Most people understand that staying hydrated and drinking water are essential for a healthy body and a health mind. However, many of us  do not drink enough water throughout the day.

Even if you drink a decent amount of water each day, chances are you’re still not drinking the proper daily amount. Luckily, with a few simple tips and tricks, any health-conscious person can easily increase their daily water intake and start seeing major changes in their overall health in no time.

Should You Increase Your Daily Water Intake?

Water is vital to many important bodily functions and because of this, it needs to be replenished often. Each day the body loses water while breathing, perspiring and whenever you use the restroom. So what is the recommended daily water intake for a healthy adult living in a temperate climate?

According to the Institute of Medicine, an adequate daily amount of water for men is about 15 cups or 3.7 liters and for women about 11 cups or 2.7 liters. But water is not just for hydration:

• Water makes up about 50-60 percent of the body’s overall mass.
• Water contains important electrolytes like calcium, fluoride, chloride, magnesium, potassium and other nutrients.
• Water helps to aid digestion and absorption, regulate body temperature and helps make up a “cushioning” fluid in your joints.

Tips for Drinking More Water Throughout the Day

Once you’ve compared how much water you normally consume with your recommended daily water intake, it’s easy to see why so many people are easily dehydrated. However, there are a few simple steps you can take to make drinking enough water each day easy and in some cases, really tasty too.

Add Flavor

For many people, drinking water is boring, but with the addition of natural flavoring it is much easier to drink your fill. Simply add a little bit of excitement to your glass by adding fresh fruit (strawberries, lemon), veggies (cucumber or celery) or herbs (mint) to a carafe, then drink up!

Use an App

There are apps for everything fitness related these days and some of the most popular (and highly reliable) are water tracking apps. Many are free and track the amount of water you drink each day, store all that information and analyze your daily water consumption with ease. They’ll even set little reminders to keep you going and help you reach your goals.

Mark Your Water Bottle

A marked water bottle can easily help you keep track of the amount of water you’re drinking each day and keep you motivated. For a bit of extra motivation, use the marked fluid measurements on the outside of the bottle to create a timeline that will help keep you on track. Another idea is to put a piece of tape on your bottle each day and use a tally system to mark your progress.

Drink More Water and Feel Better

Every system in the body depends on water intake to function properly because it helps flush toxins and carries essential nutrients to all of your cells. Even a mild case of dehydration can leave you feeling tired and drain your energy. Water is an important part of working out and staying fit, that’s why staying hydrated is a part of our Fit Five mentality.