On Pointe Living: Hydration Challenge
- Madison Morris, MS, RDN
- Dec 31
- 6 min read
A Month-Long Hydration Challenge for Real Life
Water is essential to life and foundational to nearly every function in the body — from transporting nutrients and oxygen to temperature regulation, circulation, cognition, cushioning joints, digestion, electrolyte balance, waste management, physical performance, and more. In fact, ~60% of your body is made of water, and staying hydrated supports its functions and performance. Hydration is often oversimplified into rigid rules that don’t reflect the dynamic nature of the human body, our lifestyles, unique needs, and even our individual environments.
Whether you’re working, dancing, teaching, parenting, training, or just going about life, hydration isn’t one-size-fits-all — and that’s exactly why we’ve launched our Hydration Challenge to help you meet your baseline needs and learn how to monitor hydration using your body’s own cues. While we are initiating this challenge in January of 2026, you can join and do it for yourself at any time!
The truth? Hydration is personal. Your needs change based on activity level, sleep patterns, environment, health status, body composition, and even season of life. This month, we’re focusing on awareness, consistency, and body literacy — learning how to recognize what your body needs and responding accordingly.
What Percentage of Your Body Is Water?
The human body contains a significant amount of water. The exact percentage depends on multiple factors such as age, sex, body composition, and overall health. Water exists inside cells (intracellular) and outside cells (extracellular), and it’s essential for life at every level.
General Body Water Ranges (USGS):
Adult bodies: ~50–60% water (varies by sex and body composition).
Men average about 60% water.
Women average about 55% water, partly due to lower lean mass.
Infants and young children: ~65–78% water — higher than adults.
Older adults: Tend to have lower percentages of body water due to changes in body composition (i.e. decreasing muscle mass over time).
Interestingly, different parts of the body have different water content. These numbers show how water is distributed differently across organs, tissues, and fluids throughout the body (USGS). Notice how differences in body composition (muscle mass) can impact overall water content. If one has lower muscle mass, this will impact overall body composition and bodily water content.
Brain & heart: ~73% water
Lungs: ~83%
Skin: ~64%
Muscles & kidneys: ~79%
Bones: ~31%
How Much Water Do You Really Need?
You may have heard the common advice to drink “8 glasses a day,” but hydration science is more nuanced. Total daily fluid needs vary widely. According to guidance from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, general recommendations suggest the following (eatright.org):
Women: ~11.5 cups (2.7 L or 92 oz) per day
Men: ~15.5 cups (3.7 L or 124 oz) per day
It is important to note these numbers include all fluids — dietary intake via water, beverages, and foods containing fluids. Estimates suggest approximately 20% of fluid needs are met through food. Therefore, adjusted recommendations look more like the following:
Women: ~9 cups (2.13 L or 72 oz) per day
Men: ~13 cups (3.1 L or 104 oz) per day
The School of Public Health at Harvard expounds upon these general recommendations to include various other life stages (https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/water/ ):
While these numbers offer good starting points and baseline guidelines, fluid goals are best thought of as fluid ranges rather than fixed targets. Different individuals have different needs. The same individual may require more one day and less another. It is important to note that fluid needs vary and fluctuate depending on activity levels, sleep, elevation, exposure to heat, weather, sweat losses, health conditions, and more. This is why learning the body’s natural hydration cues is a crucial step in maintaining good hydration status.
Hydration Cues: Learning Your Body’s Language
Your body constantly gives feedback about hydration status. Learning to notice these cues can be far more useful than tracking ounces alone.
Signs you may need more fluid:
Feeling thirsty
Craving water-rich foods
Dark yellow or amber urine
Dry mouth or lips
Fatigue or low energy
Headaches, dizziness, confusion
Muscle cramps
Reduced urine output
These cues often appear gradually and can affect mood, thinking, and performance.
Monitoring Urine Color (Important!):
Observing urine color is one of the greatest strategies to self-monitor hydration status. Clear to light-yellow urine generally indicates good hydration status. Urine that is a deeper yellow or amber color often indicates higher solute concentration or dehydration while consistently colorless urine may indicate inadequate electrolytes. Understanding this empowers one to interpret bodily feedback and adjust in real-time by either increasing fluid intake on one end of the spectrum or incorporating some electrolytes on the other.
It is important to know urine is often at its most concentrated in the morning. While sleeping, the body does not receive fluids, and the kidneys conserve water and concentrate urine. Observing urine color throughout the day will provide helpful intel and insights. As you drink fluids and eat hydrating foods, urine should gradually lighten — ideally clear to light yellow — indicating balanced hydration. It is important to note that supplements and medications may impact urine color. This is why, yet again, it is important to learn your body and what is normal for your unique circumstances. Then you will be better equipped to identify changes or shifts in typical patterns.
Overhydration: Is There Such Thing as Too Much?
While underhydration is more commonly experienced, it is important to mention overhydration. Overhydration can be caused by excessive fluid intake— especially when consuming high volumes of fluids (think multiple gallons) in concentrated periods and/or without adequate electrolyte intake. Overhydration is typically not a severe concern in individuals with healthy kidney, heart, liver, and pituitary function (because the body will naturally excrete excess fluids); however, it can occasionally occur in athletes seeking to avoid dehydration or individuals consuming large volumes of fluid rapidly without electrolyte replacement. This condition dilutes blood concentrations of electrolytes such as sodium (a state called hyponatremia) and can disrupt cellular function. Symptoms may include nausea, headache, confusion, and urine that is clear and colorless (my.clevelandclinic.org, merckmanuals.com).
Hydration is essential, but too much of any good thing can lead to imbalance. In this case, imbalance occurs when fluid intake that far exceeds electrolyte replacement, demands, or the body's ability to ability to release excess. Adequate hydration balanced with electrolytes and guided by body cues supports optimal function without overwhelming your body’s fluid balance mechanisms.
The On Pointe Living Hydration Challenge
This month-long challenge is designed to help you build awareness, consistency, and confidence with hydration — using both daily habits and intuitive body signals. This challenge includes a Daily Tracker and a Weekly Checklist to support you on your hydration journey.
Hydration Challenge Overview:
Week 1: Awareness
Observe and track fluid intake
Observe and monitor urine color at different times of day
Observe other hydration-related body cues
Week 2: Adjustment
Observe daily fluid intake and urine color
Adjust fluids according to general guidelines AND body cues observed.
Link hydration to daily routines and rhythms to promote sustainable habits.
Week 3: Maintain Adjustments
Continue observing urine color and body cues. Note trends.
Maintain and adjust fluid intake as needed according to general guidelines AND personal body cues observed.
Observe which foods in your diet are more water-rich.
Notice how foods also contribute to overall fluid balance.
Week 4: Sustainable Habits
Reflect and identify what worked for you.
Maintain fluid routines that fit your life.
Prioritize consistency over perfection.
The Takeaway
Hydration is not about hitting a perfect number — it’s about listening, responding, and adapting. Your body already provides real-time feedback; this challenge helps you pay attention so you can meet your needs confidently and intuitively. Your body is wise — this is your invitation to listen more closely. Start your journey today and join the Hydration Challenge!
References
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. How Much Water Do You Need?. https://www.eatright.org/health/essential-nutrients/water/how-much-water-do-you-need
Cleveland Clinic. Water Intoxication (Overhydration). https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/water-intoxication
Mayo Clinic. Water: How Much Should You Drink Every Day?. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256
Merck Manuals. Overhydration / Water Balance. https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/hormonal-and-metabolic-disorders/water-balance/overhydration
Mitchell, H.H., Hamilton, T.S., Steggerda, F.R., & Bean, H.W. (1945). The chemical composition of the adult human body and its bearing on the biochemistry of growth. Journal of Biological Chemistry 158(3): 625-637. USGS
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/10925
Oliveira, N. (2025, September 4). How much water do you need?. The Nutrition Source - Harvard Chan School. https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/water/
Thomme, G. V. (n.d.). How much water should you drink a day?. MD Anderson Cancer Center. https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/how-much-water-should-you-drink-a-day.h00-159778812.html
USGS Water Science School. The Water in You: Water and the Human Body. https://www.usgs.gov/water-science-school/science/water-you-water-and-human-body USGS
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