If one of your goals for the year is to drink more water, but you need a little help, this list of Ways To Drink More Water will give you some creative and practical ideas.
If you want to drink something other than water, check out our drink recipes for some new ideas.
I actually like drinking water. I refill my reusable water bottle all day long. My daily goal is to drink 70 ounces of water a day. I hit it most days, but some days, water just gets boring.
And you might feel that way too, especially if you’re not used to drinking that much water.
Of course, we all know that there are a ton of benefits of drinking water, but that doesn’t mean we’re getting enough fluids. So, to try and help, I put together this list of ways to drink more water. Most of the ideas are practical, some of the ideas are creative, and all of the ideas will help you hit your recommended daily water intake.
Ways To Drink More Water
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Quick note before we start: Drinking eight cups of water is the assumed standard, but this can actually vary with your body weight and any health or medical conditions you may have. So, before changing your diet or routine, be sure to consult with your doctor.
Challenge yourself.
If you’re not good at keeping track of your water intake, a water bottle with time marker is perfect for you. There are lines on it showing you where you should be throughout the day. Fill and finish it twice and you’ve had enough water.
If you don’t want to buy a new bottle, label 16 oz. plastic bottles of water with the numbers 1 through 4. If you drink all four bottles, that’s your recommended eight glasses of water.
Use water enhancers.
People get bored with the taste of water, which is understandable. Plain water doesn’t really have any flavor. Don’t let that be your excuse to skip water. Instead, try some water enhancers.
The ones in a small container are super convenient to take on the go. The ones in packets are great for when you’re drinking water at home.
Drink tea and coffee.
Tea and coffee count towards your water intake. There was a time when the almighty they said cups of coffee and tea don’t count towards your water total because they’re diarrhetic, but that has been debunked. So go ahead and count your morning cup of coffee when you’re adding up your total ounces of water for the day.
But — and this is a big but — be careful about the added sugar from creamer, honey, or just straight sugar that you’re adding to your coffee or tea. It doesn’t affect your fluid intake, but sugary drinks aren’t the best way to get your daily calories.
Speaking of drinks with a high sugar content, energy drinks and caffeinated beverages count towards your water intake too (although they might not be the best drinks for you).
Make infused water.
An infuser water bottle is the easiest way to make flavored water. Fill it with fruit in the center, then let it sit for a little while so the fruit flavors the water.
If you don’t want to buy a fancy water bottle, you can just add slices of fresh fruit into a glass bottle and let it sit in the fridge for a while until the water is infused. That’s a great, natural way to add some flavoring to your water.
Exercise.
Exercising makes you sweat, which causes you to lose water. So, you have to drink water to replenish what you sweat out.
Plus, when it’s hot out and you’re exercising, your body temperature increases. So you’re gonna drink more water. It’s a win-win. You’re increasing your physical activity and you’re drinking more water.
Eat foods that are high in water.
I know this post is ways to drink more water, but you actually don’t have to solely drink all your water. You can get it from some of the food you eat. Actually, people get 20% of their water from food.
Food with a high water content, like lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes, are a really easy way to get a little more water into your day. So add a side salad to your dinner every night.
Immediately refill your water bottle.
As soon as you finish drinking a water bottle, immediately refill it. If you let it sit empty, you’re not drinking any more water.
If you have it full, you have a chance of sipping on it and getting closer to your daily eight cups of water.
Order water when you go out.
When you go out to dinner and the waiter or waitress takes your drink order, ask for a glass of water alongside whatever else you drink. Make sure to finish that glass of water before you leave the restaurant.
My grandma used to order some extra lemon slices when she ordered water for dinner. She would squeeze them into her drink and add a little bit of sugar substitute. That way, she was drinking plenty of water but also drinking something with a little bit of flavor.
Water down your drinks.
Fruit juice is so sweet. It’s delicious, but it’s so sweet.
So when you’re pouring yourself any type of sweet drinks, stop midway. Fill the rest of the glass with water. That way, you’re drinking fewer calories and still increasing your water intake.
Make seltzer.
We have a SodaStream and absolutely love it. It’s so easy to turn flat water into seltzer with the push of a button. If you don’t like plain water, seltzer is an easier way to drink water.
Adding flavorings or lemon juice is a great way to change the flavor of the seltzer without adding too many calories. There are actually flavorings that mimic the flavor of soft drinks. So, if you usually drink soda as part of your daily routine, try one of those flavors and see if you can kick the habit.
Drink when you want to snack.
I love snacking. If I could, I would have a snack every night. But sometimes, I’m not really hungry when I’m snacking. I just want something to crunch on.
If you can’t tell if you’re hungry, thirsty, or just bored, drink some water before you grab a snack. You might feel full from the water and skip the snack.
Add ice cubes to your drinks.
If you’re drinking outside, you want to keep your drink cold. So you toss in a few ice cubes. Cool. Or — well — cold.
Eventually, unless you have one of those fancy water bottles that keeps ice cold for three days straight, those ice cubes will warm up and melt. And that means more water for you to drink without even trying.
Eat spicy food.
A few years ago, we got a chili paste for review. I made chicken stir fry and added a dollop of the chili paste to my bowl. A very large dollop. My mouth was on fire. So I quickly grabbed my water bottle and drank every last drop of it.
If you can tolerate spicy food, eat it and you’ll drink more water.
Track your water with an app.
Sometimes, I forget if I’m on my second or third water bottle of the day. There’s just too much other stuff in my brain.
But, with an app, you click a button every time you finish a bottle of water. That way, you’ll always know what bottle you’re on. And you won’t accidentally tell yourself you’re on bottle three when it’s only bottle two.
Get a nice water bottle.
My dad got me a Yeti Rambler bottle as a gift and I love it. It’s really good at keeping water cold. And the ice in it lasts a while. I didn’t love the top that came with it because you had to completely twist it off every time you wanted a sip. It was such a pain, so I was actually drinking less because of it.
So I bought a cap with a straw. Now, all I have to do is push the straw out and sip. Ever since I bought that, I’ve been drinking double the amount of water.
What are your tips for drinking more water? Be sure to let us know in the comments.