“Everyone should drink 8 glasses of water a day” — you have probably heard this many times, and perhaps even forced yourself to follow it. According to current scientific evidence, there is no such universal rule.

What your water needs depend on

• Age and body weight
• Level of physical activity
• Climate and temperature
• Diet: fruit, vegetables and soups also provide fluid

So an amount that is enough for one person may be too little or too much for another. What matters is getting enough fluid for your own body’s needs.

A practical rule

For a healthy person, drinking when thirsty is a sufficient and safe approach. Your body lets you know in time.

When thirst is not enough

• During very heavy physical effort — athletes and people working in the heat — the thirst signal may come late, so it is better to drink in advance.
• In older people the sense of thirst is weaker, so they are advised to drink by the clock, for example a little every hour.

A simple way to check

Urine colour is a good indicator: a pale yellow colour usually means you are drinking enough.