The benefits of water are innumerable. We need water to stay healthy, function properly, and perform at our best. It’s recommended that men drink about 16 cups (128 ounces) of water and women drink about 12 cups (96 ounces) of water per day. That may sound like a lot, and experts suggest at least drinking 6-8 glasses at a minimum can help keep your body nourished. Less water intake can lead to dehydration, which can negatively impact your physical health and mental clarity. To help you track and meet these goals, our experts on water coolers in Austin have put together a few suggestions below.
The Dangers of Dehydration
Dehydration can lead to headaches, dizziness, and lightheadedness, dry mouth, dull skin, and can progress to worse conditions when not addressed by drinking more water. In severe cases, dehydration can lead to seizures, kidney failure, shock, coma, or death. However, these extreme conditions only come about when a person doesn’t have access to water for days on end–in normal scenarios you’re much more likely to experience mild discomfort and minor ailments that can be remedied with some refreshing water.
It’s important to ensure you drink enough water because the more water you drink, the more your body will stay hydrated. Your body works best when it’s hydrated, so taking some time to track your water intake can have immediate and noticeable benefits to your overall health and well-being. If you’re going to be exercising or spending the day outdoors, be sure to aim for an amount in the higher recommended intake range.
Tracking Your Water Intake With a Reusable Water Bottle
One of the easiest ways to track your water intake is to fill a large reusable water bottle and sip on it throughout the day, refilling it as needed. If you have a 32oz water bottle, you’ll want to refill it 3-4 times each day to hit the maximum recommended intake amounts, or at least 2 times per day to reach the minimum recommended amount.
This is an easy way to ensure you’re drinking enough–you just need to keep track of how many times you’ve filled the bottle. While you could use disposable water bottles, there are a number of reasons not to. Some main downsides of disposable plastic bottles include their short lifespan, their toxicity, their negative impact to the environment, and the fact that they hold less water than reusable bottles, on average.
Tracking Your Water Intake with a Schedule
For some, making drinking water a habit that integrated with their schedule may be the easiest approach. For example, set a goal to drink 2 glasses of water between the time you wake up and the time you head out to work (or settle in to work if at home). Plan on drinking another 2 glasses at lunch, another 2 glasses at dinner, and a few glasses before bed. If you’re aiming for higher intake, be sure to sip on water in between your scheduled/habit drinking times.
Using Technology to Track Your Intake
For some, carrying around a reusable bottle may not be an ideal options, and it can be difficult to stick with habits without some assistance. In that case, technology may be useful. There are plenty of water intake tracking apps on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store–with these, all you need to do is tap a button every time you finish a glass of water and it will track your intake for the day and over time. The apps range in price from free to a few dollars, so it will be up to you to decide if you want to pay extra for some more advanced trackers and features; however, the basic apps should be more than enough for most peoples’ needs.
Alternatively, smart watches often come with water trackers (especially health-oriented watches such as the Fitbit). With these you simply need to tap a button on your watch and it will update your count for the day, helping you stay on target.
Conclusion
No matter how you do it, tracking your daily water intake and ensuring you’re drinking enough fluids is an important step you can take to protecting your health. Decide which option is best for you and take action! If you’ve been under-hydrating you’ll start to notice positive changes early, and your body will thank you!
Find Your Perfect Office Water Cooler in Austin
Staying hydrated during the workday is much easier if there’s fresh, clean drinking water available for employees to enjoy. If your workplace could use a hydration upgrade, contact Aqua Chill of Texas for botleless water coolers in Austin. Your employees will stay hydrated with great water and no plastic waste.
