No life without water. Tasteless and colorless but nothing can necessitate pure drinking water. Confused! How much water should I drink a day? Stay hydrated to maintain a healthy life by consuming the right amount of water daily.
No need to worry about it. This guide will provide you with a comprehensive guide on the topic. In addition, all your queries and confusion will be catered to.
There’s nothing like one size fits all. Every one of you requires a varying amount of water to stay hydrated. Since everyone is different from the other being. Your bodies are different, making your requirements different from one another. Moreover, there are several external factors affecting your water intake requirements.
Why Do You Need to Stay Hydrated?
Water intake is very crucial in keeping you healthy. Taking more or less water than required is going to cast a bad impact on your health. A large number of your body functions depend upon the water intake. Staying hydrated enables proper nurturing of your body organs. Given below is a list of some important points that are carried out conveniently with proper water intake.
- Regulates the supply of nutrients to the whole body in a proper manner through oxygen supply.
- Timely removal of toxic ingredients from the body by the proper functioning of your renal organs.
- Enable you to maintain healthy glowing skin.
- Helps in carrying out digestion in a good way.
- Prevents constipation
- Keeps up a balanced pH.
- Helps you in keeping up a healthy weight. Since you don’t end up taking too many extra calories.
How Much Water Should I Drink a Day?
The water intake requirement of every single individual differs from the other person. Let’s read in detail all about your needs:
Water Intake for a Newborn
A baby fed on a mother’s feed should not be given water at all for up to six months. However after six months 2-4 ounces of water intake is sufficient for an infant. Don’t exceed the limit to avoid the disbalance of essential nutrients obtained from the mother’s feed or formula.
Water Intake for Pregnant/Breastfeeding Ladies
Any pregnant or breastfeeding lady should take more water than any ordinary female. Because you cater to the needs of two or more.
Water Needs of an Athlete
If you are indulging in any tough physical activity like exercises or sports you need more water. Also, if you sweat a lot you need to keep a balance in your body hydration and minerals like sodium etc.
Water Requirements for a Woman vs Man
According to a study, an ordinary woman needs 11.5 cups which makes it 2.7 liters a day.
However, men require 15.5 i.e. 3.7 liters of water in 24 hours. Those who spend most of their day standing need to drink more water than those who keep sitting.
Age and Fitness
Age also contributes to your hydration level. Old-age people need less water than young ones or those staying more active physically like energetic kids and young ones. Fitness also counts in. Some medical conditions force you to drink more water. While in some cases you’re restricted to drinking less water.
External Factors Affecting Water Demand of a Single Individual
Temperature and Surroundings
If you are staying outside most of the time you need more water. Warmer areas and increased temperatures also increase the demand for water intake. The same is the case of hotter indoor areas. Temperatures also affect the water intake demands. During summer, we need increased water intake as water excretion from the body is increased. However, during winter body requires less water.
Food Intake
Water requirements for the body also depend upon the kind of food you eat. As, if you consume spicy food, you should drink more water. And those of you habitual of consuming good amounts of caffeine also need to drink a lot of water. Sugary drinks do not substitute the plain water needs of the body. In fact, they cause damage to the body rather than providing any benefit.
Schedule Your Water Intake in Portions
You should avoid drinking all the needed amounts of water at once. Divide the total water consumption into short intervals as your body needs. For example, if you are supposed to drink 12 cups of water a day, you should drink 4 cups in the morning, 4 in the afternoon, 4 in the evening, and 4 at night.
If drinking more water at night disturbs you, you should balance the night portion with some other part of the day. Most preferably adjust in the time when you are physically more active.
You should also start noticing differences in your routine caused by dehydration. Scheduling it this way will also prevent your body from dehydration.
How Do I Know If I Need More Water?
Observe yourself very keenly to stay aware of your hydration requirements. If your body is properly hydrated you will urinate after every two to four hours. And your urine should be colorless or very pale yellow.
You should drink before you start feeling thirsty. Getting thirsty is a sign that you are getting dehydrated. Also before you start any activity like exercising or jogging or leaving your house in a hot climate you should hydrate yourself adequately.
How Much Water to Drink Calculator
There are some calculations provided by a study in the “U.S Study and world report” that how much water I need. This is calculated by your weight and physical activity. For example, before you do any workout you must drink the amount of water as calculated by using the following equation:
Calculation: Your weight *0.5 = ounces of water per day
But if you plan a workout you require the water by a different calculation as given below:
Calculation: previous result + ( X minutes of exercises / 30 minutes of exercises * 12 ounces) = ounces of water per day.
FAQs
Does excessive water intake help in losing weight?
It’s a myth that you can lose weight by drinking a lot of water. Drink an adequate amount as required. It will keep you healthy as excessive water intake may lead to unhealthy medical conditions.
Can I take all water at once?
Flooding your body with all the water required throughout the day at once may lead to a disease called “hyponatremia” causing an imbalance in electrolytes level in your body.
How much water should a woman drink a day?
It not only depends on being a male or female. But various other factors are also involved. Like weight, age, activity level, atmosphere, medical conditions, etc. The required amount varies accordingly.
Takeaway
This article is a comprehensive guide to your question, “How much water should I drink”. It is not a hard-fast rule implemented on the same level for everyone. It differs from person to person based on a number of reasons discussed above. Stay hydrated and enjoy a healthy life.
