How Much Water Should You Drink a Day?
How much should I drink - how long is a piece of string?
In an ideal world you should be drinking fluid throughout each day to maintain proper hydration. This doesn’t mean chugging 3 litres at once after work because you haven’t drank anything but coffee all day! As a baseline, try to aim for 1.5 - 2 litres every day. If you’re really not drinking enough we have a couple of quick tips to help you:
Keep a water bottle or big glass by your desk and within eyesight at all times. This will subconsciously encourage you to drink whilst working.
Fill up a water bottle and leave it next to your lunch, or on the side in the kitchen. This will remind you to drink water during your lunch or dinnertime, and encourage drinking water when you’re cooking or using your kitchen.
Get into the habit of filling up (and finishing) at least one glass of water with every meal. Drink a pint with every meal and you will have already hit ~1.5 litres in a day!
Tea and coffee DO count somewhat to your total fluid intake for the day (other than espressos), just remember that caffeine has a significant effect on your sleep so try to go decaf in the afternoon where possible.
If you don’t like water, diluted squash is a great way of encouraging yourself to drink more. Or try adding some frozen fruit to your water for a different twist.