You’ve heard no doubt that our bodies are composed of about 70% water, haven’t you, and this should give you a good idea as to what this article is going to be about. Whether you’re working in the sun and sweating profusely, whether you’re exercising daily, or simply sitting at home, our bodies need plenty of water to function optimally. But how much is right? Is there a magic number? Can you drink juices instead of water, or cokes? In today’s article we’re going to take a look at what you should be doing, and most importantly, why when it comes to drinking fluids.

Strangely enough, despite the easy availability of water in our society, few people drink as much as they should on a daily basis. Strangely enough, or perhaps not so strangely, the prevalence of liquid substitutes such as soft drinks or energy drinks means that few people drink the amount of water they should, resulting in a lack of hydration which could be easily avoided. Too many people are walking around in a state of mild dehydration, tired and fuzzy minded, feeling sluggish and weak, when all they need are a couple of large glasses of water.

So how much should you be drinking? The common answer that is most often given for this is about eight glasses of water a day. You can’t go wrong if you drink this much, though the truth is that few people are able to standardize the size of their glasses, so perhaps it would behoove us to say that a glass in this case is a standard eight ounces, thus allowing the possibility that you could get away with drinking a mere four glasses if they are of sufficiently large size, the number being relative as you have no doubt noticed to the volume of the container, not sacrosanct in and of itself.

A good trick that I employ in order to achieve optimal hydration is to fill a jug with the right amount of water and set it either in the fridge or by my desk so that the visual reminder is all I need to ensure that I drink my daily allotment.