Hydration: How Much Water Should I Drink Every Day?

Hello, friends!

Summer doesn't *technically* start until the end of June, but let's be real - for many of us, summer is here. I definitely know it's here in Texas!

It's always important to stay hydrated, but in the hotter months it's ESPECIALLY important to stay on top of this! So, today I want to talk about hydration - why it's important, and how much you should be drinking. There will soon be another post with specific tips on HOW to stay hydrated, so be sure to check back for more soon! (or subscribe for Joyful Updates on the sidebar or at the bottom of this post to get my emails, and I'll let you know when it's posted!)

Why is Hydration Important?

To put it simply, your body needs water to function properly!

There are TONS of reasons why drinking water and staying hydrated is crucial, but here are just a few to get us started:

Regulates body temperature
Improves sleep quality
Improves mood
Allows you to think clearly
Carries nutrients to all of your cells
Protects and cushions your organs
Lubricates joints

The list could go on, but I think you get the point. Staying hydrated keeps your body happy and makes you feel better!

So... How Much Water Should I be Drinking?

Ah, the age-old question. Depending on what source you go to, there are different answers to this. Let's talk about some of the more common ones, and then I'll give you my Joyful Balance recommendation.

The 8x8 Rule

One common rule that is often taught in schools is the 8x8 rule - stating that you should consume an 8oz glass of water 8 times a day, for a total of 64oz (or half a gallon). This is a good starting point, but it's also very generic and doesn't take into account all of the various factors that may affect your hydration needs. Some people may need more or less than the 8x8 rule suggests.

CDC Recommendation

To throw some other ideas into the mix, the CDC recommends following the guidelines published by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine in 2004. These guidelines state that most people can "meet their daily hydration needs by letting thirst be their guide", basically meaning that you should drink when you are thirsty. This is a good concept, but sometimes it takes practice and conscious effort to be in tune with your thirst levels. Let's be honest - how many times have you gotten caught up in an activity and then suddenly realized how thirsty you were hours later? Chances are, that thirst probably was building up over time - but it's easy to get busy and not realize that your body is telling you to drink water. Plus, according to the Mayo Clinic, many people don't feel thirsty until they are already dehydrated - so it could be argued that it's better to stay on top of your water intake before you hit the point of thirst!

Luckily (kind of), these guidelines do present us with a generic recommendation on top of the "letting your thirst be your guide" concept. They state that "adequately hydrated women" tend to consume 91oz of daily water, while "adequately hydrated men" tend to consume 125oz of daily water. However, this is total water intake - from ALL beverages and food throughout the day. Again, this is good information - but how many of us want to track our exact water intake from EVERYTHING we eat in a day? I don't know about you, but I don't want to spend time calculating how much water I got from the cucumbers on my salad for today's lunch. For that reason, this isn't exactly the easiest to monitor.

By Weight

The rule that I was taught in all of my exercise science classes in college was to determine a baseline for water intake based on your weight. For this method, you take your body weight in pounds and divide it in half to calculate the oz of water you need in a day. For example, someone who is 150 pounds would need 75oz of daily water, based on this method. I tried doing some research to see where this method originally came from and didn't have any luck finding the original source - but I did find that it was a recommended method in the US News & World Report in 2013.

This method is good because it is easy to calculate and takes into account that everyone's water requirements are different - but the important thing to note about this method is that it gives you a baseline for your water intake. Many things may increase your need for more water - such as physical activity, your environment (such as hot and humid weather), your overall health, and many other factors.

Adjusting for Physical Activity

Simply put, you should probably be drinking more water on days that you workout. The simplest rule of thumb that is generally recommended here is 12oz of water for every 30 minutes you workout - note that this is IN ADDITION to your baseline water requirements. Let's go back to our example from earlier - the 150 pound person has a baseline of 75oz of water. If they did 60 minutes of physical activity today, that means they would add 24oz of water to their baseline, for a total of 99oz of water.

The Joyful Balance Way

To sum it up, I can't tell you for sure how much water you need. In a perfect world, I would love to recommend simply listening to your body and drinking however much water makes you feel the best. However, I recognize that staying in-tune with our bodies is sometimes easier said than done, and that sometimes it's simpler to shoot for a specific number of ounces. With that in mind, I do have a general guideline that you can follow if you'd like.

I personally use and promote the "by-weight" method, but with a strong reminder that this is only a baseline. You could go the extra mile and do the math based on your physical activity as well if you choose, but keep in mind that physical activity is not the only thing affecting hydration. ULTIMATELY, my-rule-of-thumb is to make sure that you get at least your by-weight baseline each day, but consider making an effort to drink a couple extra glasses on days that you workout, are in the heat, or are simply more thirsty! Also keep in mind that while hydration is extremely important, you also don't need to overly stress if you don't quite hit your goal from time to time. Try to be conscious of it and do your best, but if your baseline is 75oz and you only had 60oz today, chances are it'll all balance out. You also get water from the things you eat, and some of us just simply don't need as much water as others - so use this as a general guide but don't freak out if you have occasional "off" days. And, of course, if you have any major concerns you can always chat with your doctor!

Hydration is often overlooked, but it really should be a priority - so be sure to drink that water! Your body will thank you.