Rule one: Listen to your body. If you’re thirsty, drink. If your mouth feels like the floor of a birdcage, drink faster. Your brain is actually a pretty good moisture meter—it just gets distracted by Netflix.
Ounces Of Water
Rule two: Check the weather. If you’re sweating in 95°F heat or running a marathon while wearing a wool sweater, add 12 to 16 ounces per hour of activity. Your body becomes a sprinkler system, so refill the tank.
Rule three: The “Copper Fit” test. No, not the compression sleeve. If your urine is dark, and you’re feeling sluggish, drink 8 to 12 ounces slowly. Guzzling it fast just makes you slosh like a shaken soda can.
The Surprising Fact That Will Make You Spit Out Your Drink
You know what counts as “water intake”? Beer and coffee. Yes, really. They used to think caffeine was a diuretic that stole all your water, but modern research shows a moderate amount of coffee or beer hydrates just as well as water. Does that mean you can replace your water with espresso? No. Your heart will explode. But that morning latte? It’s helping.
And for the love of all that is holy, do not trust the “drink eight glasses of milk” crowd unless you want to evolve into a cow. Stick to water, but know that a glass of iced tea or a bowl of soup counts toward your 64-100 ounce target.
