Dream Big: Drink 8 Glasses of Water a Day
Make water drinking second nature with this simple four-week plan.
THERE'S NO BETTER time than now time to check in on how much water we need every day to fuel our efforts. Feel like you’re not getting enough? This four-week plan will help you determine how much H2O you need and show you how to gradually up your intake to make sure your body’s systems are firing on all cylinders.
Week 1: Drink 2 Glasses of Water a Day
The science: We are what we drink—literally. Our bodies are made up of 60% water and getting enough to drink helps with everything from regulating our temperature and keeping our joints moving smoothly, to protecting our spinal cord and getting rid of waste. There is no gold standard for how much water the average person should get—our bodies all work a little differently. Thankfully, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine offers a general daily recommendation for us to start with. For men it’s roughly 120 ounces per day. For women it’s about 90 ounces per day. We’re talking total fluid intake from all the foods and beverages you consume in a day. You’ll need to get even more if you’re working out, living in hot or humid weather (um, hey there, summer), when you’re sick, or if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.