Why is drinking more water so important? Find out in this series of short articles that explores the overlooked benefits of hydration.
It may seem obvious, but scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have demonstrated through studies that proper hydration reduces the risk of cardiovascular problems. How so? Well, given that that human body is mostly water, the heart relies on sufficient water intake to keep your blood pumping smoothly. Drinking too little fluid each day can lead to a thickening of the blood, which can then lead to numerous circulation issues. Proper hydration is a simple way to keep your ticker ticking!
SPARKFUL makes personal wellness and a playful lifestyle our first priority. Our blog is dedicated to sharing useful ideas and actionable tips for healthier, happier and more meaningful way of life. Have fun reading!
{"topArticles":[{"title":"Drink up for a healthy belly","slug":"drink-up-for-a-healthy-belly","topics":[{"slug":"hydration","name":"Hydration","tagline":"Sparkful helps you keep hydrated!","description":"<p>Have you given much thought to the role of water in a healthy lifestyle? Like many healthy habits, the goal of drinking a certain amount of water each day can get ignored sometimes.</p>\n<p>Water is something you put into your body every day and is essential to both physical and mental health. Wondering how much water to drink? Struggling to stay hydrated throughout the busy routine? Building a sustainable water-drinking habit definitely takes time and effort, that's why in this column, we want to share with you some tips to make drinking water fun, to accompany you, and keep you motivated!</p>\n<p>Grab your glass, take a sip of water, and let's start hydrating in no time.</p>\n"}],"content":"<blockquote>\n<p>Why is drinking more water so important? Find out in this series of short articles that explores the overlooked benefits of hydration.</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>Water is more than just an alternative to high-calorie drinks. It also keeps your digestive system running smoothly and promotes diversity in your gut microbiome! Adequate hydration also keeps you feeling full between meals, so you will be less tempted to snack. Next time you catch yourself reaching for something sweet in the afternoon, consider reaching for a glass of water instead. Your belly will thank you!</p>\n","cover":{"url":"https://cms.sparkful.app/assets/52c2885b-fbbc-46de-b2f4-b40d301d4033","width":1920,"height":1280},"authors":[],"apps":[{"identifier":"plant-nanny","name":"Plant Nanny","tagline":"Water Tracker Log","description":"<p>Want to stay hydrated with little plants? Plant Nanny is the cutest water reminder app that keeps track of your water intake, and motivates you to drink more water.</p>\n","icon":{"url":""},"scheme":"","appstore":"","googleplay":""}],"createdAt":"2022-11-29T08:31:33.000Z"},{"title":"Periods & Hydration: Balancing water intake during menstruation","slug":"periods-and-hydration-balancing-water-intake-during-menstruation","topics":[{"slug":"hydration","name":"Hydration","tagline":"Sparkful helps you keep hydrated!","description":"<p>Have you given much thought to the role of water in a healthy lifestyle? Like many healthy habits, the goal of drinking a certain amount of water each day can get ignored sometimes.</p>\n<p>Water is something you put into your body every day and is essential to both physical and mental health. Wondering how much water to drink? Struggling to stay hydrated throughout the busy routine? Building a sustainable water-drinking habit definitely takes time and effort, that's why in this column, we want to share with you some tips to make drinking water fun, to accompany you, and keep you motivated!</p>\n<p>Grab your glass, take a sip of water, and let's start hydrating in no time.</p>\n"}],"content":"<p>Like many healthy habits, the goal of drinking a certain amount of water each day can get tossed right out the window under certain circumstances. For folks who menstruate, those circumstances can occur on a more-or-less monthly basis from puberty to menopause — in other words: <em>for decades</em>.</p>\n<p>Frustratingly, it’s as if many of the common physical issues related to periods are specifically designed to prevent proper hydration! Here are some of the reasons getting enough water can be tricky when “Aunt Flo” comes to town.</p>\n<h2>The Catch-22 of Bloating</h2>\n<p>The urge to abandon the hydration habit often starts even before the period arrives. The body knows what’s up, and begins retaining water for the upcoming event, causing bloating.</p>\n<p>Who wants to drink more water when you’re already bloated? Probably nobody, but the urge to drink less leads to a vicious cycle all the way up to opening day. You drink less, so your body works harder to hold on to what it has, so you feel bloated and drink less… And then things really get going.</p>\n<h2>Diet Changes During Your Period</h2>\n<p>Even if you’re drinking the same number of glasses of water each day and feel like you’re running to the bathroom constantly, you’re probably less hydrated during your period than you realize. Cravings can cause many people to opt for sweet or salty snacks instead of water-rich fruits, veggies, and proteins, making the situation worse.</p>\n<p>One diet change you should consider, though — cutting back on <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://sparkful.app/articles/pop-quiz-do-coffee-and-tea-count-as-water-intake\">caffeinated and alcoholic drinks</a>. These beverages have diuretic effects due to their caffeine and alcohol content, and also disrupt your sleep at a time when your body is already susceptible to inadequate rest.</p>\n<h2>Water & Menstrual Cramps</h2>\n<p>If you’re someone who suffers from painful menstrual cramps, there’s evidence that hydration can make a difference there as well. In a 2016 study on <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/psyp.12610\">hydration’s role in pain perception</a>, the results “suggest that a person's hydration status may be an important factor in their perception of acute pain.”</p>\n<p>We all know our muscles need water to perform properly, so think of the period like a tough workout for the uterus and be sure to consume adequate amounts of water before, during, and after. Just avoid ice cold water, which some people report makes cramps worse. Try warm beverages like caffeine-free tea instead!</p>\n","cover":{"url":"https://cms.sparkful.app/assets/2a70c591-2a02-49d7-94fe-032f871ce447","width":1920,"height":1280},"authors":[],"apps":[{"identifier":"plant-nanny","name":"Plant Nanny","tagline":"Water Tracker Log","description":"<p>Want to stay hydrated with little plants? Plant Nanny is the cutest water reminder app that keeps track of your water intake, and motivates you to drink more water.</p>\n","icon":{"url":""},"scheme":"","appstore":"","googleplay":""}],"createdAt":"2022-11-28T10:11:36.000Z"},{"title":"Pop Quiz: Do coffee and tea count as water intake?","slug":"pop-quiz-do-coffee-and-tea-count-as-water-intake","topics":[{"slug":"hydration","name":"Hydration","tagline":"Sparkful helps you keep hydrated!","description":"<p>Have you given much thought to the role of water in a healthy lifestyle? Like many healthy habits, the goal of drinking a certain amount of water each day can get ignored sometimes.</p>\n<p>Water is something you put into your body every day and is essential to both physical and mental health. Wondering how much water to drink? Struggling to stay hydrated throughout the busy routine? Building a sustainable water-drinking habit definitely takes time and effort, that's why in this column, we want to share with you some tips to make drinking water fun, to accompany you, and keep you motivated!</p>\n<p>Grab your glass, take a sip of water, and let's start hydrating in no time.</p>\n"}],"content":"<p>You've already gotten started on tracking your water intake? Great work! Now, you might have some questions. Namely: Should you be including your morning coffee or that tea you had at lunch? Let’s find out how much you know about hydration!</p>\n<h2>How much fluid am I actually consuming?</h2>\n<p>Let’s start with what things in your diet actually contribute to your hydration levels. Beyond beverages, you’re also getting water from the food you eat. Soup’s an obvious example, but fruits and vegetables also contain significant amounts of water, as do dairy products like yogurt and cottage cheese. If your meals primarily consist of dry, carb-based foods, you may want to make changes to your diet to naturally take in more water.</p>\n<h2>Does caffeine really make you pee more?</h2>\n<p>The short answer: Yes. Caffeinated beverages do have a mild diuretic effect, which means they will send you to the bathroom slightly faster than other beverages.</p>\n<p>But wait! There’s some good news, too. According to <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/water/\">Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health</a>, “more than 180 mg of caffeine daily (about two cups of brewed coffee) may increase urination in the short-term in some people, but will not necessarily lead to dehydration.” That means that while caffeine does affect your body in some ways, drinks that contain it can still count toward your daily water intake.</p>\n<h2>So, can other drinks count towards my daily water goal?</h2>\n<p>Absolutely – with exceptions. First of all, take care to avoid beverages with lots of sugar, such as soda, juices, and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://sparkful.app/articles/do-i-really-need-sports-drinks-for-exercise\">some sports drinks</a>, since excess sugar has its own detrimental effects. Likewise, skip the alcoholic drinks. Unlike the caffeine in coffee and tea, alcohol does have strong enough diuretic effects to be dehydrating.</p>\n<p>Not a huge fan of water? We also have some <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://sparkful.app/articles/7-wildly-effective-ways-to-make-drinking-water-fun-and-easy\">tips for making it easier to drink more water</a>, even when you’d rather be having something else!</p>\n","cover":{"url":"https://cms.sparkful.app/assets/d8124fc7-a457-46c0-8326-804fe8bd9386","width":1920,"height":1280},"authors":[],"apps":[{"identifier":"plant-nanny","name":"Plant Nanny","tagline":"Water Tracker Log","description":"<p>Want to stay hydrated with little plants? Plant Nanny is the cutest water reminder app that keeps track of your water intake, and motivates you to drink more water.</p>\n","icon":{"url":""},"scheme":"","appstore":"","googleplay":""}],"createdAt":"2022-11-28T10:14:12.000Z"},{"title":"Do I really need sports drinks for exercise?","slug":"do-i-really-need-sports-drinks-for-exercise","topics":[{"slug":"hydration","name":"Hydration","tagline":"Sparkful helps you keep hydrated!","description":"<p>Have you given much thought to the role of water in a healthy lifestyle? Like many healthy habits, the goal of drinking a certain amount of water each day can get ignored sometimes.</p>\n<p>Water is something you put into your body every day and is essential to both physical and mental health. Wondering how much water to drink? Struggling to stay hydrated throughout the busy routine? Building a sustainable water-drinking habit definitely takes time and effort, that's why in this column, we want to share with you some tips to make drinking water fun, to accompany you, and keep you motivated!</p>\n<p>Grab your glass, take a sip of water, and let's start hydrating in no time.</p>\n"},{"slug":"fitness","name":"Fitness","tagline":"How Spark helps reach your fitness goal.","description":"<p>More and more people realize the importance of building consistent exercise habits. The benefits of regular exercise to health are obvious. When many people think of exercise, gym training or HIIT is probably the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, simply having \"walking\" into your daily routine is a good way to keep active.</p>\n<p>Walk as much as is reasonable for your lifestyle, and vary your activities to maintain your physical health. Building a routine of regular movement, even in short bouts, is beneficial to your well-being.</p>\n<p>Compared to workouts, walking seems like a fairly straightforward activity that should require little planning or motivation. If you’re trying to start walking more, here are some tips for building a habit that will last.</p>\n"}],"content":"<p>We all know that it’s important to drink water when exercising, since it’s plain to see the water loss that occurs through sweat. But why do so many people opt for sports drinks after a workout? And are these beverages really necessary? Let’s find out.</p>\n<h2>A brief history of sports drinks</h2>\n<p>In the United States, most people link the beginning of the sports drink industry with the Gatorade brand, famously created at Florida State University in the 1960s. However, the history of sports drinks goes back even earlier, to a drink first called <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucozade\">Glucozade</a>, which was invented by a pharmacist in 1927 in the United Kingdom. At the time, the concoction was primarily used to aid in recovery from illnesses by replenishing lost water and electrolytes. As it turns out, that’s also the main function of modern sports drinks!</p>\n<h2>Can’t I just drink water?</h2>\n<p>For most people, water is enough to maintain hydration during a workout. However, working out at a high intensity or for an extended period of time may lead to a major loss of electrolytes, resulting in dizziness or fatigue. In this case, the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://familydoctor.org/athletes-the-importance-of-good-hydration/\">American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)</a> suggests a sports drink may be beneficial. Most modern sports beverages provide potassium, sodium, and calories in the form of carbohydrates, helping to stave off the symptoms of electrolyte imbalance.</p>\n<h2>Are there any downsides to sports drinks?</h2>\n<p>Since the typical sports drink uses sweeteners to cover the sometimes unpleasant flavors of its other ingredients, be sure to read the label before you buy! Quite often, although these drinks don’t taste particularly sweet, they do contain added sugar, sometimes as much as you’ll find in a regular soda! If you need to hydrate but want to avoid processed sugary drinks, you’re better off enjoying a glass of water and a piece of whole fruit after your workout.</p>\n<h2>Trying to quit your sports drink habit?</h2>\n<p>Get educated about the best hydration plan during workouts! According to experts, <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://sparkful.app/articles/should-i-be-chugging-water-when-i-work-out\">you shouldn't be chugging water during exercise</a>, but you should be smart about when and how much you drink. Build water drinking into your exercise routine, and you'll be less likely to rely only on sports drinks to stay properly hydrated.</p>\n","cover":{"url":"https://cms.sparkful.app/assets/996586ce-5dc2-4702-8751-03219739d4f4","width":1920,"height":1280},"authors":[],"apps":[{"identifier":"plant-nanny","name":"Plant Nanny","tagline":"Water Tracker Log","description":"<p>Want to stay hydrated with little plants? Plant Nanny is the cutest water reminder app that keeps track of your water intake, and motivates you to drink more water.</p>\n","icon":{"url":""},"scheme":"","appstore":"","googleplay":""}],"createdAt":"2022-11-28T10:45:02.000Z"},{"title":"10,000 Steps a Day… Do I really have to?","slug":"10000-steps-a-day-do-i-really-have-to","topics":[{"slug":"fitness","name":"Fitness","tagline":"How Spark helps reach your fitness goal.","description":"<p>More and more people realize the importance of building consistent exercise habits. The benefits of regular exercise to health are obvious. When many people think of exercise, gym training or HIIT is probably the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, simply having \"walking\" into your daily routine is a good way to keep active.</p>\n<p>Walk as much as is reasonable for your lifestyle, and vary your activities to maintain your physical health. Building a routine of regular movement, even in short bouts, is beneficial to your well-being.</p>\n<p>Compared to workouts, walking seems like a fairly straightforward activity that should require little planning or motivation. If you’re trying to start walking more, here are some tips for building a habit that will last.</p>\n"}],"content":"<p>We’ve all heard the same warning: If you’re not walking 10,000 steps a day, you’re not walking enough. But is that really true? And should you feel guilty if you’re not hitting that 10k goal every single day?</p>\n<p>The short answer is: <strong>absolutely not.</strong> In reality, your day is already filled with work, classes, parenting, or other important activities. You also may live in an environment where taking long walks isn’t safe or comfortable. Furthermore, depending on your age and physical condition, walking might not be a suitable activity for you.</p>\n<p>Sure, you could stress yourself out trying to hit this arbitrary number, and there are countless examples of <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFx13AUtAwo\">YouTubers trying out a 30-day challenge</a> of 10,000 steps to inspire you. There can be benefits to regularly walking 10,000 steps, but there are other things you can try that may fit your lifestyle more.</p>\n<h2>Some alternatives to a 10,000-step walking goal</h2>\n<p>If you’ve been beating yourself up about not getting in thousands of steps each day, you’re in luck. Try some of the following alternatives to get you moving:</p>\n<h3>1. Set a goal… ANY goal</h3>\n<p>One of the reasons the 10,000-step goal works for some people is not the number of steps, but simply the challenge of hitting any daily goal at all. If you’re currently walking 2,000 steps a day, challenge yourself to hit 3,000 steps for the next 7 days and see how you feel. You can keep increasing the step count every week if you’d like, or settle on your personal daily minimum.</p>\n<h3>2. Choose activities that suit you</h3>\n<p>If walking isn’t feasible for you, there are other ways to improve your physical fitness without hours of commitment each week. For example, short <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhXKkG9EykU\">pilates</a> or <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mevvQo3uHFU\">chair workout</a> videos can get your heart going in a matter of minutes, and they’re short enough that you wouldn’t dread doing them every day. If you have a VR headset, you can also get yourself moving with games like Beat Saber or VZFit and have fun at the same time.</p>\n<h3>3. Try “exercise snacking”</h3>\n<p>No, this doesn’t mean making exercise more fun by combining it with junk food. The concept of <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/wellness/story/exercise-snacking-week-60778976\">“exercise snacking”</a> is simple: At least 3 times throughout the day, do some form of exercise for 2 to 5 minutes. This could be climbing a few flights of stairs before every meal, doing squats or leg lifts while you wait for the microwave, or spending 2 minutes on a mix of jumping jacks, squats, and wall push-ups. These snack breaks help you overcome mental barriers to exercise, and can be done almost anywhere.</p>\n<p>If you’re not able to hit 10,000 steps a day, don’t beat yourself up about it! Walk as much as is reasonable for your lifestyle, and vary your activities to maintain your physical health. Building a routine of regular movement, even in short bouts, is much more beneficial to your well-being than stressing yourself out over a step goal.</p>\n<p><em>Is it your boredom that's keeping you from getting more steps each day? Try some of our <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://sparkful.app/articles/the-walking-bored-how-to-make-solo-walks-more-enjoyable\">ideas for solo walks</a>!</em></p>\n","cover":{"url":"https://cms.sparkful.app/assets/442e9b8b-69bf-4b0c-8ff8-3636b5b24d27","width":1920,"height":1280},"authors":[],"apps":[{"identifier":"walkr","name":"Walkr","tagline":"Gamified Fitness App","description":"<p>Get motivated through the playful design to walk more. Walkr combines pedometer with a galaxy adventure game, getting in shape and have fun at the same time.</p>\n","icon":{"url":""},"scheme":"","appstore":"","googleplay":""}],"createdAt":"2022-11-29T02:15:13.000Z"}],"trendingArticles":[{"title":"Drink up for a healthy belly","slug":"drink-up-for-a-healthy-belly","topics":[{"slug":"hydration","name":"Hydration","tagline":"Sparkful helps you keep hydrated!","description":"<p>Have you given much thought to the role of water in a healthy lifestyle? Like many healthy habits, the goal of drinking a certain amount of water each day can get ignored sometimes.</p>\n<p>Water is something you put into your body every day and is essential to both physical and mental health. Wondering how much water to drink? Struggling to stay hydrated throughout the busy routine? Building a sustainable water-drinking habit definitely takes time and effort, that's why in this column, we want to share with you some tips to make drinking water fun, to accompany you, and keep you motivated!</p>\n<p>Grab your glass, take a sip of water, and let's start hydrating in no time.</p>\n"}],"content":"<blockquote>\n<p>Why is drinking more water so important? Find out in this series of short articles that explores the overlooked benefits of hydration.</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>Water is more than just an alternative to high-calorie drinks. It also keeps your digestive system running smoothly and promotes diversity in your gut microbiome! Adequate hydration also keeps you feeling full between meals, so you will be less tempted to snack. Next time you catch yourself reaching for something sweet in the afternoon, consider reaching for a glass of water instead. Your belly will thank you!</p>\n","cover":{"url":"https://cms.sparkful.app/assets/52c2885b-fbbc-46de-b2f4-b40d301d4033","width":1920,"height":1280},"authors":[],"apps":[{"identifier":"plant-nanny","name":"Plant Nanny","tagline":"Water Tracker Log","description":"<p>Want to stay hydrated with little plants? Plant Nanny is the cutest water reminder app that keeps track of your water intake, and motivates you to drink more water.</p>\n","icon":{"url":""},"scheme":"","appstore":"","googleplay":""}],"createdAt":"2022-11-29T08:31:33.000Z"},{"title":"How many glasses of water should you drink each day?","slug":"how-many-glasses-of-water-should-you-drink-each-day","topics":[{"slug":"hydration","name":"Hydration","tagline":"Sparkful helps you keep hydrated!","description":"<p>Have you given much thought to the role of water in a healthy lifestyle? Like many healthy habits, the goal of drinking a certain amount of water each day can get ignored sometimes.</p>\n<p>Water is something you put into your body every day and is essential to both physical and mental health. Wondering how much water to drink? Struggling to stay hydrated throughout the busy routine? Building a sustainable water-drinking habit definitely takes time and effort, that's why in this column, we want to share with you some tips to make drinking water fun, to accompany you, and keep you motivated!</p>\n<p>Grab your glass, take a sip of water, and let's start hydrating in no time.</p>\n"}],"content":"<p>If you're reading this in hopes of finding the perfect answer as to how much water to drink each day, here's a spoiler: <strong>It depends!</strong> Unless you've been living in a cave your entire life, you've probably come across hundreds of articles promising you the final answer to this <strong>Very Important Question</strong>.</p>\n<p>But the truth is much more complicated than the simplistic \"8 glasses a day\" advice, despite how often this number gets repeated on social media. Here are some things to keep in mind.</p>\n<h2>There's no one-size-fits-all solution for water consumption</h2>\n<p>First off, <strong>every human body has a different base percentage of water</strong>, depending on factors such as age and sex. <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://www.thoughtco.com/how-much-of-your-body-is-water-609406\">ThoughtCo.</a> has a great primer on our different water levels, pointing out that the natural occurrence of water in the body could be as little as 45% to as much as 75%.</p>\n<p>And that's just the baseline. Add in variables like exercise, diet, genetics, and climate, and what's normal for one person just isn't normal for another person of the same age and sex.</p>\n<h2>You are a different person every day</h2>\n<p>So we've established that all humans are unique, but here's one more thing to boggle your mind: You are not the same person you were yesterday, nor are you the same person you'll be tomorrow. Consider this scenario:</p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>YESTERDAY</strong>: <em>It was terribly hot and humid all day, and you wanted to eat nothing but chilled fruits and salads with bottle after bottle of ice-cold water. You were sweating a lot because of the heat, but you also took in more water-rich foods and drank more water to keep cool.</em></li>\n<li><strong>TODAY</strong>: <em>It's workout day! You did an hour of cardio this morning, working up a great sweat. In the afternoon, you needed a boost at work, so you downed two lattes at your desk, but then skipped dinner.</em></li>\n<li><strong>TOMORROW</strong>: <em>It's a friend's birthday, and the forecast is calling for rain, so the plan is a cozy night in with your friend group. You're already expecting to eat nothing but sugary and salty junk foods, and maybe consume some alcohol before getting to bed much later than usual.</em></li>\n</ul>\n<p>On all of these days, your needs will be different based on both how much you're moving, sweating, and sleeping, and what you're putting into your body. If you drank the same amount of water each of these days, you'd likely feel more fatigued on some days than others.</p>\n<p>Likewise, your needs will vary if you have a chronic illness, or if you're menstruating, pregnant, or recovering from injury. Any number of things can change your body's basic functions, and thus your hydration needs!</p>\n<h2>Forget the 8-glass rule & try an improved formula</h2>\n<p>Seems like we're back to the original question, right? Well, even though we know that the old advice is outdated, and there's no perfect answer for anyone on Earth, there are a number of new formulas you can try.</p>\n<p>For example, according to the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/wellness/how-to-calculate-how-much-water-you-should-drink\">University of Missouri</a>, here's one formula for setting your daily water goal:</p>\n<ol>\n<li>To calculate your minimum goal, <strong>divide your body weight in pounds by 2</strong>. That's the number of ounces of water you should drink daily.</li>\n<li>On exercise days, add another <strong>12 ounces for each 30 minutes of activity</strong>.</li>\n</ol>\n<p>As you might notice, anyone who weighs more than 128 pounds should therefore be averaging <em>more</em> than 8 glasses of water –that is, 64 ounces– per day.</p>\n<p>(For users of the metric system, there are several options out there, but start with this formula: divide your body weight in kilos by 30, and the result is the number of liters you should be aiming for.)</p>\n<h2>The Last Word: Your body is a complex but intelligent machine</h2>\n<p>On the bright side, your body will always tell you if your daily water goal is too little. Be sure to track your water consumption, and pay attention to your <strong>thirst</strong>, <strong>fatigue</strong>, and <strong>concentration levels</strong> (not to mention the <strong>color of your urine</strong>!). Even without a fancy formula, you'll be able to interpret what your body is saying!</p>\n<p><em>Regardless of your daily water drinking target, you might find it tough to drink as much water as you planned. Here's some extra advice to help you <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://sparkful.app/articles/7-wildly-effective-ways-to-make-drinking-water-fun-and-easy\">enjoy drinking water</a>!</em></p>\n","cover":{"url":"https://cms.sparkful.app/assets/f86f48ac-cffc-42d3-b3b0-ae9dfd3ca4be","width":1920,"height":1280},"authors":[],"apps":[{"identifier":"plant-nanny","name":"Plant Nanny","tagline":"Water Tracker Log","description":"<p>Want to stay hydrated with little plants? Plant Nanny is the cutest water reminder app that keeps track of your water intake, and motivates you to drink more water.</p>\n","icon":{"url":""},"scheme":"","appstore":"","googleplay":""}],"createdAt":"2022-11-29T05:25:20.000Z"},{"title":"Not a Morning Person? A smooth wake-up starts at night","slug":"not-a-morning-person-a-smooth-wake-up-starts-at-night","topics":[{"slug":"sleep","name":"Sleep","tagline":"How Spark helping your sleep cycle.","description":"<p>For some people, there comes a time during adulthood when waking up in the morning becomes easier. For some of us, however, getting up early will be a lifelong struggle. Luckily, you can do a few things for yourself to make dragging your barely-awake self out of bed a little bit less stressful.</p>\n<p>A successful wake-up starts the evening before. In this column, we want to share some doable tips for making sleeping, waking up, and daily routines more smooth, comfortable, and efficient.</p>\n<p>Going one step further, we can try to make waking up on time interesting through some tools or habit-forming tips!</p>\n"},{"slug":"tasks","name":"Tasks","tagline":"How Spark helping you keep track of tasks.","description":"<p>If you’re not tracking your tasks, it can be hard to really grasp how much of a mental load you’re carrying by trying to keep everything in your head.</p>\n<p>However, there are also many tips and tricks worth trying for creating a to-do list: if your to-do list is full of activities you dread doing, such as household chores or trying to achieve Inbox Zero, it’s no wonder you’re putting things off! Luckily, tedious or unpleasant routine tasks can be made more tolerable with a little fun thrown in.</p>\n<p>Follow the tips and you’ll not only get started more easily, but you’ll feel great when you get to tick off your tasks at lightning speed.</p>\n"}],"content":"<p>For some people, there comes a time during adulthood when waking up in the morning becomes easier. For some of us, however, getting up early will be a lifelong struggle. Luckily, there are a few things you can do for yourself to make dragging your barely-awake self out of bed a little bit less stressful.</p>\n<h2>A successful wake-up starts the evening before</h2>\n<p>Although getting to bed earlier is an obvious piece of advice, there are other things you should be doing in the evening in order to fall asleep faster and roll out of bed more willingly in the morning.</p>\n<h3>1. Plan your outfit</h3>\n<p>Laying out your clothes before bedtime isn’t just for little kids! Whether it’s your gym clothes or your clothes for the office, take a few minutes before bedtime to select your wardrobe. You can sleep easy knowing there’s one less thing to do in the morning. This also helps prevent the panic in the morning when you realize the shirt you wanted to wear is still in the wash.</p>\n<h3>2. Make a “morning zombie” checklist</h3>\n<p>When you first wake up, your brain just isn’t ready to make decisions or solve problems. You might not even be capable of reliably completing daily tasks like remembering to take your vitamins or brush your teeth. That’s where your morning zombie list comes in. Keep a checklist by your bed of every single task in your wakeup routine, from “go to the bathroom” to “put on shoes” to “put keys in pocket.” You’ll not only lower your chances of forgetting something, but you’ll also learn to be more realistic about how long it takes you to get ready in the morning.</p>\n<h3>3. Do a “brain dump”</h3>\n<p>Sometimes, sleep inertia is caused by having gone to bed with too many things on your mind, so you either can’t fall asleep or your sleep is of poor quality. Using a basic notebook or an app like <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://todoadventure.app/\">To-Do Adventure</a>, empty your mind of everything you need to do in the coming days and add it to a list to review later. You’ll be amazed at how much more easily you can fall asleep and how much less stressful it is to get up in the morning when you’ve already done a brain dump and cleared away the random to-dos cluttering your mind.</p>\n<h2>Extra tip: Manage your water intake for better sleep</h2>\n<p>There's one more thing that might be affecting your sleep, both in length and quality, and that's your bladder! If you're always running to the bathroom desperate to pee when you wake up, or if your bladder is interrupting your slumber at 3 a.m., you might want to read this before you go to bed tonight: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://sparkful.app/articles/morning-urgency-why-do-i-wake-up-desperate-to-pee\">Morning Urgency: Why do I wake up desperate to pee?</a></p>\n","cover":{"url":"https://cms.sparkful.app/assets/f594dfb1-d40f-48fd-b0a6-412fce84862b","width":1920,"height":1280},"authors":[],"apps":[{"identifier":"book-morning","name":"Book Morning!","tagline":"Story Alarm Clock","description":"<p>Let the story alarm clock app accompany you to start a new day! Book Morning! is here to help you to improve your morning routine, sleep cycle and waking up gently.</p>\n","icon":{"url":""},"scheme":"","appstore":"","googleplay":""}],"createdAt":"2022-11-29T05:23:58.000Z"},{"title":"No Motivation? Tackling to-dos when you just don’t wanna","slug":"no-motivation-tackling-to-dos-when-you-just-dont-wanna","topics":[{"slug":"tasks","name":"Tasks","tagline":"How Spark helping you keep track of tasks.","description":"<p>If you’re not tracking your tasks, it can be hard to really grasp how much of a mental load you’re carrying by trying to keep everything in your head.</p>\n<p>However, there are also many tips and tricks worth trying for creating a to-do list: if your to-do list is full of activities you dread doing, such as household chores or trying to achieve Inbox Zero, it’s no wonder you’re putting things off! Luckily, tedious or unpleasant routine tasks can be made more tolerable with a little fun thrown in.</p>\n<p>Follow the tips and you’ll not only get started more easily, but you’ll feel great when you get to tick off your tasks at lightning speed.</p>\n"}],"content":"<p>As children, many of us thought the adults in our lives had everything together. What we couldn’t have known back then was that adults can be scattered, too. Pretty much every grownup on the planet has looked at their to-do list and thought: “But I don’t wanna!”</p>\n<p>If you’re currently in this situation, here are a few ideas that may help you get through all those tasks you’ve been putting off.</p>\n<h2>Only list tasks, not projects</h2>\n<p>One of the biggest mistakes people make when creating their to-do lists is devoting only a single line to a project that in fact takes multiple steps. For example, let’s say one of your tasks is “Shop for groceries.” You might put off this seemingly simple “task” because your brain knows very well that food shopping requires a long sequence of tasks that involve different functions, locations, and amounts of time!</p>\n<p>To stop dragging your feet on your to-do list, look at it more closely and check if any of your tasks are actually projects. Then, convert your lists into <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A44K2wEi-uM\">atomic tasks</a>, which generally contain a single, specific action verb. In our grocery shopping example, that may mean separate tasks for checking cabinets, writing or typing a shopping list, gathering your reusable shopping bags to take to the store, checking your bank balance if you’re on a budget, and so on. Follow the list and you’ll not only get started more easily, but you’ll feel great when you get to tick off your tasks at lightning speed.</p>\n<h2>Combine work with fun</h2>\n<p>If your to-do list is full of activities you dread doing, such as household chores or trying to achieve Inbox Zero, it’s no wonder you’re putting things off! Luckily, tedious or unpleasant routine tasks can be made more tolerable with a little fun thrown in. Here are some possible add-on activities to try:</p>\n<ol>\n<li>Binge listen to an audiobook or podcast while you work</li>\n<li>Bet yourself that you can finish a task in a certain amount of time, set a timer, and race yourself to the finish</li>\n<li>Make up songs narrating what you’re doing, as if you’re the main character in a Broadway musical</li>\n</ol>\n<h2>Trick your brain</h2>\n<p>Another way to help your brain overcome resistance to getting started is to teach it that your most dreaded tasks are really enjoyable. Here’s how it works. The next time you’re doing a task that you constantly procrastinate on, say to yourself, out loud: “I’m SO happy I get to do this! I’m the luckiest person alive!”</p>\n<p>Of course, your conscious brain knows that you’re fibbing and don’t actually love scrubbing the toilet. However, proclaiming your enthusiasm for toilet scrubbing will sound so silly that you’ll be able to laugh about it, producing real positive emotions that you’ll associate with the task in the future!</p>\n<h2>Extra tip: Gamify your to-do list</h2>\n<p>It would be great if you could get cheers and applause every time you finished a task in real life, but using an app to turn your to-list into a game can also make you feel like a winner. If you're not sure which app to use to track your tasks, we have an idea! 😉</p>\n","cover":{"url":"https://cms.sparkful.app/assets/a6e0074b-6f30-40dd-b229-bff0fd8b155f","width":1920,"height":1280},"authors":[],"apps":[{"identifier":"to-do-adventure","name":"To-Do Adventure","tagline":"Gamified To-Do","description":"<p>To-Do Adventure is a world-building game AND productivity app that keeps track of your important tasks while rewarding you for finishing them on time.</p>\n","icon":{"url":""},"scheme":"","appstore":"","googleplay":""}],"createdAt":"2022-11-29T05:22:40.000Z"},{"title":"The To-Do List: Don’t overlook these superpowers","slug":"the-to-do-list-dont-overlook-these-superpowers","topics":[{"slug":"tasks","name":"Tasks","tagline":"How Spark helping you keep track of tasks.","description":"<p>If you’re not tracking your tasks, it can be hard to really grasp how much of a mental load you’re carrying by trying to keep everything in your head.</p>\n<p>However, there are also many tips and tricks worth trying for creating a to-do list: if your to-do list is full of activities you dread doing, such as household chores or trying to achieve Inbox Zero, it’s no wonder you’re putting things off! Luckily, tedious or unpleasant routine tasks can be made more tolerable with a little fun thrown in.</p>\n<p>Follow the tips and you’ll not only get started more easily, but you’ll feel great when you get to tick off your tasks at lightning speed.</p>\n"}],"content":"<p>Perhaps some of this sounds familiar: You find an overdue utility bill you could have sworn you’d already paid, and now you owe a late fee. The report you thought was due next week is in fact due tomorrow, so you’ll need to pull an all-nighter to get it done. You remember you’re out of toilet paper only <em>after</em> you return home from work.</p>\n<p>You’d have to be practically superhuman to get through life without these kinds of slip-ups, right? Ah, but even the ordinary human can harness the power of a to-do list! Here are some of the secret superpowers you can obtain without accidental radiation or being born on an alien planet:</p>\n<h2>Superpower 1: Predict the future</h2>\n<p>A lot of folks fall into the trap of believing that, if something is important, of course they’ll remember it. That may be true more often than not, but actually putting each task down forces you to face the facts about what a task involves and how long it will actually take. A to-do list helps you turn abstract objectives into realistic and achievable action items. When it comes to seeing both the big picture and the little details, the human brain just can’t compete with a to-do list.</p>\n<h2>Superpower 2: Get things done at lightning speed</h2>\n<p>Having a solid to-do list allows you to cut down on <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/what-doctors-wish-patients-knew-about-decision-fatigue\">decision fatigue</a> and aids you in prioritizing what’s important. Seeing your tasks side-by-side, you can assess at a glance what must be done first and what can be put on the back burner. Remember, the goal of productivity isn’t merely getting a long list of tasks done, and it’s not about making sure every moment of the day is filled. If you have clear goals in your work or personal life, tracking even your mundane daily tasks can give you a better sense of which things are taking too much time away from what’s really important to you.</p>\n<h2>Superpower 3: Bring the stress monster under control</h2>\n<p>Despite its simple concept, maintaining a regular to-do list can be a great stress reliever. If you’re not tracking your tasks, it can be hard to really grasp how much of a mental load you’re carrying by trying to keep everything in your head. A calendar can help, but what about the tasks with flexible deadlines, or those involving numerous small tasks? Relocating every single outstanding task from your brain to your to-do list can vanquish the constant niggling worry that you’re forgetting something. Putting a task on your list can also force you to rethink the necessity of that task. You might end up concluding that you could just skip it or delegate it to someone else, lessening your burden by eliminating the task altogether!</p>\n<h2>Extra tip: Banish the motivation myth</h2>\n<p>Perhaps you've read this far and are thinking: <em>\"Sounds great, if I had the motivation to actually DO THE THINGS!</em> If that sounds like you, we have some extra ideas for <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://sparkful.app/articles/no-motivation-tackling-to-dos-when-you-just-dont-wanna\">tackling your to-do list when you lack the motivation</a>. Experiment and see what works for you!</p>\n","cover":{"url":"https://cms.sparkful.app/assets/3b835443-c553-45ab-ae6a-894b9d90ca79","width":1920,"height":1280},"authors":[],"apps":[{"identifier":"to-do-adventure","name":"To-Do Adventure","tagline":"Gamified To-Do","description":"<p>To-Do Adventure is a world-building game AND productivity app that keeps track of your important tasks while rewarding you for finishing them on time.</p>\n","icon":{"url":""},"scheme":"","appstore":"","googleplay":""}],"createdAt":"2022-11-29T05:21:22.000Z"},{"title":"3 Great Reasons to Track Your Expenses","slug":"3-great-reasons-to-track-your-expenses","topics":[{"slug":"finance","name":"Finance","tagline":"How Spark helping your money management.","description":"<p>Why should we track our expenses?</p>\n<p>Tracking expenses help us to reduce or even eliminate spending that we might feel is taking up too much of our income, freeing that money up for something more meaningful, including savings.</p>\n<p>However, numbers themselves are often less fun (than spending money a.k.a shopping.) If the idea of managing your personal finances feels daunting, it doesn’t have to be so stressful!</p>\n<p>In this column, we want to share with you tips and tools to make keeping track of income and expenditures actually fun.</p>\n"}],"content":"<p>If you had to, could you list out all your expenses this week purely by memory?</p>\n<p>“People need to be much more conscious of what they're spending their money on,” says financial educator <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://www.evidenceinvestor.com/why-you-should-track-your-everyday-expenses/\">Andrew Hallam</a>. In his book, <strong>Balance: How to Invest and Spend for Happiness, Health, and Wealth,</strong> he strongly recommends tracking each purchase you make.</p>\n<p>Let’s expand on this idea and examine some of the top reasons you should be tracking your expenses.</p>\n<h2>Reason 1: Expense tracking helps you become more financially aware</h2>\n<p>Try to recall how much you spent on lunch the day before yesterday. Unless you’re already tracking your expenses, you probably can’t answer that, right? Our brains have too many things to remember each day, and the most repetitive and inconsequential items are quickly flushed from our short-term memory.</p>\n<p>The act of recording information like expenses puts these memories into long-term storage, so we can let them go without losing the crucial data they contain. As a bonus, studies show that the mere act of recording a piece of information increases the likelihood that you’ll remember it naturally later on.</p>\n<h2>Reason 2: Knowing where your money is going reduces financial stress</h2>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-biggest-cause-of-stress-in-america-today/\">In one survey</a>, nearly 75% of adults report feeling stressed about money at least some of the time, and about 25% of adults have said they experienced extreme stress over money during the previous month. Financial woes may seem like a fact of life, but they do have an impact on mental health.</p>\n<p>\"Money is a very important component of establishing a secure life,\" says Norman Anderson, CEO and Executive Vice President of the American Psychological Association. Tracking your monthly expenses is one of the simplest money management strategies, and you can benefit through reduced stress levels and a greater sense of control over your life circumstances.</p>\n<h2>Reason 3: You can save money if you know where it’s wandering off to</h2>\n<p>Knowing how we spend our money is the first step in spending less of it on unnecessary expenditures. For example, have you considered whether it is more cost-effective to buy a monthly transport pass than to pay as you go? If you’re buying coffee in cafes every day, would you be better off investing in a home coffee machine?</p>\n<p>Tracking expenses lets you reduce or even eliminate spending that you feel is taking up too much of your income, freeing that money up for something more meaningful, including savings.</p>\n<p><em>Already a pro at tracking your expenses? Learn <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://sparkful.app/articles/i-already-track-my-expenses-now-what\">how to use expense tracking to save money</a>!</em></p>\n","cover":{"url":"https://cms.sparkful.app/assets/8ad4cec9-0a6c-43cc-ab48-c1cfeb567643","width":1920,"height":1280},"authors":[],"apps":[{"identifier":"fortune-city","name":"Fortune City","tagline":"Gamified Bookkeeping","description":"<p>The Most Interesting Finance App Ever! Fortune City is a game that combines accounting with city simulation. Build good habits while watching your city grow.</p>\n","icon":{"url":""},"scheme":"","appstore":"","googleplay":""}],"createdAt":"2022-11-29T05:20:47.000Z"},{"title":"Are Budgeting and Expense Tracking the Same Thing?","slug":"are-budgeting-and-expense-tracking-the-same-thing","topics":[{"slug":"finance","name":"Finance","tagline":"How Spark helping your money management.","description":"<p>Why should we track our expenses?</p>\n<p>Tracking expenses help us to reduce or even eliminate spending that we might feel is taking up too much of our income, freeing that money up for something more meaningful, including savings.</p>\n<p>However, numbers themselves are often less fun (than spending money a.k.a shopping.) If the idea of managing your personal finances feels daunting, it doesn’t have to be so stressful!</p>\n<p>In this column, we want to share with you tips and tools to make keeping track of income and expenditures actually fun.</p>\n"}],"content":"<p>Whether you are a newbie to bookkeeping, or have savings goals and want to save money, it’s important to pay attention to the differences between budgeting and expense tracking. Knowing the difference will help you find the methods that suit you best at each stage of your money management journey.</p>\n<h2>Expense Tracking: The basics</h2>\n<p>Simply put, expense tracking means recording your spending so you know where your money goes.</p>\n<p>You record each expense and categorize it to determine spending trends. Over time, you’ll be able to see where your money is really going. Many of us might think that small expenses aren’t worth worrying about, but over time, a few dollars here and there can really add up.</p>\n<h2>Keeping a Budget: The basics</h2>\n<p>Simply put, budgeting means making a plan for each of your dollars before you release them into the world. Developing a personal budget gives you a plan for how you will spend your money in the future, so you won’t risk running out at a crucial moment.</p>\n<p>For example, besides fixed expenses like rent or a phone bill, you may put a certain amount of money aside each month for groceries or entertainment. One way to do this is to use an envelope system, where you fill an actual envelope with cash for each budget category at the beginning of the month. This method is particularly helpful for irregular spending that can get out of control, like eating out with friends or shopping for new books.</p>\n<h2>Expense Tracking vs. Budgeting: Which is better?</h2>\n<p>Of course it would be great if this article could give you the perfect answer, but the real answer is: It's up to you! When it comes to personal finance, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, you must decide which option better suits you based on your current life stage, sources of income, fixed expenses, and long-term financial goals.</p>\n<p>If you are new to managing your own money and don't have a clear sense of your current monthly expenses, you can start tracking your expenses to get the full picture. Already pretty clear on where your money is going, but want to increase or decrease spending in a certain category? Create a budget by identifying expenses you’d like to cut down on and setting spending limits.</p>\n<p><em>Already tracking your expenses? We have some suggestions for <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://sparkful.app/articles/i-already-track-my-expenses-now-what\">how to manage those expenses better!</a></em></p>\n","cover":{"url":"https://cms.sparkful.app/assets/a348d74b-8055-4c60-9d5a-1c7ee343e5e3","width":1920,"height":1280},"authors":[],"apps":[{"identifier":"fortune-city","name":"Fortune City","tagline":"Gamified Bookkeeping","description":"<p>The Most Interesting Finance App Ever! Fortune City is a game that combines accounting with city simulation. Build good habits while watching your city grow.</p>\n","icon":{"url":""},"scheme":"","appstore":"","googleplay":""}],"createdAt":"2022-11-29T05:20:09.000Z"},{"title":"I already track my expenses. Now what?","slug":"i-already-track-my-expenses-now-what","topics":[{"slug":"finance","name":"Finance","tagline":"How Spark helping your money management.","description":"<p>Why should we track our expenses?</p>\n<p>Tracking expenses help us to reduce or even eliminate spending that we might feel is taking up too much of our income, freeing that money up for something more meaningful, including savings.</p>\n<p>However, numbers themselves are often less fun (than spending money a.k.a shopping.) If the idea of managing your personal finances feels daunting, it doesn’t have to be so stressful!</p>\n<p>In this column, we want to share with you tips and tools to make keeping track of income and expenditures actually fun.</p>\n"}],"content":"<p>A quote regularly attributed to the so-called father of modern management <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Drucker\">Peter Drucker</a> advises (in varying terms):</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\"You can’t manage what you don’t measure.\"</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>This is the philosophy behind quite many quantified self trends, like counting calories or steps, tracking your moods, or monitoring your sleep. You might even have a handy app like <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://fortunecityapp.com/%20\">Fortune City</a> for tracking where your money goes. What can you do with all that data?</p>\n<h2>First things first: Re-examine your fixed costs</h2>\n<p>Some expenses like your rent remain relatively stable from month to month. That makes them easy to budget for, but also easy to overlook as possible ways to cut costs.</p>\n<p>Perhaps inertia has kept you in the same apartment year after year, while you’ve gone from working in an office to working from home to working in an entirely <em>different</em> office at a new job. Does the place you’re currently renting still fit your needs and budget in terms of size, location, and heating and cooling costs? If you do the math on the rent, utilities, and your work commute, you find it worth the moving costs to relocate!</p>\n<h2>Look for the silly expenses</h2>\n<p>Imagine you have a wise friend reviewing your expenses, and they keep spotting things you just can’t explain.</p>\n<p><strong>Friend</strong>: Why did your water bill shoot up over the past 3 months?\n<strong>You</strong>: Yeah, there’s a leaky faucet I keep meaning to get fixed.</p>\n<p><strong>Friend</strong>: You’re paying for 6 different language-learning apps. You must really be good at Spanish now.\n<strong>You</strong>: Ah… Oui?</p>\n<p>This isn’t to say you can’t keep expenses for things you’re actually enjoying. Just don’t let money drain from your accounts for no good reason.</p>\n<h2>Be honest about must-have vs. nice-to-have</h2>\n<p>This time, imagine your wise friend wiping your entire home and all your devices clean, just like a factory reset on your smartphone. Now that the financial clutter is cleared, what are the top things you must add back to your life? What could you be just as happy without? A couple of tips here:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Reassess your entertainment needs.</strong>\nThis category is notoriously expensive because it’s not as easy to see your digital clutter as it is to see the physical clutter in your house. Do you <em>really</em> need to subscribe to multiple streaming services all year round? Could you perhaps choose one service per quarter and binge the latest releases before unsubscribing and binge-watching on another paid service?</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>It’s ok to make tradeoffs.</strong>\nLook, if it’s important to you to have eco-friendly laundry detergent that’s a little more costly than regular brands, that’s great! But perhaps to offset the expense, you can reach for the store brands of your kitchen staples instead of always going for the big names.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n","cover":{"url":"https://cms.sparkful.app/assets/c9c890be-6d4d-4a4f-9f6f-1f2ea753b026","width":1920,"height":1280},"authors":[],"apps":[{"identifier":"fortune-city","name":"Fortune City","tagline":"Gamified Bookkeeping","description":"<p>The Most Interesting Finance App Ever! Fortune City is a game that combines accounting with city simulation. Build good habits while watching your city grow.</p>\n","icon":{"url":""},"scheme":"","appstore":"","googleplay":""}],"createdAt":"2022-11-29T05:19:29.000Z"},{"title":"Getting Those Steps: How to build a lasting walking routine","slug":"getting-those-steps-how-can-i-build-a-lasting-walking-routine","topics":[{"slug":"fitness","name":"Fitness","tagline":"How Spark helps reach your fitness goal.","description":"<p>More and more people realize the importance of building consistent exercise habits. The benefits of regular exercise to health are obvious. When many people think of exercise, gym training or HIIT is probably the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, simply having \"walking\" into your daily routine is a good way to keep active.</p>\n<p>Walk as much as is reasonable for your lifestyle, and vary your activities to maintain your physical health. Building a routine of regular movement, even in short bouts, is beneficial to your well-being.</p>\n<p>Compared to workouts, walking seems like a fairly straightforward activity that should require little planning or motivation. If you’re trying to start walking more, here are some tips for building a habit that will last.</p>\n"}],"content":"<p>Compared to HIIT workouts or training for a marathon, walking seems like a fairly straightforward activity that should require little planning or motivation. However, any healthy routine, no matter how simple, calls for some forethought if you hope to stick to it. If you’re trying to start walking more, here are some tips for building a habit that will last.</p>\n<h2>Walk first thing in the morning</h2>\n<p>If you’re a person who relies on caffeine to wake you up in the morning, you’ll find that getting outdoors can help you shake your grogginess without the mid-morning energy crash. Get your walking clothes, socks, and shoes ready each night so that you can get outside for some fresh air and sunlight right away. Even if you do feel that coffee is a must in the morning, make yourself earn it by setting a number of steps you must hit before you’re allowed your first cup of Joe.</p>\n<h2>Combine walking with something you enjoy habitually</h2>\n<p>So you’ve got a morning routine that gets you on your feet right after you wake. Excellent! Now you just need to keep doing it almost every day for the rest of your life. Of course, if that’s how you look at your walking habit, you’re not likely to make it past your first week of your new habit. Therefore, you absolutely must frame your walking routine as a “walking and…” situation.</p>\n<p>The key is to pair your walking routine with something you’re looking forward to, such as the next episode of your favorite podcast. Need some inspiration? Here are some quick reads that might help:</p>\n<ul>\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://sparkful.app/articles/listen-while-you-walk-the-best-apps-to-keep-you-moving\">Listen While You Walk: The best apps to keep you moving</a></li>\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://sparkful.app/articles/the-walking-bored-how-to-make-solo-walks-more-enjoyable\">The Walking Bored: How to make solo walks less dull</a></li>\n</ul>\n<h2>Monitor your progress</h2>\n<p>To continue any habit over the long term, it’s important that you actually know how you’re doing. Perhaps you thought you only skipped one morning walk last week, but in fact you gave in to the temptation of a quick caffeine fix on three occasions. Keep yourself honest by using your smart watch or mobile device as a pedometer to track your steps so you can have a realistic idea of how much you’re actually walking.</p>\n<p>Once you understand your baseline, try to increase your total steps by no more than 5-10% per week. If you’re only walking 2,000 steps a day right now, ambitiously deciding to hit 10,000 steps a day is a recipe for failure (<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://sparkful.app/articles/10000-steps-a-day-do-i-really-have-to\">not to mention wholly unnecessary</a>)!</p>\n","cover":{"url":"https://cms.sparkful.app/assets/96273f27-251f-412a-892f-a4c1207da39f","width":1920,"height":1280},"authors":[],"apps":[{"identifier":"walkr","name":"Walkr","tagline":"Gamified Fitness App","description":"<p>Get motivated through the playful design to walk more. Walkr combines pedometer with a galaxy adventure game, getting in shape and have fun at the same time.</p>\n","icon":{"url":""},"scheme":"","appstore":"","googleplay":""}],"createdAt":"2022-11-29T05:18:07.000Z"},{"title":"The Walking Bored: How to make solo walks less dull","slug":"the-walking-bored-how-to-make-solo-walks-more-enjoyable","topics":[{"slug":"fitness","name":"Fitness","tagline":"How Spark helps reach your fitness goal.","description":"<p>More and more people realize the importance of building consistent exercise habits. The benefits of regular exercise to health are obvious. When many people think of exercise, gym training or HIIT is probably the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, simply having \"walking\" into your daily routine is a good way to keep active.</p>\n<p>Walk as much as is reasonable for your lifestyle, and vary your activities to maintain your physical health. Building a routine of regular movement, even in short bouts, is beneficial to your well-being.</p>\n<p>Compared to workouts, walking seems like a fairly straightforward activity that should require little planning or motivation. If you’re trying to start walking more, here are some tips for building a habit that will last.</p>\n"}],"content":"<p>While walking for exercise can be a group activity, many walkers go it alone, and those solo walks can become extremely dull once you’ve explored every possible walking route in your neighborhood. So how can you keep your walks interesting enough that you’ll want to stick with the habit? Here are some things you can try:</p>\n<h2>Take your camera</h2>\n<p>Even if it’s just the camera on your smartphone, having something with you for snapping photos can spice up your walks. Treat every walk as a photo walk, and capture trees, plants, and birds you don’t recognize so that you can look them up later. For even more fun, create weekly treasure hunts for yourself, with lists of things to look for and take photos of. If you live in a rural area, you might have a themed bird week, or if you live in a city, perhaps your treasure hunt can include signs in every color of the rainbow!</p>\n<h2>Talk to yourself</h2>\n<p>Just like many of the best ideas come to you when you’re in the shower, a lot of them can also sprout while you’re in motion. Use your smart phone’s built-in voice memo feature or an app like Just Press Record to capture your creative thoughts, reminders, or memories while you’re on the go. Not only will it help you hold on to fresh ideas, but your voice memos can function as a journal of sorts.</p>\n<h2>Listen and learn</h2>\n<p>If your surroundings or your own thoughts are still not enough to keep you excited about walking, perhaps you need more input. Traditionally, music has been the main form of entertainment for walkers and runners alike, since it can help you maintain your pace and, well, everyone loves music, right? But modern technology has handed us countless things to listen to besides music, from podcasts to audiobooks to language learning apps. (Need inspiration? Check out this <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://sparkful.app/articles/listen-while-you-walk-the-best-apps-to-keep-you-moving\">helpful list of apps you can listen to while you walk.</a>)</p>\n","cover":{"url":"https://cms.sparkful.app/assets/b5b2afe2-9588-4cf5-a63a-48da0b145357","width":1920,"height":1280},"authors":[],"apps":[{"identifier":"walkr","name":"Walkr","tagline":"Gamified Fitness App","description":"<p>Get motivated through the playful design to walk more. Walkr combines pedometer with a galaxy adventure game, getting in shape and have fun at the same time.</p>\n","icon":{"url":""},"scheme":"","appstore":"","googleplay":""}],"createdAt":"2022-11-29T05:16:14.000Z"},{"title":"7 Wildly Effective Ways to Make Drinking Water Fun & Easy","slug":"7-wildly-effective-ways-to-make-drinking-water-fun-and-easy","topics":[{"slug":"hydration","name":"Hydration","tagline":"Sparkful helps you keep hydrated!","description":"<p>Have you given much thought to the role of water in a healthy lifestyle? Like many healthy habits, the goal of drinking a certain amount of water each day can get ignored sometimes.</p>\n<p>Water is something you put into your body every day and is essential to both physical and mental health. Wondering how much water to drink? Struggling to stay hydrated throughout the busy routine? Building a sustainable water-drinking habit definitely takes time and effort, that's why in this column, we want to share with you some tips to make drinking water fun, to accompany you, and keep you motivated!</p>\n<p>Grab your glass, take a sip of water, and let's start hydrating in no time.</p>\n"}],"content":"<p>If you’ve ever said “I really should drink more water” and felt guilty later because you didn’t follow through, we’re here to help! It can be hard to choose boring old <em>waaaaater</em> when there are so many sugary or caffeinated drinks to fill the day with. Before you give up on building a sustainable water-drinking habit, give these methods a try and you’ll be hydrated in no time.</p>\n<h2>1. Go clear – when choosing a bottle</h2>\n<p>Insulated bottles are sleek and cool, but there’s just one problem: your water is out of sight, and that means it’s also probably out of mind. When you’re choosing a water bottle, don’t just look at the colors or the cute slogans printed on the outside. Instead, prioritize bottles that are clear so that you can see the water level inside, like a Nalgene or a simple mason jar. When it’s almost noon and you see that your bottle is still 80% full, you’re more likely to remember to take a sip!</p>\n<h2>2. Keep it within reach</h2>\n<p>Starting from today, promise yourself that you’ll always keep a bottle of water as close to you as you keep your phone. Whether you're sitting at your desk or lounging on the sofa, eventually you’ll start to feel something’s missing from your environment when you don’t have water nearby.</p>\n<h2>3. Don’t leave home without it</h2>\n<p>If you always have your water bottle ready to go when you leave home, you’ll be less tempted to pop into a convenience store or cafe for a drink. Not only is carrying your own water bottle a surefire way to make healthier choices when you’re out, but it’s also better for our planet!</p>\n<h2>4. Just add fruit (or something green!)</h2>\n<p>Not a fan of the taste of plain water? Toss in some slices of lemon or lime, a sprig of herbs, or some fresh berries. Even frozen berries work well for this, and they can function as ice cubes, too! And if you find it burdensome to naturally flavor your water while you’re on the go all day, keep some packets of True Lime or another flavor in your wallet so you’ll always have something to make your water more tasty.</p>\n<h2>5. Make it sparkle</h2>\n<p>Another way to switch things up and make water a little more exciting is to get yourself a SodaStream or other sparkling water device. They’re fairly inexpensive compared to buying canned or bottled sparkling water, and when you add some fruit to your glass, you’ve got a delightfully refreshing beverage!</p>\n<h2>6. Challenge your friends and family</h2>\n<p>You don’t have to go it alone. We all ought to be drinking more water, and most of us just haven’t found methods that help us succeed. Ask your friends, classmates, colleagues, and family members to do a 30-day water drinking challenge with you, either just for fun or even for a special prize. For example, have each person contribute a small amount of money at the beginning of the challenge, set some rules for measuring results, and let the top water drinker choose a charity to donate the prize money to.</p>\n<h2>7. Keep track of your water drinking</h2>\n<p>Last but not least, pay attention to your water intake! No matter what methods you try to increase your water consumption, it’s important to <em>track</em> how much you’re actually drinking. You might feel like you’re getting enough water right now and then realize that most of the beverages you’re drinking are full of caffeine or sugar.</p>\n<h2>Next step: Pick one to get started!</h2>\n<p>There's no day like today to get started on your journey to better hydration. Which of the above ways to drink more water appeals to you most? Pick your favorite, and commit to trying it before you go to bed tonight (though you may want to read about <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://sparkful.app/articles/morning-urgency-why-do-i-wake-up-desperate-to-pee\">morning bathroom urgency</a> first!). And remember to <em>bookmark this list</em> for the next time you need inspiration for drinking more water!</p>\n","cover":{"url":"https://cms.sparkful.app/assets/3ae167c0-38f3-4665-b2f9-aedd21f8fe3a","width":1920,"height":1280},"authors":[],"apps":[{"identifier":"plant-nanny","name":"Plant Nanny","tagline":"Water Tracker Log","description":"<p>Want to stay hydrated with little plants? Plant Nanny is the cutest water reminder app that keeps track of your water intake, and motivates you to drink more water.</p>\n","icon":{"url":""},"scheme":"","appstore":"","googleplay":""}],"createdAt":"2022-11-28T10:10:38.000Z"},{"title":"10,000 Steps a Day… Do I really have to?","slug":"10000-steps-a-day-do-i-really-have-to","topics":[{"slug":"fitness","name":"Fitness","tagline":"How Spark helps reach your fitness goal.","description":"<p>More and more people realize the importance of building consistent exercise habits. The benefits of regular exercise to health are obvious. When many people think of exercise, gym training or HIIT is probably the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, simply having \"walking\" into your daily routine is a good way to keep active.</p>\n<p>Walk as much as is reasonable for your lifestyle, and vary your activities to maintain your physical health. Building a routine of regular movement, even in short bouts, is beneficial to your well-being.</p>\n<p>Compared to workouts, walking seems like a fairly straightforward activity that should require little planning or motivation. If you’re trying to start walking more, here are some tips for building a habit that will last.</p>\n"}],"content":"<p>We’ve all heard the same warning: If you’re not walking 10,000 steps a day, you’re not walking enough. But is that really true? And should you feel guilty if you’re not hitting that 10k goal every single day?</p>\n<p>The short answer is: <strong>absolutely not.</strong> In reality, your day is already filled with work, classes, parenting, or other important activities. You also may live in an environment where taking long walks isn’t safe or comfortable. Furthermore, depending on your age and physical condition, walking might not be a suitable activity for you.</p>\n<p>Sure, you could stress yourself out trying to hit this arbitrary number, and there are countless examples of <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFx13AUtAwo\">YouTubers trying out a 30-day challenge</a> of 10,000 steps to inspire you. There can be benefits to regularly walking 10,000 steps, but there are other things you can try that may fit your lifestyle more.</p>\n<h2>Some alternatives to a 10,000-step walking goal</h2>\n<p>If you’ve been beating yourself up about not getting in thousands of steps each day, you’re in luck. Try some of the following alternatives to get you moving:</p>\n<h3>1. Set a goal… ANY goal</h3>\n<p>One of the reasons the 10,000-step goal works for some people is not the number of steps, but simply the challenge of hitting any daily goal at all. If you’re currently walking 2,000 steps a day, challenge yourself to hit 3,000 steps for the next 7 days and see how you feel. You can keep increasing the step count every week if you’d like, or settle on your personal daily minimum.</p>\n<h3>2. Choose activities that suit you</h3>\n<p>If walking isn’t feasible for you, there are other ways to improve your physical fitness without hours of commitment each week. For example, short <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhXKkG9EykU\">pilates</a> or <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mevvQo3uHFU\">chair workout</a> videos can get your heart going in a matter of minutes, and they’re short enough that you wouldn’t dread doing them every day. If you have a VR headset, you can also get yourself moving with games like Beat Saber or VZFit and have fun at the same time.</p>\n<h3>3. Try “exercise snacking”</h3>\n<p>No, this doesn’t mean making exercise more fun by combining it with junk food. The concept of <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/wellness/story/exercise-snacking-week-60778976\">“exercise snacking”</a> is simple: At least 3 times throughout the day, do some form of exercise for 2 to 5 minutes. This could be climbing a few flights of stairs before every meal, doing squats or leg lifts while you wait for the microwave, or spending 2 minutes on a mix of jumping jacks, squats, and wall push-ups. These snack breaks help you overcome mental barriers to exercise, and can be done almost anywhere.</p>\n<p>If you’re not able to hit 10,000 steps a day, don’t beat yourself up about it! Walk as much as is reasonable for your lifestyle, and vary your activities to maintain your physical health. Building a routine of regular movement, even in short bouts, is much more beneficial to your well-being than stressing yourself out over a step goal.</p>\n<p><em>Is it your boredom that's keeping you from getting more steps each day? Try some of our <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://sparkful.app/articles/the-walking-bored-how-to-make-solo-walks-more-enjoyable\">ideas for solo walks</a>!</em></p>\n","cover":{"url":"https://cms.sparkful.app/assets/442e9b8b-69bf-4b0c-8ff8-3636b5b24d27","width":1920,"height":1280},"authors":[],"apps":[{"identifier":"walkr","name":"Walkr","tagline":"Gamified Fitness App","description":"<p>Get motivated through the playful design to walk more. Walkr combines pedometer with a galaxy adventure game, getting in shape and have fun at the same time.</p>\n","icon":{"url":""},"scheme":"","appstore":"","googleplay":""}],"createdAt":"2022-11-29T02:15:13.000Z"}],"topics":[{"slug":"hydration","name":"Hydration","tagline":"Sparkful helps you keep hydrated!","description":"<p>Have you given much thought to the role of water in a healthy lifestyle? Like many healthy habits, the goal of drinking a certain amount of water each day can get ignored sometimes.</p>\n<p>Water is something you put into your body every day and is essential to both physical and mental health. Wondering how much water to drink? Struggling to stay hydrated throughout the busy routine? Building a sustainable water-drinking habit definitely takes time and effort, that's why in this column, we want to share with you some tips to make drinking water fun, to accompany you, and keep you motivated!</p>\n<p>Grab your glass, take a sip of water, and let's start hydrating in no time.</p>\n"},{"slug":"fitness","name":"Fitness","tagline":"How Spark helps reach your fitness goal.","description":"<p>More and more people realize the importance of building consistent exercise habits. The benefits of regular exercise to health are obvious. When many people think of exercise, gym training or HIIT is probably the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, simply having \"walking\" into your daily routine is a good way to keep active.</p>\n<p>Walk as much as is reasonable for your lifestyle, and vary your activities to maintain your physical health. Building a routine of regular movement, even in short bouts, is beneficial to your well-being.</p>\n<p>Compared to workouts, walking seems like a fairly straightforward activity that should require little planning or motivation. If you’re trying to start walking more, here are some tips for building a habit that will last.</p>\n"},{"slug":"finance","name":"Finance","tagline":"How Spark helping your money management.","description":"<p>Why should we track our expenses?</p>\n<p>Tracking expenses help us to reduce or even eliminate spending that we might feel is taking up too much of our income, freeing that money up for something more meaningful, including savings.</p>\n<p>However, numbers themselves are often less fun (than spending money a.k.a shopping.) If the idea of managing your personal finances feels daunting, it doesn’t have to be so stressful!</p>\n<p>In this column, we want to share with you tips and tools to make keeping track of income and expenditures actually fun.</p>\n"},{"slug":"sleep","name":"Sleep","tagline":"How Spark helping your sleep cycle.","description":"<p>For some people, there comes a time during adulthood when waking up in the morning becomes easier. For some of us, however, getting up early will be a lifelong struggle. Luckily, you can do a few things for yourself to make dragging your barely-awake self out of bed a little bit less stressful.</p>\n<p>A successful wake-up starts the evening before. In this column, we want to share some doable tips for making sleeping, waking up, and daily routines more smooth, comfortable, and efficient.</p>\n<p>Going one step further, we can try to make waking up on time interesting through some tools or habit-forming tips!</p>\n"},{"slug":"tasks","name":"Tasks","tagline":"How Spark helping you keep track of tasks.","description":"<p>If you’re not tracking your tasks, it can be hard to really grasp how much of a mental load you’re carrying by trying to keep everything in your head.</p>\n<p>However, there are also many tips and tricks worth trying for creating a to-do list: if your to-do list is full of activities you dread doing, such as household chores or trying to achieve Inbox Zero, it’s no wonder you’re putting things off! Luckily, tedious or unpleasant routine tasks can be made more tolerable with a little fun thrown in.</p>\n<p>Follow the tips and you’ll not only get started more easily, but you’ll feel great when you get to tick off your tasks at lightning speed.</p>\n"}]}
