Drink More Water: But How Much Is More?
For so long we’ve been told to drink more water, but really how much is more? I’ve heard for as long as I can remember that we are supposed to drink 64 ounces of water per day. However, drinking 8 cups of water per day is way too general, it doesn’t take into account how much you weigh, if you are exercising or even if you’re in warmer weather. Drinking more water really does depend on each of those variables and there’s a much better way to estimate how much water you really need each day.
Being that water makes up about 60% of our body, even the smallest percentage of water loss can really affect how well our body functions. Water helps keep our skin looking and feeling fresh, it helps flush out toxins and brings balance to our body. By losing just one percent of water without rehydrating will start affecting your aerobic endurance and losing between 10-20% of water can even cause death. Yikes! We definitely don't want that! Luckily water is the foundation of nearly everything that we consume, from what we drink to the food we eat.
Estimating Water Needs by Bodyweight
The estimates below are guidelines, not absolutes and are based on how much you weigh. Everybody is different, so find what works best for you. These estimates are based on the total amount of water to consume per day combined between both drinking it and eating food. Eating whole food, such as fruits and vegetables have a lot of water in them, so if its tough to drink the estimated recommendations, grab a piece of fruit or add more veggies to your meals. I also recommend grabbing a reusable water bottle like this one from CAMELBAK, its the one I use daily. It really helps that the bottle is 1 liter or 32 ounces, so it makes it easy for me to control how much water I am drinking per day, plus I don’t have to refill it too many times.
No Exercise Estimates
If you aren’t exercising and indoors most of the day, here are the estimates based on bodyweight for how much water to take in per day combined from both food and water:
100lbs = 64 ounces
125lbs = 72 ounces
150lbs = 88 ounces
175lbs = 96 ounces
200lbs = 112 ounces
225lbs = 128 ounces
Warmer Climate
If its warm outside, you might want to increase your water intake by an additional 2 cups or 16 ounces based on the no exercise estimate. With the added heat, you will sweat more and lose more water. Do what you think is best, you know your body better than anyone.
Exercise Estimates
If you're exercising, here are some recommendations that you may want to follow. Please note that these estimates are really dependent upon how much water you lose from sweating. I recommend finding a good balance based on what your body needs by starting at the no exercise estimate listed above and work up to the exercise estimate limit which is double the baseline. The key takeaway is to stay hydrated and help your body function more efficiently. Again, total water consumption does not have to be solely from drinking it, it can come from food as well.
100lbs = up to 128 ounces
125lbs = up to 144 ounces
150lbs = up to 176 ounces
175lbs = up to 192 ounces
200lbs = up to 224 ounces
225lbs = up to 256 ounces
I really hope this helps answers the question of how much water is more and how much water you should be drinking. If you have any further questions or didn't see your weight listed, please leave a comment below and I will do my best to answer them for you.
I hope that you have an amazing day!
All the Best,
Mike