13 Sneaky Ways to Drink More Water, Run Better

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If it’s hard for you to drink more water before, during, or after running–or anytime, read on.

Drinking more water is my lifelong struggle.

I’m one of those people who has to remind myself to hydrate. I don’t naturally reach for a water bottle.

Even before, during, or after a run, I have to remind myself, practically convince myself, that I need liquid.

Drink more water. You need to drink more water.

If you’re like me, and you don’t gravitate toward water, don’t like it plain, or generally have a tough time downing it, keep reading for 13 Sneaky Ways To Drink More Water.

Why Drinking More Water Will Help You Run Better

Drinking water is important. Water is a body essential. Water makes up around 60 percent of body weight. Drinking water keeps your body functioning well, sort of like how oil keeps a vehicle running smoothly.

When you drink water, you run better. Running causes fluid loss through sweat, urinating, and the breathing cycle of inhalations and exhalations. Running is dehydrating. Drinking water essentially refuels your body and helps counterbalance dehydration and its effects that can interfere with running performance and overall well-being.

Sure, it’s possible to drink too much water, which can be dangerous. However, dehydration can also be dangerous.

Symptoms of Dehydration

When you don’t drink enough water to replace lost fluid, some of the common signs of dehydration are:

• Thirst
• Headache
• Cramps
• Feeling tired, fatigued, lethargic, exhausted
• Cramps or muscle spasms
• Stomach issues

It may seem obvious that drinking water to replace lost fluid will help guard against dehydration, but for some, including some athletes, drinking water is not easy. Even when they know they need to drink water or more of it.

Note to Self: Drink More Water, Here’s The How

So, how do you drink more water if you’re someone who struggles with taking in enough of it?

You make it taste better!

13 Sneaky Ways to Drink More Water

Here’s an awesome compilation of recipes and secrets to make water taste better.

Forget about unnatural additives.

Ditch ineffective drink more water tricks.

These recipes will help you make your water taste good enough to want to drink it. Good enough to actually love drinking it. Before, during, and after your runs.

Start with Good Water

First, though, the secret to good tasting water begins with quality water.

• Stacey of the Soccer Mom Blog explains that removing impurities from your water through a filtration system can go a long way toward making water more more enticing and is a good starting point for developing a water drinking habit. She also points out in How to Drink More Water that when your water tastes good at home, you’ll save money because you won’t feel compelled to buy bottled water.

• Good tasting and healthy water also means ensuring lead is out of your water. Kimberly of the Get Green Be Well blog can tell you How to Get the Lead Out of Your Water.

Chug, Chug with These Tasty Recipes

Once you have good water, you can make it even better with these recipes.

• Lemon Water. Lemon water is a breeze to make and super refreshing. Samantha of Spend with Pennies, can help you stay hydrated with her recipe for Lemon Water.

• Cucumber Water. Forget about pricey sports water additives, you can make cucumber water for pennies with another one of Samantha’s recipes. Get the Cucumber Water recipe.

• Instant Pot Cranberry Apple Infused Water. If you’ve got an Instapot, you’ll love this recipe! Biana of Tasty Galaxy shares how to make cranberry apple infused water that will make you crazy about water.

• Patriotic Hydration. If you love strawberries and blueberries, you’ll love this Strawberry Blueberry Infused Water Recipe. Not only will strawberry-blueberry water taste amazing and keep you hydrated, but it’s a sneaky way to get the health benefits of strawberries (heart disease protection) and antioxidant benefits of blueberries.

• Grapefruit Mint Infused Water. If grapefruit and mint are your thing, Myra of Delicious on a Dime suggests infusing water with grapefruit and mint. This combination might be the perfect way to get and stay hydrated after a workout.

• Naturally Sweetened Sparkling Watermelon Agua Fresca. If you gravitate toward fancy re-hydration drinks, you’ll definitely want to try this Sparkling Watermelon Agua Fresca recipe created by Cassie of Cass Clay Cooking. It’s a great alcohol-free mocktail perfect for post-evening summer workouts.

• Vitamin Infused Water. If you want to pack your water with some bonus benefits, Leta of the blog, Attachment Mummy, tells you how to prepare your water in How to Add Vitamin Infused Water to Your Diet.

But Wait…I Can’t Follow a Recipe

If you’re someone who can’t follow a recipe to save your life. Don’t worry!

• Kimberly of We Three Shanes has you covered in Healthy Infused Water Recipes Anyone Can Make.

• You can also try these tried and true Tips to Drink More Water from the blog, Drugstore Divas, which reminds you not to dis coffee and tea. They count toward your overall daily fluid intake, so keep drinking up!

It’s All About the Water Bottle

A sneaky trick that I’ve discovered that helps me drink more water is to get a special water bottle. I’m talking get your Marie Kondo on!

• Get a water bottle that sparks joy. Whether it’s an old dented up water bottle that you plaster with your favorite stickers, a specialty fruit-infusion water bottle, or a VSCO girl wannabe Hydro Flask (which by the way are really awesome), a water bottle that is meaningfully yours might inspire you to drink up.

And About the Hydration Pack…

• Running with a hydration pack or vest that makes your heart skip a beat (in a good love affair way!) is another sneaky way to drink more water. I’m a big fan of Raidlight vests. Throw your favorite hydration bladder, like HydraPak’s Velocity, into the pack and you’re good to go–and sip.

When you drink more water, you’ll reap benefits you might not otherwise realize, including better running. So drink up for your health and fitness goals.

Happy running!