Did you catch my post yesterday about the new weekly wellness challenge series I’m doing? I want to encourage your healthy habits by setting new goals or helping reinforce the awesome things you are already doing to support your wellness. This challenge won’t be focused on just nutrition, but rather all parts of our wellness. I’m really excited to share some new ideas with you and since there is always room to better ourselves, checking in with myself to make sure I’m working on reinforcing these behaviors as well.

For the first week I went right to the most basic wellness necessity, water!

You’ve probably heard the advice for decades about drinking 8 glasses of water a day, the 8 x 8 rule. There are in fact varying opinions on how much water you need and each person is a little different.

The Mayo Clinic recommends about about 125 ounces of fluids a day for men and about 92 ounces of fluids a day for women. These recommendations cover fluids from water, other beverages and food. About 20 percent of daily fluid intake usually comes from food.

So with all that being said, my goal and the challenge I’ve suggested for you is to drink at least half your weight in ounces of water a day. You may need to modify, read increase, your water intake if you exercise, are in a hot and humid environment and/or if you are ill. All of these factors cause your body to lose more fluids which requires more replenishing.

Okay, enough sci-ency stuff! Here are my top tips for ensuring I get enough water everyday.

I keep a large tumbler, 24oz., of water next to my bed and drink it all first thing in the morning. My rule is to drink at least that much water before any coffee. I find having it right next to my bed helps me reach for it immediately.

You’ll never find me without a reusable water bottle. Around the house I always have at least one and then I take one with me when I’m running errands, heading to the studio or traveling.

“There’s an oil for that!” I love adding Vitality Oils from Young Living to my water to give them a little extra oomph. My favorites are the citrus oils, like grapefruit, lemon and orange. Be sure to use glass or stainless steel water glasses/bottles when using the essential oils.

Sparkling water! I don’t drink soda and I usually do not drink alcohol during the week. I love mixing in sparkling waters for a crisp and refreshing way to get my water, plus when you put it in a fancy glass and add a slice of lime you might almost think you are having a cocktail. This is also my favorite hack when I travel for work and do not want to drink at work functions, but also do not want to be asked why I’m not drinking.

Are you up to the challenge? Post your water check-ins using the hashtag #barreistahealthyhabits!