Living in Texas brings summertime health concerns. One is how to stay hydrated. With high temperatures and humidity, hydration is a must to stay healthy. Exercising in hot conditions with minimal rehydration has been associated with reduced blood flow to muscles and heat injury, like heat stroke.

The best way to check your hydration status is by checking your urine. Clear to pale yellow is ideal, but if it is dark yellow, you are dehydrated. Thirst is one of the best indicators to tell you to drink water. If you are thirsty you should start drinking water until you are no longer thirsty, and if you are exercising, that may not be enough. The body’s thirst mechanism may not last long enough after exercise to adequately hydrate the body. The question is how much should you drink on a daily basis to maintain hydration? 

Most people have heard that 8 glasses of 8 ounces a day is the right amount for adults, but is it? Not necessarily. A 200-pound man and a 120-pound woman have different water requirements.

The best way to determine your daily water requirements is to start with your weight and multiply by 2/3 (0.67). For a 190-pound person, that would look like 190 x 2/3 = 127 ounces of water daily. The next step is to account for your activity level. For every 30 minutes you work out you would add an additional 12 ounces, so if you work out 45 minutes you would add 18 ounces of water for that day. Below is a chart to help with your calculation. Remember to adjust for daily activity.

This much water may sound difficult to drink daily but there are some habits you can build to ensure you are well hydrated throughout the summer.

• Drink 8 ounces of water before you go to bed and another 16 ounces when you wake up. This will add an additional 24 ounces to your daily intake.

• Drink 16 ounces of water before every meal. Studies have shown that drinking water before eating will reduce the amount of food you eat, which is helpful for weight loss as well. This habit will add 48 ounces of water a day.

• Use a specific water container to keep track of your daily intake. Some people use a gallon of water to keep track, which is 128 ounces. The container that works best for you is personal preference.  

• Infuse your water with fruit or lemons to add flavor. You could also try carbonated or sparkling water to your daily intake, just make sure that it has zero calories or you may find that you are gaining weight because of your water.

Drinking water is one of the most important habits you can build into your daily routine. Blood pressure, temperature control, mood and many other bodily functions rely on water. Maintaining daily hydration is protective to your body. Severe dehydration can be deadly, especially in the upcoming summer months.

By Jason Adams, PA-C, is a physician assistant and lead provider for the Saturday primary care practice.