Do you want to know the thing I struggle with most in my health journey? It’s really silly and should be one of the simplest steps… staying hydrated! I never seem to take in enough water each day, especially to support my activity level. I’ve tried a lot of different things to make it easier on me, and I’ll do good for a while, and then fall right back off the wagon.
First, let’s talk about the importance of getting enough water. The health benefits are plentiful:
- regulates your body temperature
- protects your heart
- keeps you looking younger
- helps you burn fat
- decreases fatigue
- carries oxygen to cells
- flushes out toxins
- helps you control calorie intake
- helps your body absorb nutrients
- cushions your joints
- prevents cramps (This is the biggest one for me. If I don’t drink enough I cramp EVERYWHERE, and it hurts!)
We all know we need to drink water, especially those of us that are more physically active. How do you make sure you’re getting enough? The answer is to make it a habit. To help myself, and all of you, make staying hydrated a habit, I’ve created a Staying Hydrated Challenge! It’s an easy way to stay motivated.
30-Day Stay Hydrated Challenge Printable
This water consumption printable is simply a visual way to keep track of how much you are drinking. It will also act as a reminder to drink up, so print it out and place it at your desk, or in the kitchen. Somewhere that you’ll see it several times a day and be reminded to stay on track. The printable water tracker is available at the bottom of this post.
Some drinks to avoid
Did you know that there are actually beverages that dehydrate you? Since we’re working on bettering our body hydration, I would recommend avoiding the following:
- Soda
- Coffee
- Beer
- Wine
- Hot Chocolate
Glasses of water per day
 Struggling to drink enough?
First off. How much IS enough? The average guideline is 8 ounces of water per day. But a truer number would be to follow this equation:
body weight / 2 = ounces of water to drink per day
Here are some tips that I’ve found work for me!
1. Add a little flavor. Add fresh fruit such as berries or lemon.
2. Keep a water bottle at your desk. Find one that you enjoy using. I prefer a bottle with a straw at my desk so that I can just lean over and drink without stopping what I’m doing!
3. Set a water alarm. Mark each hour with an alarm to remind you to drink.
4. Compete with a friend.
5. Drink a full cup before each meal.
 Changes to your body and mind
Once you complete the 30 day challenge, take a moment to reflect on how drinking more water changed your body and mind. Did you feel less tired? Experience less cloudy thinking? Maybe you found it easier to maintain your weight, or that you had clearer skin. Taking the time to reflect and note the positive effects will help cement your new water drinking habit.
Ready to start the Stay Hydrated Challenge? Get the printable water tracker below!
Download the printable pdf by clicking the button above. Download the file to your computer and open it in Adobe Reader. Print out and display somewhere that you will see it frequently throughout the day. Mark off each glass of water you drink by crossing off, checking, circling or filling in the water droplets on the printable.
