The light habit first thing in the morning boosts energy, mood, memory

Time to move!

You might be tempted to grab a cup of coffee or an energy drink when you wake up, but experts say there’s another drink that can get your day off to the best start – ole H₂0.

“I always drink a big glass of water,” said Dr. Brian Hoeflinger, a board-certified neurosurgeon from Ohio, about his morning routine.

Drinking water is essential for replenishing lost fluids, expelling toxins, stimulating metabolism, controlling calorie intake, aiding digestion, energizing muscles, increasing skin health, strengthening immunity, regulating body temperature, maintaining of regular bowel movements and improvement of brain function.

And there’s evidence it should be the first thing you catch – after your alarm.

A 2020 study found that drinking 500 milliliters of water, about two glasses, after 12 hours of dehydration improved memory, eased thirst, and improved mood.

Drinking 200 milliliters provided many of these benefits, while 100 milliliters was much less effective.

“Water is the basic element of the human body, constituting 60%-70% of body weight. It is essential for every system and metabolic activity of the human body,” wrote researchers from Peking University in China in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

We’ve long been told to consume eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day, but experts actually recommend ½ ounce to 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight.

Emily Leeming, a microbiome scientist and registered dietitian, suggests keeping a one-cup container by your bed.

“Or make sure you drink before and after you brush your teeth,” she wrote recently on her Second Brain sub.

Dr. Shiara Ortiz-Pujols, director of obesity medicine at Northwell Staten Island University Hospital, noted that we lose water while we sleep through physiological processes like breathing and sweating.

“Drinking water helps you rehydrate for optimal functioning — especially before that first cup of coffee — as it will serve to dehydrate you further,” Ortiz-Pujols told The Post.

“Drinking water helps prepare your digestive system for the food you’ll eat later in the day, especially if it’s warm water,” she added. “This helps promote regular bowel habits and relieve constipation.”

While warm water can wake up the digestive system, cold water can slightly increase your metabolism as your body works to warm it up.

If you’re not ready to pounce when you wake up, doctors say it’s okay to hit your hydration goals later in the day.

“The health benefits of staying hydrated are measured over the course of a day,” Dr. William W. Li, author of Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself, told Real Simple. rather than the time of day you drink water or the sequence of drinking water in relation to breakfast or any other meal.”