Water Challenge: Are You Getting Enough?

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Water, agua, eau… no matter how you say it, this tasty gem (also known as H20) is something that none of us can live without (especially after a night out or sweaty workout)! You know the saying: “Those who LOVE water know that not all water tastes the same,” this is true for many, and although there are some water keeners out there (kudos to all of you), most of us need a little coaxing in this department. 

There are SO many great reasons to drink water (and far too many to list them all) but here are a few of the main reasons we need it! It helps to regulate your body temperature, it aids in digestion, helps protect our tissues and joints AND it helps us get rid of waste (gross, but super important).

How Much Water Should You Drink?

If you’re like some of us at HQ...the first thing you grab in the morning is a hot cup of delicious coffee. Unfortunately, drinking this first thing in the morning can often dehydrate you more. For each cup of coffee or tea you have, you need about an extra cup of water to balance it out, so try and think about what you can do first thing in the morning to help remind you to drink water. PRO TIP: If you take a glass of water to bed with you at night, then it serves as a reminder when you roll over and see it on your nightstand! Drink it before the day gets started and you’re ahead of the game.

Let’s consider your average day...what do you get up to? Are you super active or are you more sedentary? There are so many factors that determine how much water you need during the day. Although these statistics vary, typical research states that men should have about 3.67 litres (15.5 cups), and women should have about 2.72 litres (11.5 cups) (Yep, that’s EACH DAY!). Ask yourself, are you drinking this much? 

Tips For Drinking More Water

Those are some great water goals...BUT what about when you’re an avid runner? Or maybe you like to hit hot yoga every once and awhile? There are times in our lives we really need to step up our water intake but let’s take it one day at a time! We had a few chats at HQ and rounded up a few ideas to help you get more of the good stuff into your system! Here are our top tips:

1. Add in a water enhancement to keep it interesting! A few ideas: Crystal light, MiO or simple lemon, mint and cucumber (it’s soooo refreshing).
2. Set a reminder on your phone for every hour to remind you to head to the kitchen or water cooler and fill up! This will also encourage you to keep moving during the day and take a little break if you’re studying or at work.
3. Supplement your fluids with other beverages! Nothing is as good as straight clean, clear water on it’s own BUT if you prefer drinking juice or other liquids there are still benefits to having these (not to mention they are SUPER tasty)!
4. Get a giant jug of water and get creative with a sharpie, marking different levels and how much you should have consumed every hour or two. Staring at the giant jug with the timelines on it will definitely help serve as a reminder that you’re behind. Challenge yourself to finish it by the end of the day! You can even recruit some friends or colleagues to take the water challenge with you, it’s a win win!