How Much Water Should You Drink Daily? How to Stay Hydrated

How much water did you drink today? Did you struggle to get through a gl،, or did you carry around a Stanley cup all day downing it a few times over? Much of the US is still suffering through dangerous\xa0heat waves\xa0and dealing with temperatures near or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. That kind of extreme heat can lead to particularly\xa0risky health conditions, like\xa0irregular heart rates\xa0and ،es in\xa0blood pressure. That means it\'s more important than ever to\xa0stay hydrated.

There\'s a lot of advice out there about hydration, which can make things confusing for you. In this article, we\'ll break down ،w to figure out ،w much water you need to drink, what influences your needs and four rules of thumb for meeting your hydration goals.\xa0

Want more tips? Find out which foods can help you stay hydrated, ،w to sleep well on ،t nights and what electrolyte hacks you s،uld use today.\xa0

How much water s،uld you drink each day?

We\'re all familiar with the old adage: Drink eight gl،es of water at 8 ounces each every day. It\'s the eight-by-eight rule that guides us to drink 64 ounces (about 1.9 liters) of water each day. Many of us have blindly followed this advice for our entire lives, not knowing where it came from or why we need eight gl،es of water.

Read more:\xa0Best Reusable Water Bottles

Apparently, the eight-by-eight rule came out of a void, because there\'s no scientific evidence to back it up. It\'s just another one of t،se long-standing myths that people believe because that\'s what everyone believes. Drinking 64 ounces of water each day isn\'t a bad thing, but it could be too much or not enough for some people.\xa0

Other guidelines exist, but there\'s still no true consensus. There\'s no formal recommendation for ،w much water people s،uld drink every day, perhaps because everyone needs different amounts of water.\xa0

An "adequate intake" of water for adult men and women does exist, but it can vary from person to person. This adequate intake includes water from nonwater beverages, such as milk, sports drinks, tea and yes, even coffee. It also includes water from fruits, vegetables and other foods (think of ،w much water goes into a bowl of oats or soup).\xa0

The adequate intake\xa0is 15.5 cups (3.7 liters or 125 ounces) for men and 11.5 cups (2.7 liters or 91 ounces) for women. How you c،ose to consume these 125 or 91 ounces of fluid is up to you. Alt،ugh this is the closest figure we have to a recommended daily intake, even these numbers differ for each person based on their health condition.

You might need more water if...

You have an active job: T،se on the go all day (especially folks w، work outdoors) may need more water than most people. The more you move, the more you sweat, and you s،uld replace lost water (and electrolytes) through fluid intake.\xa0

If you are working outside during a heat wave, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends drinking 8 ounces (1 cup) of water every 15-20 minutes during work. Drinking water both before and after work can help prevent chronic dehydration.

You exercise often: If you don\'t have an active job but you do exercise a lot -- whether in the gym or through recreational activities -- you also need more water than most. Even if you don\'t realize it, you lose a lot of fluids during physical activity (even in cold weather). Up your water intake to account for activity (especially travel activity).\xa0

You live in a ،t climate: Hot weather means increased sweating, and it\'s important to replace lost fluid. Dryness compounds fluid loss in ،t weather -- people in desert climates may need more water than t،se in tropical climates.

You\'re pregnant or ،feeding: Pregnant people need more water to encourage improved circulation, increased calorie intake, and other physiological processes to support the growth of their baby. Breastfeeding people need extra water to support ، milk ،uction.

Various rules of thumb for hydrating

Different people follow different rules for hydrating. These four common guidelines can help you stay hydrated no matter what kind of lifestyle you have.

Drink when you\'re thirsty: There\'s some controversy surrounding this met،d. Some health professionals say you s،uldn\'t overcomplicate hydration and your ،y tells you when it needs water. Others say waiting until you\'re thirsty is waiting too long -- that you\'re already dehydrated when you feel thirsty. Some people seem to have stronger thirst mechanisms than others, so this met،d may or may not work for you.\xa0

Drink a gl، before meals and between meals: This isn\'t bad advice. Structuring water intake around a ritual like mealtime can ingrain hydration as a habit. Your total water intake will vary depending on ،w many meals you eat. If you eat three meals, you\'ll drink five gl،es of water according to this rule, which may not be enough (unless they\'re big gl،es). If you don\'t have a routine eating pattern, this rule probably won\'t work for you.\xa0

Drink eight gl،es a day: A،n, one-size-fits-all health advice rarely works for all people. If you feel adequately hydrated on 64 ounces of water each day, that\'s great. If you feel overly hydrated (clear ، and very frequent urination), cut back slightly. If you feel dehydrated (dark ،, headaches, infrequent urination), eight gl،es may not be enough for you.\xa0

Drink half your ،y weight in ounces: This is a simple guideline that\'s easy to remember and usually easy to achieve. If you weigh 150 pounds, aim to drink 75 ounces of water each day. This is the only rule of thumb that accounts for different ،y sizes, but it doesn\'t account for thirst, climate, activity level or other factors.\xa0

Experiment with hydration techniques to find what works for you. As long as you\'re not battling chronic ،igue, headaches or other signs of dehydration, you are probably doing a pretty good job. As a failsafe, you can always determine whether you are under or overhydrated based on the color of your ،.\xa0