Fit Friday - water wise

As I have knowledge of health/fitness and am now documenting my new lifestyle on the blog I figured I need to share the knowledge and help people on their journey towards a fitter and healthier life. One of the ways to do this is to drink more water. Sounds simple and heaven knows enough people make this a goal each time New Years rolls around, but not many get into the habit of drinking water so I thought I'd pop in today with some information, tips and tricks on drinking more water.

How much water should you be drinking each day?

We've all heard the 8 x8oz glasses of water a day rule, and this does work as a general rule, but a true amount varies person to person, depending on weight, location, and activity levels. A good rule of thumb for your daily water requirement is to take your weight in lbs and divide it by two. So for a 150lb person, their water intake should be around 75fl oz. If you live in a hot climate you'll need more as you lose water through perspiration, same if you are exercising.

Am I hydrated enough?

Our bodies will tell us when we need more water, there is no magic water figure for everyone so use your body as an indicator. Not to get into the bodily functions too intimately but when you go to the bathroom check your urine color. A good coloring to aim for is a light yellow color. There are color charts online to see if you need to hydrate more. Also remember some medications, health conditions and foods may cause urine to change color so keep that in mind also.

How to drink more water?

Personally I like water but I know some people have issues drinking water so I thought I'd touch on ways to increase your water consumption.

Drink water with meals. Ditch the soda and have a nice tall glass of water with meals. I do this with lunch and dinner and my glass is a tall 30oz glass. That's 60oz right there! Even if you have an 8oz glass with lunch and dinner alone it's a start!

Get a filter or pitcher in the fridge. We have a built in water filter/dispenser in our fridge/freezer and I definitely drink more water because of this. If this isn't an option why not get a jug filter or a pitcher of water in the fridge? Whatever works for you.

Glass it up! I find I drink water more if it's in a 'glass'. Just a personal preference. My 30oz I use at lunch and dinner is a plastic coke 'glass', that rarely if ever sees coke in it! I have two so that I have a spare when one is in the dishwasher. If you need to get a set of pretty glasses or plastic tumblers then whatever do it.

Try a water bottle? My preference for working out is my Rubbermaid Water Bottle. These type of containers are great for exercising but also good if you need something to carry about with you whilst you garden, commute etc. Often I have my water bottle with me whilst working in my office as there is less chance of spillage.

Use flavors! I really don't recommend them unless you absolutely HAVE to use something but the water flavors are a good way to get into the habit and are generally better than soda's. We like the Propel powders (Berry for Bob, and Kiwi/Strawberry for me) and these are great for putting in our camel baks whilst out dirtbike riding. Keeps us hydrated whilst out on the trails for hours at a time. In England they sell what's called orange squash, concetrated juice drink that you add water too (usually 5 water to 1 cordial), I really miss that stuff, in Summer especially! Recently we discovered Amazon.com is selling a lot of British foods now (including Bobs beloved HP sauce) and I did find some on Amazon so we may be saved this Summer! Previously we'd been using orange juice watered down, but though that tastes ok it's not the 'taste of British Summers' we were looking for.

For me though the main thing like I said is choosing water over soda for my mealtime drink. I enjoy the flavor of the foods more and I know it's better for me healthwise.

Try these ways to add more water into your daily routine, or share other ways in which you consume water.

Di