don’t forget to get it topped off before you leave. Your body will thank you.)
I like to get a to-go cup of ice water when I leave a restaurant. Most people may think to ask for a to-go cup of the tea or other beverage with free refills when dining out. But if you are trying to get in your water for the day, it is handy to always have water with you. I find that sipping on the way home or to my next destination means I can sneak in another 8-20 ounces of water. The trick also comes in handy when I forget my water bottle or have an unplanned stop. I have not encountered problems getting a to-go cup.
If you have your water bottle, you can ask for a refill of your water-glass and then simply dump it in your reusable water bottle. Another thing I sometimes do is get a large cup of ice. The good thing about the large cup of ice is it constantly melts to give me ice-cold water. (See above as to my love of ice-cold water).
5. Set an Alarm or Reminder
I find setting a reminder helps me to remember to drink more often during the day. Figure out the math. Take your total number of ounces you want to drink and divide it by 8-10. The result will be the number of ounces you should drink each hour. Set your reminders or alarms. You will have all you need to get the ounces. Every time the alarm sounds, drink the remainder (or all) of the ounces you need to reach your hour goal.
These tips along with keeping a post-it note nearby with the number of hourly ounces marked off help to keep me on track. It will take you some time to get used to the increased bathroom breaks but your body with thank you. If you are working out, you will notice better performance. I like to slowly increase my water up to half my body weight in ounces. Give some of these a try to get in your water every day. Let me know if you have any tricks you use.
Telling you to stay hydrated every day,
TJ
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TJ Tells It | COPYRIGHT © 2019 · TJ Hadley
Chelsea Stockdale says
I love all of these tips! Staying hydrated is KEY to feeling our best selves for sure! I love trying out all of the new sparkling waters too that are so popular right now! Some of them are REALLY good and others…not so much! But it’s always nice to change things up a bit flavor wise all while staying hydrated! ?
TJ says
Yes on the sparkling waters! I love to try the interesting flavor combos.