The following post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of About Time. I am proud to be an About Time Ambassador, and am looking forward to sharing monthly health and fitness tips with you. As always, all thoughts on products remain my own. I appreciate your support!
Do you have a hard time drinking enough water every day?
How much water is enough, anyways?
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “drink plenty of water” more than a time or two, so I thought it would be beneficial to really dive into what that means, and how to make sure you are getting enough to stay hydrated day in and day out.
It’s pretty easy to become dehydrated without even picking up on it. Before you go diving into all the snacks to curb your hunger, check to see if it’s really food your body is craving! After grabbing a couple of big swigs of water, then reach for the snacks if you’re still hungry.
Symptoms of dehydration can vary, but the most common include experiencing dry mouth, tiredness, headaches, thirst, dry skin, dizziness, and constipation.
Here are some of my best tips on how to avoid those conditions and stay hydrated throughout your workouts and day-to-day activities!
6 Easy Tips On Staying Hydrated
• drink at least half your body weight – in ounces – of water per day
Health professionals recommend you drink at least your body weight divided in half (in ounces) per day. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds, you need to be drinking at least 70 ounces of water per day. Need a flavor boost to help hit that quota?
Add fruit or vegetables into your water pitcher and fill ‘er up!
• begin any exercise well-hydrated
If you plan on completing any type of intense workout, make sure you drink plenty of fluids the day before, the day of, and right before exercise. If you have trouble remembering to stop and grab water, carry a water bottle or refillable tumbler with you throughout the day!
On top of drinking half of your bodyweight in ounces, stay on top of your hydration game by drinking at least 16 ounces of water 2-3 hours before you exercise, and another 8 ounces 20 minutes prior. If you go into exercises fully hydrated, you’ll not only avoid the risk of dehydration, but you’ll also have more power and energy to rock it out.
• coconut water & chia seeds
Whenever I’m feeling like I need an extra kick of hydration, I up my intake of coconut water and . They may look scary, but they won’t bite. I promise.
Chia seeds have become a popular additive to yogurts, smoothies, cereals and baked goods for health enthusiasts everywhere. After seeing them pop up on blogs, in recipes and sprinkled on top of things I eat every day, I stepped on board with chia seeds years ago. Adding them into your oatmeal or on top of your breakfast would be a great place to start.
Chia seeds are also rich in Omega-3 content. Health benefits of Omega-3 include improved heart, liver and mental health, as well as an improved nerve and immune system. They’re an overall win, and a staple I now keep in my pantry at all times.
• refuel and rehydrate during and after your workouts
Any time you exercise in extreme heat or for more than one hour, it’s recommended to supplement water with a drink that contains electrolytes and 6-8 percent carbohydrates. This tip applies to long distance runners, tri-athletes, swimmers, and those practicing in the hot summer sun for a high school, college, or even professional sport.
Whenever I am deep into half marathon training, I like to mix water and a sports drink together and sip on it every couple of miles. While many prefer to wear their water bottles, I carry it or even hide it somewhere I will return to on my running loop. Whatever works, right?
“Research shows that people who drink 1½ to 4 cups of a sports drink per hour may improve their performance by 20 percent or more for workouts lasting longer than 90 minutes.”
(Source: When Do You Need a Sports Drink? via ehealthMD)
• eat lots of fruits and vegetables
Aim for at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
I like to look for water-dense fruits like watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, and grapefruit. Raspberries, pineapple, plums, peaches, oranges, cranberries, apricots, blueberries, and bananas are also pretty high in water content, too!
There are plenty of vegetables that provide water as well. Did you know cucumbers and iceberg lettuce are 96 percent water? Right behind those are celery, tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, sweet peppers, spinach, carrots, and peas, also rich in water content.
(Source: Percentage of Water in Fruits & Vegetables via Livestrong.)
Whenever I feel like I need a surge of fruits, vegetables, and water, I make a smoothie!
This one is packed with extra hydration power, thanks to a new hydration drink from About Time. (More information below!)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup strawberries
1 nectarine, diced
1/2 banana
6 oz. strawberry banana Greek yogurt
12 oz. About Time Pro Hydrate Drink
2 cups crushed ice
• hydration drinks
Sometimes your body needs more than just water.
There are several hydration focused drinks out there, and I have been loving the new About Time ProHydrate drink the last couple of weeks!
ProHydrate is made without artificial colors or flavors and is sweetened with all-natural Stevia.
It comes in three flavors: Orange Mango, Raspberry Lemonade, and Cherry Lime, and I have tried and happily chugged the first two after my runs and workouts.
Ingredients include filtered water, whey protein isolate, evaporated cane juice, natural flavors, Stevia, and vegetable juice (for color). Each bottle is less than 100 calories, free of gluten, and filled with 20g protein, but you’d never know it with the smooth and clear consistency.
I like to think of these bottles of my one-stop-shop for an easy, hydrating protein drink to-go!
I have been carrying them in my gym bag and keeping them around in the refrigerator at work. I chugged one after a hot and sweaty run yesterday, and it was a refreshing post-run treat I will look forward to reaching for in the future, too.
For more information, visit TryAboutTime.com!
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I hope these tips encourage you beat dehydration symptoms and become more aware of your hydration level every day.
Find more tips on staying hydrated, chat with me, About Time, FitFluential, and more Ambassadors by joining the twitter chat this Thursday, May 21st at 9 p.m. EST. Simply log on and follow the hashtag #TryAboutTime to participate!
Questions of the Morning
• Are you drinking enough water every day?
• How do you refuel after workouts?
This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of About Time.

I have such a hard time getting my ounces in…I love mixing it up with infused waters!
I need to get a fruit infused water bottle! It’s so easy to gulp it down when there’s a hint of flavor!
Great pictures! And tips!
Thanks Erin!
Love this! I always try to keep a water bottle next to me to help stay hydrated. If I run on the treadmill, I usually go through an entire water bottle if it is there!
Have an awesome day!
That’s awesome, Amanda! Fill it up on your way out the door, too! 😉
Great tips! I love following a sweaty workout with coconut water.
I can’t get enough of it lately!
I try my best to drink as much water as possible! It’s easier when I’m at work because my water bottle is right in front of me all day and I like to get up and walk around to the water jug here. I’m not as good on the weekends. After a particularly hard workout, I really love chocolate zico water, otherwise I just take in as much water as possible. It’s so weird because years ago I would go all day with barely any water – all of my liquid intake was soda or juice. I can’t imagine how I even survived like that!
I’m sorry… chocolate coconut water? YUM! It’s crazy to look back at our not-so-healthy habits, isn’t it?
So timely for me. Thanks for the tips. I struggle with this: every.single.day. I’ve slowly worked my way up to 6-8 cups a day but I know I need to consume more. Luckily, my job offers a fruit and or herb infused water of the day (today’s is spearmint infused water) so it helps me to keep it interesting. I’m a second away from adding a calendar reminder to remind me to drink up & refill. Is that beyond crazy?
Oh my gosh, your work is awesome! I would totally drain those fruit infused water jugs. I’d be that girl. That’s not crazy, it’s proactive! 😉
It’s so easy and yet drinking enough water is my weak link to health and fitness. Love using Prohydrate in my smoothies. Heavenly after hot yoga.
Oh I bet this a great treat after hot yoga!
Great content. I have been trying to find a way to retain water for exercising, without retaining too much water weight at the same time. I was searching for alternatives to coconut water that doesn’t have too much extra sugar. You’re blog gave me an idea to try chia seeds and green tea, I think that might work! Thanks for writing!
Amazing tips. I love staying fit and healthy. I’d love the ideas of making detox water,. It helps me in my daily routine.