Pop Quiz: When was the last time you had a drink of water?

If the answer is longer than 30 minutes ago, go grab a drink of water before you keep reading. I’ll wait!

The truth is, most of us are not very good about drinking. For something that is absolutely essential to life, many people are terrible at drinking enough water to be properly hydrated. We have so many options for things to drink, we don’t always drink as much water as we should. Learning some easy ways to drink more water can boost your overall health.

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Why is it important to drink more water?

As one of the key elements of physical wellness, hydration is the easiest way to create positive change in our bodily health. By keeping your body well hydrated, you bring better balance to your body. Hydration is important because it affects our bodies on an elemental, cellular level. After all, our bodies are mostly water!

The science is clear: drinking more water can help your body in almost all of its essential processes. The American Heart Association says “keeping the body hydrated helps the heart more easily pump blood through the blood vessels and to the muscles to help the muscles work more efficiently.” Drinking enough water allows the heart to work without so much effort and your body to function optimally.

Everything from our nerves to our muscles relies on the body being well hydrated. And for women 40+ staying well hydrated is essential to combat the drying out our bodies experience due to lowering estrogen. Yes, drinking enough water can even help minimize unpleasant symptoms of perimenopause!

Knowing that hydration is important and doing something about it are two separate things. If you need some ideas for how to up your water intake, try one of my top tips.

Four EASY Ways to Drink More Water

1. Drink Water BEFORE Meals

This tip has two different effects, both of them really great for balancing your body. The first is that you are guaranteeing yourself to have 24-32 ounces consumed over the three meals per day. If you’re not drinking enough water right now, just adding that boost to your hydration levels is fantastic for your body. Think of it as a jumpstart to your new hydration habits.

There is a bonus healthy benefit of drinking a glass of water before each meal. If you drink water before you begin eating, you are likely going to eat less at those meals. Water takes up space in your stomach. Your brain gets the I’M FULL signal sooner than it would on an empty stomach. That means your body will feel full with fewer calories.

Drinking water before meals is also a great way not only to increase your hydration but also to regulate and slightly suppress your appetite. This is a back-pocket weight loss trick that is easy to for anyone to try.

(If you like this idea, make sure to check out my 10 tips for eating less at mealtimes!)

2. Become BFFs with your Reusable Water Bottle

If you’re anything like me, you have at least 47 freebie water bottles clogging up your cupboards. (Photographic proof I am not exaggerating.) Even so, there are really only one or two that you like and that you reach for on a regular basis.

Figure out which types of water bottles you like. What do they have in common? For most people, the water bottle has four important features:

• it keeps your water nice and cold,
• it’s easy to grip,
• it’s easy to wash, and
• it isn’t too heavy.

The reality is, you’ll be more likely to actually bring along and use water bottles if you like the feel and ease of use of them.

This glass water bottle is the perfect combination of grip comfort, weight, and ease of cleaning:

Some people are motivated by knowing just how much they are drinking– there are water bottles that can help!

Or even one that’s a little bit sassier!!

Once you determine what type of water bottle you like best, make sure you have at least two of those water bottles so that you eliminate the excuse that your favorite water bottle is dirty.

(You’re also allowed to get rid of the ones you don’t ever use. Permission granted!)

The next step in getting to be BFFs with your water bottle is getting into the habit of taking the water bottle with you wherever you go.

The best way to build this healthy habit is to make it as easy as possible to grab and go. If you fill the bottle at night before you go to bed, it can chill in the refrigerator overnight. Then you can just grab it as you head out of the house in the morning.

Need a cue to help you remember to take your water bottle with you? You can keep your car keys in the refrigerator, too!

If you have a car key that could be damaged by being kept in the cold (a remote start key or any chip key), you’ll need a different cue. Buy a keychain that you love, and tell yourself that every time you see if you’ll remember to grab your water bottle.

The bottom line is, if you have a water bottle you like, you’ll be more likely to build the habit of carrying it with you. That helps you drink more water all throughout the day.

3. Create a Water-Drinking Cue Linked to a Repetitive Task

What is something you do every day, multiple times a day? Maybe it’s checking your email. Perhaps it’s looking at your text messages? It can even be going to the bathroom!

Whenever you do these repeated tasks, take a drink of water. This is a good way to ensure that you are not just drinking enough water during the day, but you’re doing it all throughout the day. Trust me, if you take a drink of water every time you check your email, you’ll be well hydrated!

Remember that being well hydrated isn’t just about drinking plenty of water. You want to drink at regular intervals so that your body never has time to dry out. The proper balance between water, electrolytes, and nutrients determines how efficiently and effectively our bodily systems function.

Developing the healthy habit of staying hydrated throughout the day will boost your energy level. You’ll find yourself less tired, have better focus, and your mood will likely be brighter, too.

4. Have a Water First Mindset

Teach yourself that drinking water is the main source of hydration because you want to treat your body right. Cultivating this “Water First mindset” makes it easier to make healthy swaps from other beverages you may be used to drinking.

Water First means that you will drink water before choosing other beverages.

I know this sounds scary to those of you who are coffee drinkers. (Maybe we need to make a tiny exception for you to allow you your one cup of coffee in the morning first thing so you don’t go crazy on all the people you love first thing every day.) But starting your day with a glass of water “primes the pump” to get your body working efficiently.

However, all other types of drinks—water, sodas, juices, wine—they need to wait until you’ve had your water first. Read my post about how much water is right for you to find out how you can see if you’re drinking the right amount. (And when to find out when you get your “treat drink”.) You’d be surprised how much better you’ll feel when you drink enough water each day.

There is a huge bonus to drinking water as your first choice in beverages:

No drinks-with-calories is another way to increase your hydration as well as reduce your caloric intake. When you replace high calorie coffees, juices, or alcoholic beverages with zero calorie water, you can shave a meaningful number of calories off of your daily intake. Water is a better choice for controlling your blood sugar, too!

The Well Balanced Women blog is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please discuss your health issues with a licensed medical practitioner.