Staying hydrated throughout the day is a vital task that is sometimes forgotten or not considered as important as maintaining a healthy diet. The amount of water that your Body needs depends on a variety of daily influences, but it’s likely that you should be consuming more than you think.

General Medical Recommendations

Depending on your body’s composition, 50% to 70% of your body weight is composed of water. On average, men should be drinking 3.7 liters, or 125 ounces, of water per day and women should be drinking 2.5 liters, or 91 ounces, per day. 

The amounts of fluid Intake can vary depending on your unique body composition and the kinds of activities you partake in throughout the day. Each person’s level of homeostasis, or maintenance of normal body functions, varies. This variability creates a wide variety for water intake per day per person. 

Why is Being Hydrated Important?

When your body is able to stay in homeostasis, there are no uncomfortable delays in your internal processes. Your body relies on water to keep everything functioning – even mild dehydration can result in fatigue and irritability. 

Ample hydration keeps your joints lubricated and moving smoothly, your temperature normal through perspiration, and all movements smooth in the digestive tract.

What Influences Water Intake?

There are several factors that influence the amount of water you need to consume on a daily basis. The more extreme one of the conditions is in your day, the more water should be consumed to counteract potential dehydration. 

Climate

The warmer the area you live in, the more water you need to consume. Your body loses water when you sweat to maintain a normal internal body temperature, which can lead to dehydration. To counteract the amount of water lost by sweat, you need to consume more water to balance the fluid and sodium levels lost in your body. 

Exercise

The more exercise and physical work you put in, the more fluid you need to replace. Drinking water before, during and after a workout can be a preventative measure against dehydration. 

Sickness

When you have any kind of illness – fever, inflammation, vomiting or otherwise – your body loses fluids to help rid the pathogen from your system. Although it might feel counterintuitive, drinking more water and fluids that have electrolytes in them can help aid your body in a faster recovery. 

Ways to Stay Hydrated

There are many ways to not only measure your intake of water but to ensure that your intake is close to the suggested amount. The easiest way to maintain a consistent intake of water is to have a large water bottle on hand. Water bottles that contain 32-64 ounces of water are an easy way to regulate water intake because four 32-ounce or two 64-ounce bottles of water meet the 125 ounce suggestion.

If the taste of water is something that prevents you from maintaining ample hydration, start including more water-dense fruits and vegetables into your diet. Fruits like watermelon and strawberries; and vegetables like cucumber and lettuce; can help keep you hydrated without reaching for a glass of water. Additionally, drinks like tea and carbonated water are great alternatives to normal water if normal water feels too boring for your taste palate. 

For more information on more ways to maintain a healthy water intake, contact Kinetico San Antonio for better health and hydration all year long.  

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