How to Determine How Much Water to Drink

Water Jug

Most people have all heard that you should drink 8 ounces of water each day. However, this is a general statement and isn't true for everyone. For example, you can't expect a 10-year-old to drink as much water as a 30-year-old. There is a formula based on an individual's weight that will determine how much water you should drink each day. This is much more accurate and specific to each individual.

Instructions

1. Decide whether you are physically active on a regular basis or not. This is important in determining how much water to drink. The more active you are, the more water you will need to consume because you will be losing water from your body as you exercise.

2. Take your body weight in pounds and multiply it by 50 percent, if you are not very active. For example, if you weight 150 lbs., your number would be 75. This is the amount in ounces that you must drink each day.

3. Multiply your body weight by 60 percent, if you are moderately active. That means a person weighing 150 lbs. would need to consume 90 ounces of water per day.

4. Multiply your body weight by 70 percent if you are highly active each day. The number you get is the amount of ounces you need to drink in water daily. For example, a person weighing 150 lbs. would need to drink 105 ounces of water.

5. Add an extra 8 ounces of water to your total if you live in a warm climate. If the climate is hot and dry most of the time, add 16 ounces to your total. This will keep your body properly hydrated.

Tips & Warnings

• If you can't drink your designated amount of water because you don't like the taste, you can always buy flavor packets and add them to your water. This is better than not drinking the water at all.

• Not drinking enough water can lead to dehydration. Some signs of dehydration are dry lips, less saliva and a drier throat.