Blog | Your Daily Water Guide: The Benefits of Hydration

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When life gets busy, it’s easy to forget the simplest healthy habits, like drinking water. However, you may not realize how much better your body will feel when you’re hydrated. Drinking water is the fastest and healthiest way to hydrate your body, and your daily water intake can really impact the way you feel.

How much is your daily water intake?

Adults

At least eight glasses of water (or 64 oz.) is recommended for adults. However, your daily water intake may vary depending on:

• Your size
• How active you are
• The weather (drink more water if it’s hot)
• Other health conditions (pregnancy, medication, etc.)

Kids

Teaching kids about the benefits of hydration helps drive their active lifestyles and builds good habits that will last a lifetime. Kids need different amounts of water depending on their size and age. Check out this guide to make sure your kids are getting their daily water intake.

The Health Benefits of Hydration

Can water give you energy? Yes, it actually can! Plus, there are so many other health benefits of staying hydrated, including:

1. Better brain power: Even a little thirst can make it harder to think and remember things.
2. Healthier muscles: Adults need 30 minutes of physical activity daily and children need 60. No matter how active you are, water helps your body function at its best.
3. Good digestion: Water helps break down food and move it through your body.
4. Kidney function: Water helps your kidneys flush the bad stuff from your body.
5. Regulated body temperatures: When it’s hot outside, you’re more likely to sweat. Water replaces what you lose and helps keep you cool in the steamy Oklahoma summers. Water is also important during the cold, dry winter months to keep your skin hydrated and boost your immunity.
6. Happy joints: Water helps cushion your joints to eliminate pain as you move. This becomes especially important as you age.
7. Boosted immunity: Hydration and other healthy lifestyles can actually help you fight off illnesses and recover faster.
8. Improved mood: Dehydration can make you tired and put you in funk. Water can help turn your day around.

10 tips for staying hydrated.

1. Start your day with water. Before you go to bed each night, put a glass of water by your bed so you can sip first thing in the morning. Starting with a few gulps will help you wake up and start you day off on the right foot.
2. Carry water with you. Get a water bottle you like and take it everywhere. If you have water close by and accessible, you’re more likely sip on it throughout the day. This also helps you avoid buying pricey sugary drinks.
3. Set reminders. If you’re focused on a task or running errands, it can be easy to forget to hydrate. Set alarms on your phone or mark your water bottle to remind you to drink water throughout the day.
4. Drink water before and during meals. Drinking water before and during meals will help you reach your water goals and help your food digest.
5. Infuse your water with fruit. Water isn’t boring! Add some flavor to your hydration with fruit slices or berries. Check out these infused water recipes for inspiration.
6. Eat hydrating foods. Foods like watermelon, cucumbers, strawberries, celery and oranges have water in them. They can help you stay hydrated and make perfect snacks for physical activity.
7. Swap your sugary drinks. If you reach for soda as your afternoon pick-me-up, you may actually slow your body down with sugar. Replace your sugary drinks with water for a healthy alternative. If you need inspiration, check out our sugary drink calculator.
8. Drink extra during exercises. It’s important to replace what you sweat out. Up your daily water intake if you’re getting active.
9. Know the signs of dehydration. If you wake up feeling thirsty, get frequent headaches throughout the day or don’t use the restroom very often, you might be dehydrated. Drink up before you feel thirsty to stay ahead of dehydration.
10. Make it a contest. A great way to stay on top of your water goals is to have an accountability buddy! Make it a friendly competition with your family or coworkers. Download our tracker to track your daily water intake.

The benefits of hydration and your daily water intake are too important to ignore. Water helps your body work in all the right ways! You’ll have more energy, think clearer and feel better. Your body will thank you when you feel the health benefits of staying hydrated!

Find more healthy tips to make your hydration and other health goals a reality. Take our health quiz to see how your healthy habits stack up, and explore other healthy possibilities here.