It is pretty safe to say that we love water here at OPEX Franklin. This necessary element of life has a whole host of benefits. It helps with recovery, cognitive function, satiety, skin health, and the list goes on and on. That’s why our coaches recommend you drink at least half of your body weight in ounces per day as a general starting point.
Drinking more water may sound simple, but drinking enough water isn’t always easy. More often than not, we find that new clients are either under the recommended amount, drinking non-hydrating liquids, or just not drinking any water at all.
So to help you hit your daily water goal, here are 5 smart ways to make sure you’re drinking enough water.
5 Smart Ways to Drink More Water
1) Lemon, Sea Salt, Water, in the Morning
A great way to start your morning is with a glass of water with lemon and a little bit of sea salt. I usually squeeze the juice from 1/2 lemon, with a large pinch of sea salt in 8-12 ounces of water. We recommend this for several reasons. First, it develops the power of habit. (For a great read on habits, listen to or read James Clear’s “Atomic Habits“. As this small habit becomes routine, so will your other exercise and lifestyle behaviors. Second, the minerals from the sea salt will help you stay hydrated and give you a nice boost in the morning. We typically do a mix of himalayan sea salt and celtic sea salt for maximum variety of minerals.
2) Designate a Bottle
This may seem silly, but the second tip to help you drink enough water is to designate a specific bottle. Bonus points if this vessel is either metal or glass. (Try to reduce the amount of plastic in your life;) Bring this water bottle with you everywhere. You may want to be sure it fits in your cup holder in the car if you spend a lot of time int the car. Just seeing the bottle will act as a reminder to drink. Plus, you’ll be prepared if water is not easily accessible throughout the day.
3) Drink at Events (It’s not what you think!)
Associate drinking water with events that occur in YOUR life throughout the day. It is a great way to form a habit and keep you drinking enough. Think about the major events that reoccur each day. Examples include waking up (salt/lemon water here), having breakfast (a cup next to your coffee), driving to work (set a goal for how much to drink on your commute), getting to work, and going to lunch (set another goal to have X ounces consumed before lunch), etc. Pick some of these events as reminders to drink water. Another great example is drink water as soon as you arrive at work and as soon as you get home. This will make it part of your daily routine and eventually a subconscious behavior. It may take some experimenting, but with some trial and error, you will find which events work for you.
4) Make it Accessible
New habits must easy to do, or you won’t stick with them. Therefore, the fourth tip is to make water accessible. Just like designating a bottle, making water accessible is a key to success. Leave a full glass on your nightstand, put a pitcher in your fridge, and leave a glass or mug at your office desk. These will all act as a reminder and save you if you forget your bottle.
5) Make it Fun
The fifth tip is to fancy up your water and make it fun to drink. Teas, water with sliced fruit or citrus, and sparkling waters are great alternatives if you are bored with plain tap water. Just make sure they do not have any added sugar or any added caffeine. One recent fancy, fun upgrade we have done recently was to invest in a Berkey Water Filter. It is a system that sits on our counter, so easily accessible, and we are blown away by how crystal clear the water is, and how delicious it tastes. It has definitely made getting our recommended ounces in each day quite a bit easier.
Drinking enough water is a foundation for a healthy lifestyle. In fact, it’s one of the OPEX Basic Lifestyle Guidelines (BLGs) that we teach to all our clients. Are you struggling to drink enough water? Do you want to cultivate a healthier lifestyle? Contact us today and start working with one of our coaches. They will work with you to create an individualized exercise and lifestyle plan to help you accomplish your goals.
