How Much Water Should You Really Drink Every Day?

Many people believe that drinking eight glasses of water every day will help them stay healthy, but that’s only part of the story. On average, you should be drinking between one and two liters of water each day, but it depends on how much you exercise, your age, your size, and other factors as well. In this post, I’ve laid out some tips and quick overview on how to know how much water you should drink every day

The ideal amount of water we need to drink

The Institute of Medicine advises men to drink about 13 cups (3 liters) and women to drink about 9 cups (2.2 liters) of water every day, depending on activity level. However, there are other ways you can calculate your fluid needs—like tracking what’s coming out as well as going in.

The signs of dehydration and why it occurs

When you don’t consume enough water, your body can experience a wide range of discomforts, including fatigue and headaches. On a more serious level, it can impact your heart rate, blood pressure and even kidney function. A little dehydration goes a long way.

Signals your body gives when you are dehydrated

In order to know how much water, you should be drinking, you need to first understand how your body signals dehydration. Dehydration can make you feel fatigued, sick and low on energy, so knowing when you are dehydrated is crucial for maintaining your health.

What happens if you don’t drink enough water?

Over time, not drinking enough water can affect your health in a variety of ways. First, your kidneys work to filter waste from your body via urine. If you don’t drink enough water, however, excess waste builds up in your bloodstream and has nowhere to go but back into your body.

Best ways to drink more water regularly

Drinking enough water is important to stay hydrated and healthy. Experts recommend that men drink roughly 13 cups (3 liters) of total beverages per day, while women should drink about 9 cups (2.2 liters). Many people find it easier to remember their goal with a more concrete number, so use your best judgment here and don’t be afraid to make adjustments. If you want to consume some of your daily fluids through food—particularly fresh produce—be sure to factor those calories into your totals.

Top 5 benefits of drinking enough H2O

Dehydration, headaches, muscle cramps, constipation, and even preterm labor are all known side effects of not drinking enough water. As a general rule of thumb, women should aim to drink nine cups (2.3 liters) and men 13 cups (3 liters) daily—and drink as much water as you can without feeling uncomfortable or having to go to the bathroom too often.