If you’re sweating buckets at the gym or running a marathon (or just running after your toddler), you need more water. Exercise turns you into a human sprinkler, so replace that lost fluid.
Also, weather matters. On a scorching summer day, you lose water faster than a popsicle on the sidewalk. In winter, your heater dries out the air—so you’re losing water through breathing. Fun fact: you even lose water when you sleep. That’s why you wake up with “morning mouth” that could scare a vampire.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, or even being sick (hello, fever and diarrhea) also crank up your needs. If you’re drinking coffee or tea all day, don’t panic—caffeine isn’t the dehydrating villain it’s made out to be. But soda and energy drinks? Please, for the love of your kidneys, sip water too.
