10 Easy Ways to Drink More Water Every Day

table of content

Introduction

Reviewd by:

Prsnli's Content Team

Written by:

Zahra Ijaz

September 23, 2026

How much water should you drink a day?

The NHS water, drinks and hydration guidance says most people should aim to drink enough during the day for their urine to stay a clear, pale yellow colour. The UK Eatwell Guide uses 6 to 8 cups or glasses of fluid a day as a general guide, but you may need more if you are physically active for long periods, in a hot environment, pregnant or breastfeeding, or unwell. Water is a healthy first choice, but lower-fat milk and sugar-free drinks, including tea and coffee, can also contribute to daily fluid intake.

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Drinking more water sounds simple, but remembering to do it consistently is often the real challenge. A busy morning, back-to-back meetings, commuting, training and family routines can all push hydration to the bottom of the list.

The easiest approach is not a complicated schedule or a perfect litre target. It is making fluids visible, convenient and connected to habits you already repeat.

How Much Water Should You Drink a Day?

Use 6 to 8 cups as a guide, not a rigid target

There is no single amount of water that is perfect for every adult. Your needs change with body size, activity, food intake, weather, health and how much you sweat. UK guidance uses 6 to 8 cups or glasses of fluid a day as a practical starting point, while Mayo Clinic also notes that fluid needs vary with activity level, environment and individual circumstances.

The key word is fluid. You do not have to reach the guide through plain water alone. Tea, coffee, lower-fat milk, unsweetened plant-based drinks and other sugar-free drinks can count too. Food also contributes some water.

A “how much water to drink a day calculator” can give you a rough estimate, but it should not be treated as a medical prescription. A simpler everyday check is whether you are drinking regularly, rarely feel very thirsty and usually have pale yellow urine.

Notice signs that your fluid intake may be too low

Common signs of dehydration can include thirst, dark yellow or strong-smelling urine, urinating less often, tiredness, a dry mouth, headache, dizziness or light-headedness. The NHS dehydration guide lists these as common symptoms, although they can have other causes and should not be used as a self-diagnosis.

If you have persistent symptoms, cannot keep fluids down, or have been given a specific fluid plan for a health condition, follow professional medical advice rather than a general online target.

Simple Hydration Habits That Work in Real Life

These 10 healthy ways to increase your fluid intake are designed to reduce friction. You do not need to use all of them. Pick two or three that fit your routine and repeat them until they feel automatic.

1. Start the morning with one easy drink

Use something you already do every morning as your first hydration cue. Keep a glass or bottle near the kettle, breakfast area or place where you get ready, and drink before the day gets busy.

Healthy morning drinks do not need to be elaborate. Plain water is the simplest option, but sparkling water, unsweetened tea, lower-fat milk or an unsweetened plant-based drink can also contribute to fluid intake. If you enjoy coffee, you can still have it; the NHS includes tea and coffee as drinks that count towards daily fluids.

The goal is not to “catch up” by drinking a huge amount as soon as you wake up. It is to create an early cue that is easy to repeat.

2. Attach water to habits you already have

Instead of relying on motivation, link drinking to actions that already happen every day:

drink after brushing your teeth;
have a glass when you sit down at your desk;
drink with breakfast, lunch and dinner;
take a few sips when you return from the toilet;
drink when you finish a meeting or work block.

This is a simple form of habit stacking. The existing behaviour becomes the reminder, so you do not have to remember hydration from scratch.

PRSNLI’s approach to consistency and habit building follows the same wider principle: make healthy actions fit real routines rather than depending on perfect motivation.

3. Keep water visible and easy to reach

If your bottle is in another room, inside a bag or empty on the kitchen counter, drinking requires an extra decision. Put water where you spend the most time.

Keep a bottle on your desk, take one on your commute, and refill it before a long task. At home, a filled jug or bottle in the fridge can make the better option the easiest option. Visibility gives you a cue without another notification.

4. Make plain water more enjoyable

If you do not like the taste of plain water, forcing yourself to drink it is not the only answer. The NHS suggests sparkling water, no-added-sugar squash, or adding lemon or lime.

You can also try cucumber, mint, berries or orange slices. Cold water may feel easier to drink for some people, while others prefer room temperature. The best option is the one you will repeat without adding large amounts of sugar.

I don’t like water, what can I drink instead?

For everyday hydration, alternatives can include unsweetened tea, coffee in moderation, lower-fat milk, unsweetened plant-based drinks, sparkling water and sugar-free drinks. Fruit juice and smoothies count towards fluid intake, but the NHS advises limiting them to a combined 150 ml a day because they contain free sugars.

5. Drink something with every meal and snack

Mealtimes are reliable cues. If you have three main meals a day, including a glass of water or another suitable drink with each meal creates three automatic hydration opportunities.

You can do the same with regular snacks. There is no need to follow a strict rule about drinking before, during or after food unless you have been given specific advice. For most people, the practical goal is steady fluid intake across the day.

6. Eat more foods with a high water content

Hydration does not come only from drinks. Soups, yoghurt, fruit and many vegetables contain a substantial amount of water and can contribute to overall intake.

Melon, berries, oranges, cucumber, tomatoes and lettuce are easy examples. If you are also improving meal quality, PRSNLI’s guide to the best plant-based protein sources shows how lentils, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, nuts and seeds can fit into balanced meals alongside fruit and vegetables.

7. Give your bottle a simple refill goal

A reusable bottle can make intake easier to understand without turning hydration into constant tracking.

Rather than chasing a universal number, decide when you want to refill based on your routine. You might aim to finish one bottle by lunch and refill it for the afternoon. A smaller bottle you actually carry can be more useful than a huge bottle that stays at home.

8. Drink more when exercise, heat or sweating increases your needs

If you are physically active for long periods or sweating in hot weather, you may need more fluid than on a cool, sedentary day. The NHS recommends extra fluids after sweating from physical activity and identifies water as the best way to replace lost fluids in most everyday situations.

You do not need a sports drink for every gym session. Water is often enough for routine exercise, while longer, harder sessions or heavy sweating can change fluid and electrolyte needs.

If hydration is part of a wider training routine, PRSNLI’s article on whether online personal training actually works explains how planning, feedback and consistency can help individual behaviours fit into a programme you can follow.

9. Use reminders until the habit becomes automatic

Phone alerts, calendar prompts, a bottle with time markers or a note on your desk can help if you genuinely forget to drink. But reminders work best as temporary training wheels.

Set them around realistic moments rather than every few minutes. A reminder before lunch, mid-afternoon and before leaving work may be enough to reset your attention. The goal is eventually to need fewer prompts because drinking is linked to your normal routine.

10. Check simple body cues instead of chasing perfection

One of the easiest ways to judge everyday hydration is to pay attention to thirst and urine colour. The NHS advises most people to drink enough so their urine is a clear, pale yellow colour.

Food, supplements, medicines and time of day can change urine colour, so use it as a general cue rather than a score. There is also no benefit in forcing extreme amounts of water. “More” is not always “better”; the aim is appropriate, steady hydration.

Frequently Asked Question

The best method is the one you can repeat. Keep water accessible, drink at regular points such as meals, increase fluids when you sweat more, and use pale yellow urine as a simple everyday cue. There is no single correct schedule for how to drink water correctly in a day.

For normal daily hydration, water is an effective choice. If you are losing significant fluid and salts through vomiting or diarrhoea, the NHS says a pharmacist may recommend an oral rehydration solution to replace water, sugar, salts and minerals. That is different from needing a sports drink during an ordinary day.

You can get fluid from tea, coffee, lower-fat milk, unsweetened plant-based drinks, sparkling water, sugar-free drinks and water-rich foods. Water remains a simple low-cost choice, but plain water does not have to be your only source of hydration.

The “10 gulp rule” is an informal habit tip that suggests taking around ten gulps whenever you pick up your bottle. It is not an NHS recommendation or a scientifically established hydration requirement. If counting gulps helps you remember to drink, use it as a behavioural cue rather than a fixed medical rule.

UK guidance commonly uses 6 to 8 cups or glasses of fluid per day as a general guide. Some adults need more, especially during long periods of physical activity, hot weather, pregnancy or breastfeeding, or illness. Total fluid can come from more than plain water.

Lists online may describe “10 signs you don’t drink enough water”, but the NHS highlights thirst, dark yellow or strong-smelling urine, urinating less often, tiredness, dry mouth, headache, dizziness and light-headedness. Seek medical advice if symptoms are severe, persistent or linked to illness.

Not necessarily. A calculator can provide a rough estimate, but it cannot fully account for health, weather, sweat rate, diet, pregnancy, medicines or clinician advice. For most healthy adults, regular drinking, thirst and urine colour are more practical everyday cues.

For most ordinary workouts, water is a sensible first choice. Drink before you become very thirsty, have fluid during longer sessions as needed and replace what you lose through sweat afterwards. If exercise is prolonged, very intense or performed in heat, your fluid and electrolyte needs may be higher.

Water is usually the best drink for fast hydration. Sip it steadily. After heavy sweating, prolonged exercise, vomiting, or diarrhea, an oral rehydration solution can help replace both fluids and electrolytes. Seek medical care if you feel confused, faint, or cannot keep fluids down.

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Make Hydration a Habit you can Keep

The easiest hydration strategy is not a perfect number written on a bottle. It is a routine that makes drinking easier to remember.

Start with one or two changes: put water where you can see it, drink with meals, choose alternatives you enjoy, or add a refill cue to your workday. Small actions repeated consistently are more useful than trying to fix an entire day of low fluid intake at night.

PRSNLI’s personalised nutrition approach is built around the same idea: healthier choices should fit your routine and become easier to repeat. If you want support with nutrition, training and daily habits in one place, explore PRSNLI nutrition coaching and the latest Fitness Insights.

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