We all know that drinking plenty of water helps to keep our bodies healthy, but fitting in those extra glasses per day can be a real challenge for most people. While we’ll probably drink water with meals, we need to remember to stay hydrated throughout the rest of the day.

Especially if you’re maintaining an active lifestyle, drinking plenty of water is essential. If you don’t drink enough water before setting off on that morning run or leave your water bottle at home while you’re hitting the gym, you’re heading on a one way track to dehydration. Drinking plenty of water before, during and after your activity can help to combat the water you lose through sweat.

If you’re anything like us here at Lizi’s, you need a few tips and tricks in place to help your body get the right amount of water per day – so we’ve decided to share our top 7 ways to stay hydrated to give you a headstart!

1. 1. Drink plenty of fluids
      We’ll start with the obvious choice – drinking lots of water. Water is essential for rehydrating the body once it’s lost fluid through sweat and the day to day activity of our lives. No need to splash out on fancy rehydration drinks from the gym vending machine – good old clean water does the job just as well. However, if you’re really hitting the treadmill hard and undertaking intense exercise, you may need to consider replacing your electrolytes. Most sports drinks boast their electrolyte replacing properties, but only reach for these when you really need them – or else you could risk overhydration.
   2. Get fruity (and veggie)
      This is a perfect tip for when you’re sat at your desk at work – and can also help out with your healthy eating regime. Fruit & veg is a fantastic source of both fluids and electrolytes – you can meet 20% of your daily fluid intake just be eating fluid-rich foods – though you will find that the dosage changes depending on what you choose. Try adding fruit to your Lizi’s Granola and add a good handful of greens to your dinner and you’ll be well on the way to properly hydrating your body in no time.
   3. Pace yourself
      One of the most important rules of exercise is listen to your body. If you find that you’re feeling lightheaded or dizzy during your workout, dehydration could be the cause. Take a break and a good drink from your water bottle. We get dizzy when there’s not enough water in the blood which causes a drop in blood pressure. Hydrating at this point is much more important than finishing that next mile.
   4. Track what you drink
      We’ve spotted some great apps that can help you keep track of if you’re drinking the recommended amount of water per day. Men should drink around 13 cups of water per day, and women should drink around 9 cups per day. Your app can give you helpful reminders throughout the day and let you log how many cups of water you’ve drank.
   5. Make a routine
      If you don’t have the freedom to drink water whenever you’d like throughout the day, try setting up a routine for yourself at mealtimes. For example, drinking at least one cup of water – this is another great tip for the healthy eating dieters out there as a glass of water before a meal can help you to feel full quicker and ultimately eat less.
   6. Change it up
      While water is a great choice for those looking to stay hydrated, there’s nothing in the rules that says you have to drink water all the time. All fluids help you to stay hydrated, so you can count that cup of coffee you have in the morning towards your daily intake.
   7. Buy a bigger bottle
      It sounds silly, but if you have a larger bottle of water sat at your desk you’re likely to finish the whole thing and reach your daily intake. Smaller bottles require frequent refilling which can easily be put off either out of laziness (we’re not judging!) or simply being too busy to head over to the tap.