The Resolution You'll Actually Keep

The Habit of Healthy Hydration

As the clock strikes midnight on January 1 and the party fades into the rearview mirror, thoughts turn to a new year. It’s time to reset and refocus. And health tends to dominate the New Year’s resolution agenda.

If there’s one habit that’s easy to form and underpins all other health goals, it’s hydration. Doctors, wellness practitioners and longevity experts have been talking about it for years, and it’s our prediction that 2026 is the year hydration goes mainstream. It’s time to make hydration your foundation.

At the heart of it, the message is simple: water alone dilutes your minerals. Electrolytes (with water) replenishes them. The sodium allows your body to hold onto the water, potassium helps nerve function and magnesium facilitates energy production and calms the body, preventing muscle cramps and serving many other biological functions. In the right doses, these 3 minerals, along with water, represent true hydration.

If there’s one resolution you stick to this year, make it hydration.

Start your year hydrated

When properly hydrated, your body functions better. From sustained energy levels and sharper concentration to improved performance and faster recovery, a hydrated body is a healthier one.

Good hydration is the foundation of health and with it, you’ll find your other goals become more achievable. It’s easier to eat cleaner, fast longer, exercise better, sleep better and recover fully.

Electrolytes provide the essential minerals your body needs to function at its best. Muscles and nerves depend on them because they conduct electrical charges. And your body holds water optimally. Every cell thrives when hydrated. Whether you’re focusing on healthier eating or more demanding exercise, adding electrolytes to your daily routine helps support your health goals.

If you’re focussing on your health this year (who isn’t?), hydration is the easiest and most effective place to start.

Your guide to sipping smarter in 2026

Hydration shouldn’t feel like another chore on your already long to-do list. With small changes to your daily routine, it can be effortless.

• Get an emotional support water bottle. If you know, you know! The best way to make sure your cup is always full and flowing is to find a bottle that’s easy to sip, easy to carry and fits seamlessly into your life. Steel is better than plastic.
• ·        Listen to your thirst. Humans have finely tuned thirst sensors, so if you’re too thirsty, it’s a little late! Fatigue, headaches, brain fog and poor focus are early signs of dehydration, so stay ahead of the game.
• Sip, slow and steady. Chugging plain water can flood your body. Fluid absorbs better when intake is steady and combined with electrolytes. Large volumes of plain water, consumed too quickly, end up with a run to the loo.
• Find your flavour. What you don’t enjoy, you won’t stick to. Everybody has a different flavour profile so find one that’s delicious to you.
• Variety is the spice of life. Once you’ve found a favourite flavour, add a second and third choice to mix it up. Too much of one thing gets boring, even if it starts out good.

Building hydration as a habit

The best way to build a habit is to anchor it into your day and stack it together with other habits, like morning coffee, exercise or sauna. Here are 9 ideal moments to sip.

1. First thing in the morning. It might surprise you, but we lose electrolytes while we sleep, so replenishing them as soon as we wake up is key to starting the day feeling refreshed.
2. After coffee. Did you know we lose sodium from coffee consumption? Sipping on REVIVE after coffee replenishes lost electrolytes.
3. Before your workout. Not only will it give your energy a boost, but it can improve your performance. Top up your hydration with electrolytes 20 minutes before you hit the gym or start your run. You’ll feel the difference!
4. During your workout. Keeping your fluids (and importantly, your electrolytes) up to power through your workout and avoid fatigue.
5. After your workout. Electrolytes are depleted rapidly through sweat. Restoring them right after a sweat sesh does wonders for recovery.
6. Afternoon pick me up. That 3pm slump calls for hydration, not caffeine. Replenishing your electrolytes might be what your brain is craving! You’ll regain refocus and stay energised.
7. Straight after sauna. Sweat is synonymous with sauna. Replenish the sodium and electrolytes straight away and you’ll set yourself up for a great sleep and full recovery.
8. After a big night. Alcohol depletes magnesium and causes dehydration. Take electrolytes before bed and first thing in the morning to ease the after-effects of a heavy night.
9. Air travel. Flights are a perfect recipe for dehydration. The air is extra dry, resulting in loss of moisture even as you breathe. Add in low cabin pressure, alcohol and poor sleep, and it’s no wonder you arrive feeling trashed. Carry your favourite electrolytes onboard and you’ll hit the ground running.

No two routines are the same, so use this as your guide and remember to listen to your body.

Make 2026 the year of hydration.