10 Ways To Drink More Water This Year [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted on January 18, 2019March 21, 2019 by Rhona Reid

We all need to drink more water. Make it a 2019 resolution with these easy ways to get more H20!

RELATED: 8 Types Of Water To Drink

In this article:

Make It Part Of Your Routine
Add Slices Of Fruit Or Veggies To A Pitcher Of Water
Drink A Glass Of Water Before Each Meal
Keep A Large Jug Of Water Close By
Use Hydration Apps To Track Your H20 Intake
Eat Your H20!
Use A Time Marked Water Bottle
Link Water to Activities
Incentivize
Gamify

10 Creative Ways To Drink More Water

Click here to jump to the infographic.

1. Make It Part Of Your Routine

A great way to drink more water is to find a way to incorporate it into your routine!

Think about your day and how you usually spend your time. Are there extended periods when you’re not keeping yourself hydrated?

If there are, then maybe you can make a habit of drinking water at those intervals.

For instance, you’re probably not getting hydrated while you sleep at night. Why not try drinking a glass of water before you hit the sack and right after you wake up?

2. Add Slices Of Fruit Or Veggies To A Pitcher Of Water

Sliced lemon fruit in glass pitcher | Ways To Drink More Water This Year

Let’s face it, water, well, tastes like water! And sometimes, we just want to drink something that’s more exciting and flavorful.

You can try to add a little flavor to your water by adding slices of fruit or vegetables. Try including some lemon wedges, cucumber slices, or mint leaves in your water.

An added bonus: you’ll get some additional nutritional benefits because you’ll absorb some of the fruit or veggie’s vitamins and minerals!

3. Drink A Glass Of Water Before Each Meal

Beautiful woman eating meal restaurant | Ways To Drink More Water This Year

Did you put on some extra weight because of all the holiday eating? A great way to lose weight and keep yourself hydrated is to drink a glass of water before each meal.

Studies have shown that people eat less if they drink a glass of water before meals. This is because water makes you feel full, so you don’t feel the need to eat as much as you normally would.

4. Keep A Large Jug Of Water Close By

Sports and yoga girl drinking water | Ways To Drink More Water This Year

The “out of sight, out of mind” phenomenon is very real. If you don’t see water nearby, you’re more likely to forget your hydration needs.

That’s why it’s important to keep a large jug of water nearby. It’s easier to drink water when it’s within arm’s reach.

An added bonus: it’s great for our environment, too! By using a jug, you’re less likely to buy single-use or disposable plastic water bottles to keep hydrated!

5. Use Hydration Apps To Track Your H20 Intake

Tired fitness man sweating taking a break listening to music | Ways To Drink More Water This Year

There are countless ways our lives are made easier by smartphones. Here’s another nifty way we can use them!

Download a hydration app to help track how much water you drink in a day. You can also use these apps to set up goals and alerts to remind you to fill up.

You can try Aqua Alert, My Water Balance, or Daily Water.

6. Eat Your H20!

Young woman drinking smoothie kitchen | | Ways To Drink More Water This Year

There are other ways to hydrate besides drinking water. You can also increase your intake of water-rich vegetables and fruits.

Here are some water-rich veggies:

Cucumber (96% water)
Lettuce (96% water)
Celery (95% water)
Zucchini (95% water)

Here are some water-rich fruits:

Watermelon (92% water)
Strawberries (91% water)
Cantaloupe (90% water)
Grapefruit (89% water)

What a yummy way to keep hydrated!

7. Use A Time Marked Water Bottle

beautiful girl in the gym with bottle | Ways To Drink More Water This Year

If you have a water drinking schedule in mind, then a time marked water bottle might work for you!

Here’s what you need to do to make a time marked water bottle:

Buy a reusable and transparent water bottle.
Measure the water bottle and divide it into 6-8 equal parts.
Draw a line for each of the parts.
On the first line, write the time you usually wake up. For example, 7:00 AM.
On the second line, write the time that’s one hour later than the previous one. For example, 8:00 AM.
Do the same for the succeeding lines until the last line.
You may have to make two or three bottles to keep hydrated every hour during your waking hours.

The line for each hour indicates how much water you should have consumed by the indicated time.

Time marked bottles help you stay on schedule, keep you motivated, and stay on track to reach your personal hydration goals.

8. Link Water to Activities

Coffee Shop, Outdoor Tables | Ways To Drink More Water This Year

We’re creatures of habit, and often times, it’s easier to form new habits when we build on pre-existing ones. You can find ways to drink more water by linking it to specific activities that you regularly engage in.

For example, we all take bathroom breaks to relieve ourselves. After each bathroom break, why don’t you drink a glass of water to rehydrate yourself?

Are you a coffee, tea, or alcohol drinker? Did you know that caffeine and alcohol are actually diuretics?

That means caffeine and alcohol cause your kidneys to flush out excess sodium and water from your system. So, when you drink coffee, tea, or beer, you’re likely to urinate more often.

Why don’t you try drinking two glasses of water after drinking coffee, tea, or any alcoholic beverage to make up for all the lost hydration?

9. Incentivize

Young woman in kitchen eating salad | | Ways To Drink More Water This Year

Who doesn’t love winning prizes? If you’re serious about your hydration goals, you may want to incentivize it!

Think of a couple of treats that you would really enjoy. Set a weekly or monthly hydration goal and keep track of your progress!

Whenever you reach your goal, reward yourself! Rewards are always a great motivation.

10. Gamify

Have you ever wondered why video games can be addicting? That’s why more and more people are applying typical elements of a game in their every day lives to motivate them to achieve certain goals.

Gamification is a fun way to get things done! And this will totally work with drinking water too!

Invite a few friends and agree on a weekly water drinking challenge. It can be designed as a race of sorts!

Keep track of each other’s progress and try to outdo each other. You can award the winner with a prize at the end of the week.

Friendly competitions are always fun and exciting!

Gamification Definition: It’s a process of incorporating game or gamelike elements to a tedious task to encourage others to participate.

Don’t forget to download, save, or share this handy infographic about the different ways to drink water:

10 Ways To Drink More Water This Year [INFOGRAPHIC]