Do you know the one, FREE, thing you can do to make yourself feel better – starting today?

Drink more water!

It’s true. It’s such a simple thing but one that’s often overlooked. In fact, I’ve worked with coaching clients before who were taking in more diet soda a day than water. And do you know what they immediately noticed when they increased their water intake? Their soda intake decreased easily (gotta love the crowding out method!), their joints felt less stiff, and they fell asleep faster because of lowering their caffeine intake. Talk about making an impact on your health!

Why drink more water, you ask? There are loads of benefits such as:

• maintaining your body temperature
• lubricating your joints
• protecting your spine
• keeping you hydrated
• reducing snacking – thirst is often confused as hunger
• flushing your system

Want to know how much water you should be drinking? Check out these suggested guidelines. I’d encourage you to give them a try and find the amount that works the best for you! I personally like the method that Rachel Hollis suggests – drinking half of your body weight in ounces of water a day. Easy enough to remember!

There are a few things to consider when aiming for a hydration goal – such as your level of activity, if you’re pregnant or nursing, if you live in a warm environment…you get the idea. If you’re doing something that reasonably would require more hydration…then hydrate more! Personally, I go above and beyond and drink 100+ ounces of water a day because I’m fairly active and am currently nursing our youngest. With some time, you’ll find your hydration sweet spot too.

Here’s the most important thing to remember. You’re not going to drink more water unless you make it easy to do. How do you ask?

Use a larger water bottle. 

Let me say that again. Grab a bigger glass!

I’m so much more likely to drink four 24-ounce Tervis servings or three 32-ounce Nalgenes over a bajillion 8-ounce glasses of water each day. Who has time to constantly run to the fridge or tap for more water? Instead, I like to use a larger container – and another bonus is it’s easier to keep track of how much you’ve had to drink that day. Three Nalgene fill-ups is easy!

To make it even simpler, I always add something “fun” to my middle water serving (so my second/third Tervis or second Nalgene). Such as a Nuun tablet, lemon wedges, blueberries, you name it! I’ve rounded up a few of my favorites for you below.

So tell me, are you drinking enough water? If not, I challenge you to start today! Right now, in fact. Get up, grab a glass, fill it up, and throw it down the hatch. And if you are hydrating well already, I’d love to know your tips and tricks for making it happen in your own life.

So, friends, to you I say – cheers!

Resources: Mayo Clinic Article |CDC Article |Healthline Article