This post and photos may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. If you purchase something through any link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. Any supplies used may be given to me free of charge, however, all projects and opinions are my own.
Train yourself to drink more water!
Easy to implement tips and tricks
to increase your daily water intake.
Train Yourself To Drink More Water
The other day, one of my friends mentioned she was having a hard time meeting her daily water intake goals. Earlier this year, I had to teach my son my tips and tricks to train himself to drink more water. Since her post the other day, I realized that many of you struggle to figure out how to drink more water, so I thought I'd share them with you as well!
A lot of the tricks and tips I picked up from my years of visiting urologists and nephrologists. There are many reasons why you would want to increase your daily drinking amount. The benefits of drinking water vary from improving your skin, to flushing your system of toxins, to even helping maintain your body temperature.
I'm not a doctor, and you should only take advice from qualified medical personnel. I do however have the habit of drinking lots of water. It was a learned skill that anyone can master if they take the time and effort.
If you are asking yourself, "How much water should I drink a day", you should talk with your doctor and find the amount you are both comfortable with. Your amount will depend on many things. Since I have kidney stones, my amount is a bit more than the average person. If you're very active, if you live in a hot climate, if you are a big guy or a petite woman - those will all vary the amount you'll want to drink.
5 Tips and Tricks to Increasing Your Daily Water Intake
1. Pace yourself
I often tell people learning to drink more water is a lot like running a marathon. You wouldn't just one day decide to go outside and run 26+ miles. You also shouldn't just start drinking as much water as you possibly can. It will be a shock to your system. In fact, some people have made themselves very sick by drinking too much in too little of a time period. You don't want that to happen!
The best way is to increase the amount slowly over a period of a few weeks. Remember, this is a habit. The longer and more intentional you are with it, the more likely you will retain the habit. Start by adding 8-12 oz of water every week or so until you have reached your target amount.
2. Find your preference
I'm particularly fond of room temperature water. My mom prefers very cold water. My son- he likes lemon slices in it. I think it's easier to drink a large glass of water in one fell swoop, while others prefer to sip. These are all personal choices. Just like with any other habit, if you do what you like, you are more likely to stick with it. Since I drink warm water, I can just keep my FIJI Water right on the shelf, ready to go.
3. Your Timing Is Everything
One tip I took from a urologist is to drink a big glass of water right after getting up in the morning. It means you've already knocked out the start of your daily goal and it gets things headed in the right direction. You don't want to wait until the end of the day to meet your daily goal, or you'll be up all night using the restroom.
Well, that's another thing. When you drink a lot of water, you will have that side effect. So not only do you train yourself to drink water, you train yourself to use the restroom right before you leave. HA! It's important to stay hydrated when flying, so I had to get over my phobia of getting out a plane seat. In the end, this little inconvenience is worth the benefits drinking water provides.
4. Take Water Everywhere You Go
I have a bottle of water every place I go. There aren't that many places anymore that don't allow it. It's so nice to be able to have one waiting in my car for me. If I have it with me, I have no excuse not to drink it. I also have a little dish in my car for my co-pilot. Dogs get thirsty too!
Being able to just grab a FIJI Water right before I leave is a huge convenience for me. I don't have to worry about digging a container out of the cabinet, if the store will have any stocked, or worry about washing a container later. The on-the-go convenience means I have no excuse to not have one in my cup holder!
5. Make It As Accessible As Possible
I'm not gonna lie. Cases of water are heavy. After my surgery, I was told not to lift anything heavier than a milk jug. So that meant if I was going to buy water, I'd have to make sure when of my boys were with me to lift it in the cart for me. Even if I did have a grocery store worker help me, once I got home, someone had to be there to carry it in.
Then I discovered home delivery. How amazing is it for me to get FIJI Water delivered straight to my front doorstep. FIJI Water is bottled at the source in Fiji, and home delivery is available in the continental United States for free.
My husband absolutely adores the taste of FIJI Water, so he is just as thrilled as I am when the delivery arrives. Over 60 countries in the world enjoy FIJI Water, so my hubs is not alone. Not only did he not have to lug it home, but we save money by ordering online. He loves to grab the 700mL when he is headed to the gym - it's just the right size!
If you're like my friend and are looking to increase your water intake - I hope these tips and tricks have been helpful. I believe everyone can train themselves to drink more water every day. Having FIJI Water delivered straight to your home has been a lifesaver for us, and I think you'd love it too! If you have home delivery, I'd love to hear what you think about it! Drop me a comment below!
Want more tips for healthy habits? You might like these articles:
Stay motivated on a daily walking program
Sam Wilkins says
I like how you talk about gradually adding more water into your diet. My nephew is trying to give up soda and is struggling. Maybe he should look into getting water bottles delivered to his house so he can have them on hand all the time.
Ridley Fitzgerald says
These are some great ideas for drinking more water. I know I need to, but with juice or milk as an option, I never choose water! I'll be sure to start paying closer attention to what my preferences are, so I can provide those for myself.
Silas Knight says
These are great tips for drinking more water. I like how you said that I should slowly increase the amount I drink each day. That sounds great. I'd like the office I work at to get a water machine for me to use.
Beth Hein says
This is one awesome post!
I try to drink water every now and then – before going to sleep, after I wake up (Studies say that water can help to restart our organs), and during my meals.
Currently, I don’t track my water intake, but I am going to start doing it. As tracking is the only way we know for sure whether we have accomplished our goals.
I do carry around my own water bottle (20 oz) so tracking will not be tough for me 😀
Also I try to make water more interesting, I usually go with iced tea 😀
I don’t have a measuring cup, so I am just going to try and finish my bottle 3 times a day 😀 (that will get me close to my daily intake needed :D).
Anyways, thank you for the comprehensive post 😉 Water has so many benefits and yet many of us forget to drink enough of it everyday and most of us are not aware of what our daily intake should be.