How much water should you drink in a day?
Have you ever heard “drink 8 cups of water a day”? That used to be the recommendation, but now we know that water intake is different for each individual. There are too many factors to give a generalization that applies to everyone. Some sources say to drink between 1/2 oz and 1 oz of water for every pound of body weight. That might be a closer recommendation, but activity level and climate also matter! If you live in a dry climate, especially a hot one, you will need to take in more water to account for loss to the environment. If you work out, you will need some extra H2O compared to someone who doesn’t work out! In general, I would guess that most people are not drinking enough water.
Many people may not like to talk about this, but it’s important so we are going to go for it! Our favorite indicator to use for hydration is the pee test! Yep, you read that right! If your urine is pale yellow to clear and you need to use the restroom about every 4 hours (or more often), you are properly hydrated! If it starts to get medium to dark yellow, you need to drink more water!! Another indication that you are dehydrated is thirst. If you are feeling thirsty, your body is already dehydrated.
A doctor gave me a recommendation once that I have heard several times since. So here’s a challenge for you: for every glass of something else you drink (coffee, pop, lemonade, alcohol), try to drink at least 1 if not 2 glasses of water! Drinking other liquids is good and can still somewhat hydrate your body, but other drinks should never replace water. Nothing is as good at hydrating your body as plain water. After all, our bodies are made of 70% water! If you struggle to drink plain water, start out by letting yourself drink one glass of flavored water and one of plain. Then try to decrease the amount of flavored water and increase the plain!
Hydration is very important for flexibility and muscle functioning. Dehydration often causes headaches, muscle cramps, fatigue, and low blood pressure. Dehydration can negatively impact your sports performance and overall health, so make sure to drink enough water!