Hydration – Get a Grip and Drink More Water

Hydration is so important. How many times have you heard that statement? Water is the key element of life and our bodies perform best when properly hydrated. I’m going to share with you why hydration is so important as well as my top tips for keeping my family hydrated on our outdoor adventures. Read on for tips to motivate kids to drink more water and get a grip on hydration!

This post is sponsored by Arzarf but all opinions are my own. You can read more on my disclaimer page.

The Importance of Hydration

The importance of hydration has been drilled into me since I was a child as my mom used to say, “drinking water fixes everything.” While I’m not sure about it fixing EVERYTHING, proper hydration is key to a healthy lifestyle.

The body simply performs better when it is properly hydrated. When I don’t hydrate enough, I feel sluggish. My brain slows, my mood and energy crash, and even my memory feels spotty. Water is crucial for the body to function properly.

Here are some more benefits to proper hydration:

Aids in weight loss as it flushes excess fats and sugars out of the body.
Prevent and treat headaches
Regulate body temperature during hot weather (sweat production will decrease if you are not hydrated enough)
Water helps to carry nutrients and oxygen throughout the body so staying hydrated helps aid proper circulation.
A well-hydrated body allows more moisture to be stored in the skin and hair, resulting in softer skin and shinier hair!

Why is hydration so important? Water keeps us active and alert while assisting our bodies with various functions.

Get a Grip on Hydration

Now that you understand the importance of hydration, how do you make sure that your family is drinking enough water? If you are an active family like us, then you will need more water. Staying hydrated on outdoor adventures provides a new set of challenges, especially because those insulated water bottles that are great for the outdoors can be so hard to grab! How do you solve those challenges to make sure you stay hydrated and help kids to drink more water?

Introducing Arzarf

Arzarf (or “A Rubber ZARF”) is a durable, silicone sleeve that fits over almost any reusable, insulated water bottle. They fit a wide range of bottles including my Camelbak, my son’s Nalgene, and even a Yeti! These sleeves are based on an ancient Turkish cup holder called a “zarf”. Those little cardboard coffee cup sleeves are actually called a “zarf” as well! (If you are wondering if an Arzarf can replace those on a reusable, insulated coffee cup, it can!)

How can an Arzarf solve the challenges to outdoor hydration?

The answer is all about grip. With a textured grip on an insulated bottle, you prevent slipping and dropping the bottle. As a mom, my hands are pretty much always full, and keeping a grip on my water bottle can be tough. Now, with Arzarf, I know I won’t drop my bottle and can take it everywhere.

One of the biggest challenges I face when outside is to refill my water bottle. Honestly, opening them can be tough! Especially if my hand gets sweaty or it’s cold out and I need to wear gloves. The textured grip of an Arzarf makes it so much easier to open the bottles to refill, allowing us to drink more water.

Making Reusable More Attractive

The lack of grip on large insulated water bottles is the top complaint that I hear. It can be so bad (especially for those of us with small hands), that people resort back to plastic, disposable bottles. Arzarf silicone sleeves provide the grip that is so lacking on reusable bottles and therefore promotes and encourages their use. Using these for grip and ditching the one-time-use bottles is an easy way to make a small step toward more eco-friendly living.

Tips to Motivate Proper Hydration in Kids

How does all this relate to proper hydration in kids? I’ll tell you what happened when I first added an Arzarf to my son’s reusable water bottle.

He struggled with his Nalgene bottle even though he loved it. Little hands have a hard time gripping something so large and I could tell he was frustrated. I added an Arzarf and saw an immediate difference. He finished his entire bottle and immediately asked for a refill! Reducing his frustration with gripping his water bottle allowed him to focus on hydration and he drank more water. It also increased his confidence and independence. When kids reduce their frustration (even with something as “simple” as drinking water), it is amazing how much more they will do it. Kids want to feel control and the Arzarf on my son’s water bottle provided him more self-sufficiency which is why he uses it more now.

More Tips to Motivate Kids to Drink Water

While plain water is best for hydration, if needed, add a small amount of juice to motivate kids to drink more water. Another option is to infuse the water with flavor using fresh fruit, herbs, or vegetables (berries, lemon, mint, watermelon, orange, and cucumber are all good options).
Remind them constantly. Kids are forgetful and don’t always stop to listen to what their bodies are telling them until it is too late and they are in crisis mood (toddler tantrums anyone?) Especially when outdoors, remind kids every so often to stop and drink some water.
Let kids pick out their own water bottles and pick the color Arzarf to put on to get them excited about hydration.

As the months cool down and we are wearing gloves more often than not, having an Arzarf for improved grip will become even more important. I hate taking my (or my kids’) gloves off just to drink water and now they can stay on! That allows us to be outside, hydrated and happy, longer.

A Little More about Arzarf

I love brands that give back and Arzarf is one of them. Arzarf is a member of 1Percent For The Planet and supports charities that provide clean drinking water as well as ones that focus on environmental concerns.

Arzarf sleeves are engineered, designed, and manufactured in the US as well. They are made right here in New York and so their production helps my local community.

If you are looking for an eco-friendly hydration solution, pairing an Arzarf sleeve with your favorite reusable, insulated water bottle is a great way to keep your whole family active and hydrated!