The Benefits of Drinking Water Daily (And How Much You Really Need)

Ever feel brain fog, random heart palpitations, dizziness, flushed facial skin, constipation, headaches, fatigue, or lightheadedness? These can be signs that you’re not drinking enough water.*

If you’ve ever experienced any level of dehydration, you’re not alone. 3 out of 4 of us are chronically dehydrated, and I learned about the potential seriousness of dehydration personally…

I was staying with Kamala, our oldest daughter, and her family last summer helping after cute little grandson #7 joined our family, and one morning, I felt strong, random heart palpitations and wondered if I was on the verge of a heart attack or a stroke. It was terrifying! I headed to urgent care, and the problem? I was dehydrated! I know how important it is to drink enough water every single day, and I hit my water goal every day—it’s one of my daily habits. But I realized that I was totally out of my usual routine, and my hydration had taken a huge hit.

Why Staying Hydrated Matters

Water—specifically, drinking enough water—is so important for good health. Get enough water, and you’ll feel healthy, energized, and able to do the things you want to do. Don’t get enough water, and you’ll feel sluggish, grumpy, and not as able to do all the things you want to do. Here are some interesting stats about water:

60% of your body is made up of water.
Water makes up 83% of your lungs, 79% of your muscles and kidneys, 73% of your brain and heart, 64% of your skin, and 31% of your bones.
And here’s a biggie: Mild dehydration (as little as 2% dehydrated) can have the same effect on your circulatory system as smoking one cigarette!

Along those same lines, here’s what different levels of dehydration can do to your body¹:

.5%: Increased strain on the heart
1%: Reduced aerobic endurance
3%: Reduced muscular endurance
4%: Reduced muscle strength, reduced motor skills, heat cramps
5%: Heat exhaustion, cramping, fatigue, reduced mental capacity
6%: Physical exhaustion, heatstroke, coma
10-20%: Death

In fact, by the time you start to feel thirsty, you’re already 1-2% dehydrated!

Ay, yi, yi. All of that’s more than a bit scary!

Why Drinking Water Matters (and How to Tell If You’re Dehydrated)

So…why, exactly, should you be drinking water besides preventing all of the above? Which to me, is more than enough to get me to drink up! Check out these reasons:

Helps your body maintain its fluid levels. Since your body is 60% water, this is super important!
Helps you lose weight. When we’re hungry, we’re often actually thirsty, so before you grab something to eat, drink some water instead. In fact, drinking the right amount of water can make or break your weight loss plan, so if you’re not seeing the results you’d like, look at how much water you’re drinking. It really can make a difference!
Gives energy to your muscles for your daily activities and workouts too.
Help keep your skin nice.
Helps keep you “regular.”

And here are even more reasons to drink up…

Flushes waste from your body.
Helps your brain function better. Remember #1 above? Makes sense, right?
Helps regulate your body temperature.
Protects your organs, joints, and tissues.
Helps with digestion and nutrient absorption.
Keeps you from getting sick.

Now that we know WHY we should be drinking water, how can we tell if we’re dehydrated?

What color is your urine? It should be the color of light lemonade. If it’s darker, it’s time to drink up!
You’re experiencing any or all of these symptoms: Headaches, tiredness, are having a hard time concentrating, and/or are just in a bad mood.
Try the skin pull test. Here’s how this one works: Pinch some skin on the back of your hand, hold it for a few seconds, and then let it go. If it bounces back immediately, you’re pretty hydrated. If not, time to drink up!
Once again, hungry could = thirsty. So if you’re hungry, drink a tall glass of water, wait a few minutes, and see if that hungry feeling goes away. If it does, you needed to drink water!

How Much Water Should You Drink Each Day? (Plus, Simple Ways to Drink More)

So how much water is enough? How much should you be drinking every day?

Aim for 1/2 your body weight in ounces. Every day. So if you weigh 150 lbs, shoot for 75 ounces. Every. Single. Day. And this is ideally water ONLY. If you’re struggling to drink enough water every day, the water in other drinks (protein shakes, smoothies, milk, etc.) can count. And when you work out, you’ll need to drink even more water. Especially in a hot and/or humid climate. Here’s how much ACE (The American Council on Exercise) recommends:

17-20 ounces two hours before the start of exercise. Or if you don’t have 2 hours, just do your best to drink as close to this amount as you can before exercising.
7-10 ounces every 10 to 20 minutes during exercise.
16-24 ounces for every pound of body weight lost after exercise. Weigh yourself pre-workout then again post-workout, then drink the difference!

What if you’re not a huge fan of plain water, or you’re not sure how to drink THAT much water every day? Here are some tips that might help:

Use an additive like **BCAAs (Branch Chain Amino Acids) powder. Why BCAAs? Some experts feel they can help with muscle building and repair, which sounds pretty awesome to me. And if I’m going to add something to my water anyway, why not add something that will help my muscles too?? We’ve been using these BCAAs for years, and it comes in different flavors too.
Other options for additives are those 0 calorie drink enhancers (liquid or powder form) that you can add to your water. If you like Skittles, you’ll love these!
Start small. Add an extra 8 ounces a day.
Drink regularly throughout the day. If you wait until you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated, and this small percentage of dehydration can affect you, both mentally and physically.
Likewise, drink a glass of water right after you wake up. This little habit, alone, can get you well on your way to hitting your daily water goal. I’ve been doing this for years, and when I forget to drink that glass of water first thing, I can tell pretty quickly. I just feel off!
Take a water bottle with you EVERYWHERE! That way you can drink regularly throughout the day no matter where you are.
Set alarms on your phone that will remind you to drink regularly.
Keep a water drinking chart and mark off different increments as you drink your water throughout the day. #allaboutcharts
Get cute water bottles—that totally can’t hurt! (More about this one below).
Try the “10 Gulp Rule”! It’s an amazing way to get that water down, and here’s how it works: Every time you walk by your water bottle, or your alarm goes off, or you remember to drink your water, take 10 gulps. You’ll hit your water goal in no time, and it’s easy, peasy!
Similar to water additives, try using a water infuser. Simply add your favorite fruits, and the infuser will do the work of adding those natural fruit flavorings to your water.
And if you’ve got kids around, encourage them to drink water instead of juice. Juice = lots of sugar, whether natural or not, plus they’re not getting the benefits of the fiber in that fruit they’re drinking. So drink water, eat fruit. Great idea for you too!

Here’s another tip to help you get all of that water down: The perfect water bottles! I say “bottles” because how can you have only one?!?! What are my water bottle must-haves? No matter where I am, it must be easy to clean, and a straw makes it easier to get all that water down too. When I’m at home, my water bottles must hold a lot of water so I don’t have to refill them very often. For traveling, they must be spill-proof, for sure. I learned that one the hard way. #wetlaptopandbooks And get your kids their very own cute water bottles too! Here are some of my favorites:

Contigo 32 oz water bottle: I love this one! It holds a lot, and it’s leak proof—it even has a spout lock!
Blender Bottle 20 oz water bottle: I use this one when I work out because it’s smaller and it’s pretty. And it came with a wire whisk, which comes in handy for protein shakes too!
Pogo 40 oz. water bottle. If cold water isn’t your thing, then this water bottle is for you.
Owala 40 oz insulated water bottle w/ straw: This one has become my all-time favorite! It’s big…so I don’t have to refill it as often, it keeps my water cold longer, and the straw + sipping option is 🙌🏻. I have a 24 oz version that’s easier to travel with. Huge Owala fan right here!

Are you a water drinker? How do you make sure to drink all of your water every day? I’m always looking for new tips, so please share!

→ Having trouble drinking enough water? Click on the button below to get my FREE No-Fail Habit Guide where you can learn how to check “Drink Water” off your to-do list every single day. You’ll also be signing up to receive my biweekly insights on mindset, habits, and simple wellness delivered straight to your inbox.

Join the Newsletter + Get My Free “No-Fail Habit Formula” Guide here.