By Saudat Jibril
We’re all familiar with the old adage: Drink eight glasses of water at 8 ounces each every day.
It’s the eight-by-eight rule that guides us to drink 64 ounces of water each day. Many of us have blindly followed this advice for our entire lives, not knowing where it came from or why we need eight glasses of water.
The adequate intake is 15.5 cups (3.7 liters or 125 ounces) for men and 11.5 cups (2.7 liters or 91 ounces) for women.
However you choose to consume these 125 or 91 ounces of fluid is up to you. Although this is the closest figure we have to a recommended daily intake, even these numbers vary for each person based on a few variables.
You might need more water if…
You have an active job: Those on the go all day (especially those who work outdoors) may need more water than most people. The more you move, the more you sweat, and you should replace lost water (and electrolytes) through fluid intake.
You exercise often: If you don’t have an active job but you do exercise a lot — whether in the gym or through recreational activities — you also need more water than most. Even if you don’t realize it, you lose a lot of fluids during physical activity (even in cold weather). Up your water intake to account for activity (especially travel activity).
You live in a hot climate: Hot weather means increased sweating, and it’s important to replace lost fluid. Dryness compounds fluid loss in hot weather — people in desert climates may need more water than those in tropical climates.
You’re pregnant or breastfeeding: Pregnant people need more water to encourage improved circulation, increased calorie intake, and other physiological processes to support the growth of their baby. Breastfeeding people need extra water to support breast milk production.
Culled from CNET