How Much Water Do You Really Need In A Day?

Being well-hydrated impacts so many things. It can help with joint pain because it lubricates the joints, it can help with brain fog, digestion, reduce headaches, and it can improve your energy level.

You've probably heard that you should have 8 cups of water a day. But the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine actually recommends that men have 15.5 cups (124oz per day) and women have 11.5 cups (92oz per day).

Your recommended water intake can change based on a few factors—

If you exercise, you'll need to replace the water you lost via sweat with more liquid. If you're in a hot and humid environment you may require more water to help with temperature regulation and to replace fluid loss from sweating.

A doctor may also recommend more water if you have a fever, are vomiting, or have persistent GI issues.

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding may also require more water to stay hydrated.

I typically recommend to female clients to get at least 80-100oz of water a day. You also get some of your water intake through food but that range allows for some of those extra factors mentioned above.

I typically set goals for myself for getting my water in during the day. For example, I make sure I finish my water bottle once by snack time, once by lunchtime, and then by the end of the school day so I know I've met my goal.

Sometimes that means at lunch I'm chugging the rest of my water to refill it for the afternoon, though! It also means I'm finding times to run to the staff bathroom pretty frequently throughout the day!

All in all, the pros definitely out way the cons!

How much water do you drink a day?