Proper hydration has been a long-standing health rule, but have you ever wondered why? Well, water makes up about 60 percent of the human body, says Jaclyn London, RD, a certified dietitian-nutritionist and author in New York City, and data from the U.S. Geological Survey, a government agency, backs that up.Because it’s such a big part of us, you can imagine that water is involved in just about every one of our bodily functions, says Ryan Andrews, RD, an adviser and the principal nutritionist at Precision Nutrition in Norwalk, Connecticut. Among its many functions, water dissolves and transports other substances around the body, assists in metabolic reactions, lubricates tissues like eyes and joints, regulates body temperature, distributes minerals, and acts as a building material for cells.For those reasons and more, staying well hydrated is great for your health.“Growing research suggests good hydration can help with everything from joint health and workout stamina to mood and mental focus,” London says. A review in the January 2019 issue of Nutrients details some of these findings. People who are optimally hydrated may even age slower than their dehydrated counterparts, according to research published in eBioMedicine in January 2023.Water can also factor into the achievement of weight loss goals. “In practice, I’ve found that a little self-check-in of ‘Have I had enough to drink today?’ can be a game changer for so many clients who often mistake thirst for hunger,” London says.Doing that check-in can be an important reminder to drink enough H2O throughout the day as well, a task that seems simple but is often overlooked. “It can be so easy to get caught up in daily life and responsibilities and neglect hydration,” says London. After a nonstop day, you may realize in the evening that you drank barely a cup (8 ounces), whereas the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends that men consume 125 ounces (oz) of total fluid and that women consume 91 oz of fluid, with about 20 percent of those totals coming from food.Nutritionists even have a term, “low drinker,” for a healthy adult who has adequate water access but who doesn’t habitually drink enough, notes one study. These people aren’t dehydrated, but their bodies are actively preserving the water they do have by suppressing normal functions like urination. They also don’t feel extra thirsty, so they don’t have that internal cue to drink more water. If that’s you, you might need a little help.Luckily, the market has risen to the challenge of helping you meet your water quota, from handy apps, hydration trackers, and smart water bottles that monitor consumption to bottles that infuse flavors into your water to make it more appealing. Of course, you don’t need all of them. Andrews suggests exploring those that interest you and trying the one that fits most readily into your life.Here are 13 great, innovative products at a variety of price points that make such a basic task — drinking water — doable and a bit more fun.1. HidrateSpark PRO Keeps Your Drinks Cold and Your Hydration On Track