Hydration

ltgarrow

This is an email that got circulated through my department due to the heat. Definintely some usefull information:


Instead of that cup of coffee in the morning try this trick. It will give you a kick start, wake you up, energize you and give you a jump start on hydrating throughout the day.

As soon as you wake up (before you do anything else) Drink 3 large glasses of water. Drink them relatively fast. Don’t eat or drink anything else for at least 30 minutes (45 if you can.) Brushing teeth is acceptable but nothing more.

Doing this everyday you will feel results in as little as 3 days. You will be more energized and you will purge your system. It is like flushing the radiator and changing the oil in your car.

Tip – warm water is easier to get down quickly and will absorb into the body faster.

This really works, it is pretty amazing.



How much water is enough? A good way to ensure that you are properly hydrated is to drink 1/2 ounce of water for every pound of body weight. Example - If you weigh 200 lbs, you should drink 100 ounces of water a day.



Keep reading for some important information.

Avoiding Dehydration, Proper Hydration
(Also Called 'Fluids - Dehydration', 'Hydration', 'Water - Dehydration')

Warm weather brings with it thoughts of cool ocean breezes, napping in a hammock and sipping a tall glass of lemonade. Now hold on to the mental image of that lemonade because summer is also a time to be wary of dehydration: the lack of sufficient water in the body.

Water is important to the body at all times, but especially in warm weather. It keeps the body from overheating. When you exercise, your muscles generate heat. To keep from burning up, your body needs to get rid of that heat. The main way the body discards heat in warm weather is through sweat. As sweat evaporates, it cools the tissues beneath. Lots of sweating reduces the body's water level, and this loss of fluid affects normal bodily functions.

Signs of dehydration
If you suspect that someone is dehydrated, seek immediate medical attention.

Signs of dehydration include:

fatigue
loss of appetite
flushed skin
heat intolerance
light-headedness
dark-colored urine
dry cough.
The best way to beat dehydration is to drink before you get thirsty. If you wait until after you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated.

How to avoid dehydration
To avoid dehydration, active people should drink at least two cups (16 ounces) of fluid one to two hours before an outdoor activity. After that, you should consume five to 10 ounces of fluid every 10 to 15 minutes that you are outside. When you are finished with the activity, you should drink more. How much more? To replace what you have lost: at least another two cups.

One way to make sure you are properly hydrated is to check your urine. If it's clear, pale or straw-colored, it's OK. If it's darker than that, keep drinking!

Beverages: some hydrate, others dehydrate
Some beverages are better than others at preventing dehydration. Water is all you need if you are planning to be active for only an hour or less. If you plan to be exercising longer than that, or if you anticipate being out in the sun for more than a few hours, you may want to hydrate with some kind of sports drink. These replace not only fluid, but also chemicals like sodium and potassium, which are lost through perspiration. Too much or too little sodium and potassium in the body can cause trouble.

Alcoholic and caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, teas and colas, are not recommended for optimal hydration. These fluids tend to pull water from the body and promote dehydration. Fruit juice and fruit drinks may have too many carbohydrates, too little sodium, and may upset the stomach. If you're going to drink fruit juices while exercising, you may try diluting them with water first.

Adequate hydration will keep your summer activities safer and much more enjoyable. If you need to increase your fluid intake, keep an extra pitcher of cold lemonade in the refrigerator.



Heat exhaustion facts
Heat exhaustion is one part of the spectrum of heat-related illnesses that include, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.
The body cools itself by sweating and allowing that sweat to evaporate. This requires enough fluid in the body to make sweat, air circulating across the skin, and low air humidity to allow that sweat to evaporate.
Activity in a hot environment can overwhelm the body's ability to cool itself, causing heat-related symptoms.
Symptoms of heat exhaustion include profuse sweating, weakness, nausea, vomiting, headache, lightheadedness, and muscle cramps.
Heat exhaustion can progress to heat stroke when the body's temperature regulation fails. The affected individual becomes confused, lethargic and may have a seizure, the skin stops sweating and the body temperature may exceed 106 F (41 C ). This is a life-threatening condition and emergency medical attention is needed immediately.
Treatment for heat exhaustion includes recognizing the symptoms, stopping the activity, and moving to a cooler environment. Rehydration with water or a sports drink is the cornerstone of treatment for heat exhaustion. If nausea or vomiting prevents the affected individual from drinking enough water, intravenous fluids may be required.
What is heat exhaustion?
The body cools itself most efficiently by sweating and then the sweat evaporating. Should sweating be unable to meet the cooling demands of the body, heat-related illness can occur. This is a spectrum of conditions with minor symptoms such as prickly heat or heat rash, progressing to heat cramps, then heat exhaustion, and finally to heat stroke, a life-threatening medical condition.

The line between each diagnosis is not sharply drawn. Heat cramps tend to involve involuntary spasm of the large muscles of the body while heat exhaustion has more systemic complaints. These can include profuse sweating, weakness, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and muscle spasms. The affected individual may be a low grade fever. Heat stroke is a life-threatening situation where the body's cooling system fails. The body temperature spirals out of control usually greater than 106F (41C), sweating stops and there are mental status changes like confusion, seizure, or coma.

Heat exhaustion occurs when a person exercises or works in a hot environment and sweating cannot dissipate the heat generated within the body. Often dehydration occurs because the person hasn't replaced the water lost by sweating.

Hydration and Health
Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink…Those famous words, written over 250 years ago, convey some idea of the importance of good old H20 to us humans. Water is life, truly, and when we are healthy, but especially when we are sick, our bodies need water more than they need food, sleep, or exercise.

An important component of just about every function that takes place within us, water is the major part of our saliva, stool, and urine and it also cushions and lubricates brain and joint tissue. It transports nutrients and carries waste away from body cells, and it helps regulate body temperature by distributing heat and cooling the body through perspiration (blood is 83 percent water, muscles are 76 percent water and even 22 percent of bones is water!).

Under average circumstances the body loses and needs to replace approximately 2 to 3 quarts of water daily. Breathing, urinating, defecating, perspiring and sneezing all cause water loss, water that needs to be replaced on a daily basis. Luckily, many of the foods we eat, like us, are composed primarily of water (why do you think they call it watermelon?). Foods with particularly high water content include most fruits, greens, and most vegetables. Caffeinated beverages such as soft drinks, tea, and coffee also count, in part, toward our daily fluid intake. Though they don't 'dehydrate' you, they can promote increased urination, so they shouldn't be the primary nonfood source of liquids during your day.

When we are sick, particularly when we have fever, our need for fluids increases beyond the 2-3 quarts experts recommend. All the secretions our bodies produces (from the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs) become thicker when we are sick, and increasing our fluid intake is the easiest and safest way to 'thin' those secretions and get them out of the system. The best source is probably plain old tap water, or drinks that are primarily water, such as sport replacement drinks, herbal teas, lemon water, and vegetable broth. During an illness, it is a good idea to double the recommended daily fluid intake to one gallon a day!

Top Tips for Increasing Your Fluid Intake
1) Have a glass of water or juice on arising in the morning, since you've had no fluids for many hours.

2) Drink constantly throughout the day rather than several 'big gulps' at once—this meets your body's needs better and may prevent the problem of frequent urination.

3) If you have problems with constipation, it could be because you don't drink enough water—our bodies need water to balance the fiber intake that comes from fruits, vegetables, and grains.

4) Fluids are more easily absorbed from the body when they are somewhat cooler, about 40-60 degrees. Keep a 1 or 2 quart bottle of water in your refrigerator and make sure you need drink and refill it daily.

5) When you pass a drinking fountain, stop for a refreshing drink.

6) Use the color of your urine as a guide for how well your are hydrating. If you urinate regularly and your urine is light yellow, you're drinking enough. If it's dark yellow, increase your fluid intake.

7) Carry a water bottle with you and drink regularly between meals.

8) Allergy sufferers and persons taking any medication should try to attain the fluid goals outlined above. Our kidneys and liver need extra water to process medicines.

Water, water, everywhere. Make it part or your daily routine for good health.

9 Great Reasons to Drink Water, and How to Form the Water Habit

We all know that water is good for us, but often the reasons are a little fuzzy. And even if we know why we should drink water, it's not a habit that many people form.

But there are some very powerful reasons to drink lots of water every day, and forming the habit isn't hard, with a little focus.

The thing about it is, we don't often focus on this habit. We end up drinking coffee, and lots of soda, and alcohol, not to mention fruit juices and teas and milk and a bunch of other possibilities. Or just as often, we don't drink enough fluids, and we become dehydrated -- and that isn't good for our health.



I've made drinking water a daily habit, although I will admit that a couple of years ago I was more likely to drink anything but water. Now I don't drink anything but water, except for a cup of coffee in the morning.

Here are 9 powerful reasons to drink water (with tips on how to form the water habit afterwards):

Weight loss
Water is one of the best tools for weight loss, first of all because it often replaces high-calorie drinks like soda and juice and alcohol with a drink that doesn't have any calories. But it's also a great appetite suppressant, and often when we think we're hungry, we're actually just thirsty. Water has no fat, no calories, no carbs, no sugar. Drink plenty to help your weight-loss regimen.

Heart healthy
Drinking a good amount of water could lower your risks of a heart attack. A six-year study published in the May 1, 2002 American Journal of Epidemiology found that those who drink more than 5 glasses of water a day were 41% less likely to die from a heart attack during the study period than those who drank less than two glasses.

Energy
Being dehydrated can sap your energy and make you feel tired -- even mild dehydration of as little as 1 or 2 percent of your body weight. If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated -- and this can lead to fatigue, muscle weakness, dizziness and other symptoms.

Headache cure
Another symptom of dehydration is headaches. In fact, often when we have headaches it's simply a matter of not drinking enough water. There are lots of other causes of headaches of course, but dehydration is a common one.

Healthy skin
Drinking water can clear up your skin and people often report a healthy glow after drinking water. It won't happen overnight, of course, but just a week of drinking a healthy amount of water can have good effects on your skin.

Digestive problems
Our digestive systems need a good amount of water to digest food properly. Often water can help cure stomach acid problems, and water along with fiber can cure constipation (often a result of dehydration).

Cleansing
Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body.

Cancer risk
Related to the digestive system item above, drinking a healthy amount of water has also been found to reduce the risk of colon cancer by 45%. Drinking lots of water can also reduce the risk of bladder cancer by 50% and potentially reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Better exercise
Being dehydrated can severely hamper your athletic activities, slowing you down and making it harder to lift weights. Exercise requires additional water, so be sure to hydrate before, during and after exercise.


How to form the water habit
So you're convinced that water is healthier, but you'd like to know more about how to make drinking water a daily habit.

Here are some tips that have helped me:

How much water?
This is a debatable question. What's clear is that the old recommendation of "eight 8-ounce glasses a day" isn't right, for several reasons: that amount includes all dietary water intake, including food and non-water beverages; it also ignores a person's body weight, which is an important factor in figuring the amount; it also varies if you are sick or exercise. It's also not good to just drink when you're thirsty -- you're already dehydrated by then. Best is to form a routine: drink a glass when you wake up, a glass with each meal, a glass in between meals, and be sure to drink before, during and after exercise. Try to generally keep yourself from getting thirsty.
Carry a bottle
A lot of people find it useful to get a big plastic drinking bottle, fill it with water, and carry it around with them all day. I like to keep a glass of water at my desk, and I drink from it all day long. When it's empty, I fill it up again, and keep drinking.

Set a reminder
Set your watch to beep at the top of each hour, or set a periodic computer reminder, so that you don't forget to drink water.

Substitute water
If you would normally get a soda, or an alcoholic beverage, get a glass of water instead. Try sparkling water instead of alcohol at social functions.

Filter
Instead of spending a fortune on bottled water, invest in a filter for your home faucet. It'll make tap water taste like bottled, at a fraction of the price.

Exercise
Exercising can help make you want to drink water more. It's not necessary to drink sports drinks like Gatorade when you exercise, unless you are doing it for more than an hour. Just drink water. If you're going to exercise, be sure to drink water a couple hours ahead of time, so that it will get through your system in time, and again, drink during and after exercise as well.

Track it
It often helps, when forming a new habit, to keep track of it -- it increases awareness and helps you ensure that you're staying on track. Keep a little log (it can be done on an index card or a notebook), which can be as simple as a tick mark for each glass of water you drink.

_Zardoz_

Hydration is important but sorry to say though there are more Myths in your post than in the Mythical greek book on greek myths

yarwell

This is an email that got circulated through my department due to the heat

So how are things working in the marketing department of the Acme Bottled Water Co ?

AFGyrl

Thank you for sharing!

This is an email that got circulated through my department due to the heat. Definintely some usefull information:


Instead of that cup of coffee in the morning try this trick. It will give you a kick start, wake you up, energize you and give you a jump start on hydrating throughout the day.

As soon as you wake up (before you do anything else) Drink 3 large glasses of water. Drink them relatively fast. Don’t eat or drink anything else for at least 30 minutes (45 if you can.) Brushing teeth is acceptable but nothing more.

Doing this everyday you will feel results in as little as 3 days. You will be more energized and you will purge your system. It is like flushing the radiator and changing the oil in your car.

Tip – warm water is easier to get down quickly and will absorb into the body faster.

This really works, it is pretty amazing.



How much water is enough? A good way to ensure that you are properly hydrated is to drink 1/2 ounce of water for every pound of body weight. Example - If you weigh 200 lbs, you should drink 100 ounces of water a day.



Keep reading for some important information.

Avoiding Dehydration, Proper Hydration
(Also Called 'Fluids - Dehydration', 'Hydration', 'Water - Dehydration')

Warm weather brings with it thoughts of cool ocean breezes, napping in a hammock and sipping a tall glass of lemonade. Now hold on to the mental image of that lemonade because summer is also a time to be wary of dehydration: the lack of sufficient water in the body.

Water is important to the body at all times, but especially in warm weather. It keeps the body from overheating. When you exercise, your muscles generate heat. To keep from burning up, your body needs to get rid of that heat. The main way the body discards heat in warm weather is through sweat. As sweat evaporates, it cools the tissues beneath. Lots of sweating reduces the body's water level, and this loss of fluid affects normal bodily functions.

Signs of dehydration
If you suspect that someone is dehydrated, seek immediate medical attention.

Signs of dehydration include:

fatigue
loss of appetite
flushed skin
heat intolerance
light-headedness
dark-colored urine
dry cough.
The best way to beat dehydration is to drink before you get thirsty. If you wait until after you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated.

How to avoid dehydration
To avoid dehydration, active people should drink at least two cups (16 ounces) of fluid one to two hours before an outdoor activity. After that, you should consume five to 10 ounces of fluid every 10 to 15 minutes that you are outside. When you are finished with the activity, you should drink more. How much more? To replace what you have lost: at least another two cups.

One way to make sure you are properly hydrated is to check your urine. If it's clear, pale or straw-colored, it's OK. If it's darker than that, keep drinking!

Beverages: some hydrate, others dehydrate
Some beverages are better than others at preventing dehydration. Water is all you need if you are planning to be active for only an hour or less. If you plan to be exercising longer than that, or if you anticipate being out in the sun for more than a few hours, you may want to hydrate with some kind of sports drink. These replace not only fluid, but also chemicals like sodium and potassium, which are lost through perspiration. Too much or too little sodium and potassium in the body can cause trouble.

Alcoholic and caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, teas and colas, are not recommended for optimal hydration. These fluids tend to pull water from the body and promote dehydration. Fruit juice and fruit drinks may have too many carbohydrates, too little sodium, and may upset the stomach. If you're going to drink fruit juices while exercising, you may try diluting them with water first.

Adequate hydration will keep your summer activities safer and much more enjoyable. If you need to increase your fluid intake, keep an extra pitcher of cold lemonade in the refrigerator.



Heat exhaustion facts
Heat exhaustion is one part of the spectrum of heat-related illnesses that include, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.
The body cools itself by sweating and allowing that sweat to evaporate. This requires enough fluid in the body to make sweat, air circulating across the skin, and low air humidity to allow that sweat to evaporate.
Activity in a hot environment can overwhelm the body's ability to cool itself, causing heat-related symptoms.
Symptoms of heat exhaustion include profuse sweating, weakness, nausea, vomiting, headache, lightheadedness, and muscle cramps.
Heat exhaustion can progress to heat stroke when the body's temperature regulation fails. The affected individual becomes confused, lethargic and may have a seizure, the skin stops sweating and the body temperature may exceed 106 F (41 C ). This is a life-threatening condition and emergency medical attention is needed immediately.
Treatment for heat exhaustion includes recognizing the symptoms, stopping the activity, and moving to a cooler environment. Rehydration with water or a sports drink is the cornerstone of treatment for heat exhaustion. If nausea or vomiting prevents the affected individual from drinking enough water, intravenous fluids may be required.
What is heat exhaustion?
The body cools itself most efficiently by sweating and then the sweat evaporating. Should sweating be unable to meet the cooling demands of the body, heat-related illness can occur. This is a spectrum of conditions with minor symptoms such as prickly heat or heat rash, progressing to heat cramps, then heat exhaustion, and finally to heat stroke, a life-threatening medical condition.

The line between each diagnosis is not sharply drawn. Heat cramps tend to involve involuntary spasm of the large muscles of the body while heat exhaustion has more systemic complaints. These can include profuse sweating, weakness, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and muscle spasms. The affected individual may be a low grade fever. Heat stroke is a life-threatening situation where the body's cooling system fails. The body temperature spirals out of control usually greater than 106F (41C), sweating stops and there are mental status changes like confusion, seizure, or coma.

Heat exhaustion occurs when a person exercises or works in a hot environment and sweating cannot dissipate the heat generated within the body. Often dehydration occurs because the person hasn't replaced the water lost by sweating.

Hydration and Health
Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink…Those famous words, written over 250 years ago, convey some idea of the importance of good old H20 to us humans. Water is life, truly, and when we are healthy, but especially when we are sick, our bodies need water more than they need food, sleep, or exercise.

An important component of just about every function that takes place within us, water is the major part of our saliva, stool, and urine and it also cushions and lubricates brain and joint tissue. It transports nutrients and carries waste away from body cells, and it helps regulate body temperature by distributing heat and cooling the body through perspiration (blood is 83 percent water, muscles are 76 percent water and even 22 percent of bones is water!).

Under average circumstances the body loses and needs to replace approximately 2 to 3 quarts of water daily. Breathing, urinating, defecating, perspiring and sneezing all cause water loss, water that needs to be replaced on a daily basis. Luckily, many of the foods we eat, like us, are composed primarily of water (why do you think they call it watermelon?). Foods with particularly high water content include most fruits, greens, and most vegetables. Caffeinated beverages such as soft drinks, tea, and coffee also count, in part, toward our daily fluid intake. Though they don't 'dehydrate' you, they can promote increased urination, so they shouldn't be the primary nonfood source of liquids during your day.

When we are sick, particularly when we have fever, our need for fluids increases beyond the 2-3 quarts experts recommend. All the secretions our bodies produces (from the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs) become thicker when we are sick, and increasing our fluid intake is the easiest and safest way to 'thin' those secretions and get them out of the system. The best source is probably plain old tap water, or drinks that are primarily water, such as sport replacement drinks, herbal teas, lemon water, and vegetable broth. During an illness, it is a good idea to double the recommended daily fluid intake to one gallon a day!

Top Tips for Increasing Your Fluid Intake
1) Have a glass of water or juice on arising in the morning, since you've had no fluids for many hours.

2) Drink constantly throughout the day rather than several 'big gulps' at once—this meets your body's needs better and may prevent the problem of frequent urination.

3) If you have problems with constipation, it could be because you don't drink enough water—our bodies need water to balance the fiber intake that comes from fruits, vegetables, and grains.

4) Fluids are more easily absorbed from the body when they are somewhat cooler, about 40-60 degrees. Keep a 1 or 2 quart bottle of water in your refrigerator and make sure you need drink and refill it daily.

5) When you pass a drinking fountain, stop for a refreshing drink.

6) Use the color of your urine as a guide for how well your are hydrating. If you urinate regularly and your urine is light yellow, you're drinking enough. If it's dark yellow, increase your fluid intake.

7) Carry a water bottle with you and drink regularly between meals.

8) Allergy sufferers and persons taking any medication should try to attain the fluid goals outlined above. Our kidneys and liver need extra water to process medicines.

Water, water, everywhere. Make it part or your daily routine for good health.

9 Great Reasons to Drink Water, and How to Form the Water Habit

We all know that water is good for us, but often the reasons are a little fuzzy. And even if we know why we should drink water, it's not a habit that many people form.

But there are some very powerful reasons to drink lots of water every day, and forming the habit isn't hard, with a little focus.

The thing about it is, we don't often focus on this habit. We end up drinking coffee, and lots of soda, and alcohol, not to mention fruit juices and teas and milk and a bunch of other possibilities. Or just as often, we don't drink enough fluids, and we become dehydrated -- and that isn't good for our health.



I've made drinking water a daily habit, although I will admit that a couple of years ago I was more likely to drink anything but water. Now I don't drink anything but water, except for a cup of coffee in the morning.

Here are 9 powerful reasons to drink water (with tips on how to form the water habit afterwards):

Weight loss
Water is one of the best tools for weight loss, first of all because it often replaces high-calorie drinks like soda and juice and alcohol with a drink that doesn't have any calories. But it's also a great appetite suppressant, and often when we think we're hungry, we're actually just thirsty. Water has no fat, no calories, no carbs, no sugar. Drink plenty to help your weight-loss regimen.

Heart healthy
Drinking a good amount of water could lower your risks of a heart attack. A six-year study published in the May 1, 2002 American Journal of Epidemiology found that those who drink more than 5 glasses of water a day were 41% less likely to die from a heart attack during the study period than those who drank less than two glasses.

Energy
Being dehydrated can sap your energy and make you feel tired -- even mild dehydration of as little as 1 or 2 percent of your body weight. If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated -- and this can lead to fatigue, muscle weakness, dizziness and other symptoms.

Headache cure
Another symptom of dehydration is headaches. In fact, often when we have headaches it's simply a matter of not drinking enough water. There are lots of other causes of headaches of course, but dehydration is a common one.

Healthy skin
Drinking water can clear up your skin and people often report a healthy glow after drinking water. It won't happen overnight, of course, but just a week of drinking a healthy amount of water can have good effects on your skin.

Digestive problems
Our digestive systems need a good amount of water to digest food properly. Often water can help cure stomach acid problems, and water along with fiber can cure constipation (often a result of dehydration).

Cleansing
Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body.

Cancer risk
Related to the digestive system item above, drinking a healthy amount of water has also been found to reduce the risk of colon cancer by 45%. Drinking lots of water can also reduce the risk of bladder cancer by 50% and potentially reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Better exercise
Being dehydrated can severely hamper your athletic activities, slowing you down and making it harder to lift weights. Exercise requires additional water, so be sure to hydrate before, during and after exercise.


How to form the water habit
So you're convinced that water is healthier, but you'd like to know more about how to make drinking water a daily habit.

Here are some tips that have helped me:

How much water?
This is a debatable question. What's clear is that the old recommendation of "eight 8-ounce glasses a day" isn't right, for several reasons: that amount includes all dietary water intake, including food and non-water beverages; it also ignores a person's body weight, which is an important factor in figuring the amount; it also varies if you are sick or exercise. It's also not good to just drink when you're thirsty -- you're already dehydrated by then. Best is to form a routine: drink a glass when you wake up, a glass with each meal, a glass in between meals, and be sure to drink before, during and after exercise. Try to generally keep yourself from getting thirsty.
Carry a bottle
A lot of people find it useful to get a big plastic drinking bottle, fill it with water, and carry it around with them all day. I like to keep a glass of water at my desk, and I drink from it all day long. When it's empty, I fill it up again, and keep drinking.

Set a reminder
Set your watch to beep at the top of each hour, or set a periodic computer reminder, so that you don't forget to drink water.

Substitute water
If you would normally get a soda, or an alcoholic beverage, get a glass of water instead. Try sparkling water instead of alcohol at social functions.

Filter
Instead of spending a fortune on bottled water, invest in a filter for your home faucet. It'll make tap water taste like bottled, at a fraction of the price.

Exercise
Exercising can help make you want to drink water more. It's not necessary to drink sports drinks like Gatorade when you exercise, unless you are doing it for more than an hour. Just drink water. If you're going to exercise, be sure to drink water a couple hours ahead of time, so that it will get through your system in time, and again, drink during and after exercise as well.

Track it
It often helps, when forming a new habit, to keep track of it -- it increases awareness and helps you ensure that you're staying on track. Keep a little log (it can be done on an index card or a notebook), which can be as simple as a tick mark for each glass of water you drink.