Are you drinking enough water? Your body is about 60% water, so it's no big surprise that getting enough of it is essential for optimal health. We've all heard the old "drink eight eight-ounce glasses a day" rule, but that's quite generic and outdated.

Instead, use this updated formula to find out your daily needs:

Your weight (lbs) / 2 = Ounces you should drink each day

Take your bodyweight in pounds and divide it by two. That's how many ounces you should drink every day. So if you weight 180 pounds, that's 90 ounces.

Sounds like a lot, doesn't it? Let's take that number and get an idea of how much water that really is. Do you have a favorite glass or water bottle you usually drink out of? Most people do. Go get it and use a measuring cup to measure how many ounces it holds.

Then just divide the total amount of ounces you're supposed to drink per day by the amount of ounces your glass or bottle holds to get an idea of how many times you would have to fill that container to get to your quota.

I typically drink out of a 20 ounce water bottle. To get to 90 ounces I would have to fill it 4 and a half times.

You should know that some liquids like milk and juice do count towards that number. On the other hand, caffeinated drinks, like coffee, energy drinks, and soda, actually count against you because they can dehydrate you. Ditto for alcohol.

This exercise is just to give you an idea of how much volume you'll need each day. Certainly you don't need to measure out every ounce you drink. You just want to be in the ballpark.

If you're way below what you should be at, make an effort to drink more water. Have a glass when you first wake up, and one with lunch and dinner. Bring a water bottle with you when you run errands. When you see a drinking fountain, take a sip. Carry a water bottle with you when you exercise.

A little more here and there will add up pretty quick, and when you're getting the right amount of water, everything works better. So drink up!