By Jim Becker

This is a technique given to me by Bill Hartman from the Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training Facility.

The idea is this: Our body is made up of 60-70% water. When we sleep, our body works hard repairing and replenishing. If you sleep for eight hours, you’ve just gone eight hours without giving your body something it needs most: water.

The first thing I do when I get out of bed in the morning is walk over to the fridge and water pitcher and shotgun about 20 to 30 oz of water (the beginning of the gallon I try to down each day). I really feel revitalized in the morning! I don’t even need my morning coffee to “get me going anymore.” Water does it all.

A German study showed that this practice (16 oz of water) can increase our metabolism by about 25% for 90 minutes afterwards. If you’re a morning gym-goer, this is a great extra boost!

I started waking to water about three years ago and I swear by it. Try it! You’ll swear by it too (there is one downside: bathroom visits).