How to Trick Yourself Into Staying Hydrated

Hello all of you Running with Sass Readers. My name is Stefanie, I hail from a blog called Run On (http://run-on-riot.blogspot.com). I am here today to talk about hydration, my Labrador Winston will be helping me. You’ll see him a little later.

Or not…He’s pushy like that.

No matter what your training plan or fitness level is, you need to hydrate efficiently.

Increased activity = Increased SWEAT.

More sweat = Less water available for your body to use to survive.

I’m sure there are fancy words for that, but we are keeping things simple today.

I have struggled with hydration most of my life, because I just don’t get thirsty. If I don’t stick a water bottle in front of my face 24 hours a day, I can easily go the entire day without drinking any water. Even then, I get so busy that those water bottles just seem to blend into the background and I end up downing two 32 oz. bottles of water before I go to bed. I don’t recommend that. You’ll end up having to get up to pee every 20 minutes during the night.

Anyway.

The minimum water requirement for a non-active woman is 48-68 oz of water a day. So if you are active, you need MORE than that because you are losing a lot during your workouts. That, my friends, is a lot of water to drink in one day. At least it is for me. So, my point? There are ways that you can trick yourself into drinking water, and I am going to share those with you.

1. Make it taste like it isn’t water. Crystal Light is a good option. They come in convenient to-go packs, are usually sugar-free, low calorie, and make your water taste like fruity deliciousness. They have recently come out with a PureFitness version that is supposed to be all natural. Adding a slice of lemon or lime can also give your water a little extra ‘oomph’, without adding any sugars or calories.

2. Keep a water bottle with you at all times. As I mentioned before, keeping a water bottle in sight at all times reminds me that I need to be drinking water. 90% of the time it is effective for me. If you don’t have a water bottle, I would recommend purchasing one. Finding something cute and fun to drink out of can also trick you into thinking that drinking water is cute and fun. Or something like that…

3. End your meals with a cup of tea. There are many benefits to drinking tea. One being that they (especially green tea) have a lot of antioxidants, which can help detoxify your body. It also counts towards your water intake for the day. Win-win, I say.

4. Get a water filtering system. Like a Brita water pitcher. Not only does it filter your water, but you can keep it in your refrigerator for an ice cold glass of water at your heart’s desire. Colder water is almost always more appealing than luke warm water from the tap.

Anyway, those are all the tips I’ve got for you!

What are your tricks for staying hydrated?

-Stef-