Improve Hydration
12 weeks · 4 milestones
Milestone map
Milestone map
3 milestones
Hydration is one of the most directly measurable health behaviours — the two most accessible indicators are daily water intake (ml per day) and urine colour (the simplest and most reliable real-time hydration marker). The NHS recommends 6–8 glasses of fluid per day (approximately 1.5–2 litres), primarily from water and non-sugary drinks. Before beginning any hydration programme, establish a 7-day baseline by measuring water intake and recording urine colour each morning. For urine colour, use a numerical scale: 1–2 (very pale, almost clear = well hydrated), 3–4 (pale straw yellow = adequately hydrated), 5–6 (yellow = mild dehydration), 7–8 (dark amber or brown = significant dehydration). Record first-morning urine colour daily for 7 days, and measure or estimate daily total fluid intake in millilitres (one standard glass or mug = approximately 200–250 ml). Calculate the 7-day average for both.
Proof required
Submit your 7-day baseline record showing: daily total fluid intake in ml (measured or estimated with portion notes) and morning urine colour score (1–8) for each of the 7 days. Calculate and note your 7-day averages for both. This is your hydration baseline — M3 will compare against the same two metrics.
What gets checked
- Seven consecutive days of real-time recording — both intake and urine colour noted each day, not recalled at the end of the week
- Fluid intake is measured or estimated with portion notes (e.g. '3 × 300ml glasses of water + 1 × 250ml coffee + 2 × 400ml glasses of water = 1650 ml') — this makes the calculation verifiable and enables the same method at M3
- Both metrics averaged across the 7 days — daily fluid intake average in ml, and daily urine colour average on the 1–8 scale