You've probably heard that you should drink eight glasses of water a day to stay properly hydrated. It's not bad advice, but it's also not that simple. Instead of a one-size-fits-all mentality, the amount of water you should consume daily depends on many factors, including size, weight and activity level.
What Influences Water Needs?
What determines your day-to-day water needs depends on many factors, as mentioned, including factors such as the climate you live in and health status.
Exercise
You need to drink water to make up for any fluid loss, especially if you engage in any activity that makes you sweat. How much additional fluid also depends on how much you sweat and the duration of your exercise. A general rule-of-thumb is that you need an extra 1.5 to 2.5 cups of water for short bouts of exercise. Intense exercise lasting more than an hour requires more fluid intake.
Weight
How much water you need is also determined, in part, by how much you weigh. The general rule is that you should drink between a half an ounce and an ounce of water daily for each pound that you weigh.
Climate/Environment
Hot or humid weather can make you sweat more requires more intake of water, while heated indoor air can cause your skin to lose moisture. Moreover, altitudes greater than 8,200 feet can trigger increased urination and more rapid breathing, which depletes fluid reserves.
Health Conditions
The need to drink more water increases when you have fever, vomiting or diarrhea, which cause your body to lose fluids. Bladder infections and urinary tract stones also require increased water intake.
Can I Get Water From Other Sources?
Your diet can also provide a portion of your fluid needs. Many fruits and vegetables — watermelon, as an example — carry plenty of water. Beverages such as milk, juice, coffee or tea also contribute to your daily water intake. Water still remains your best bet, however, because it's readily available, calorie-free and inexpensive.
How Do I Know If I've Had Enough Water?
If you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty throughout the day, and if your urine is light yellow or colorless, and doesn't have a strong odor, you're probably drinking enough water.
Building Water Consumption Into Your Day
There are many ways to help ensure that you're consuming the proper amount of water throughout your day, from carrying an insulated sports bottle with you, to keeping a glass of water at your desk, to substituting one glass of soda or cup of coffee for a glass of water.
Matrix Age Management of Amarillo provides a proactive, preventative health care approach that gives patients the tools to enjoy the highest quality of life.
