If you are not a morning person, I just ask that you read this with an open mind. It may seem impossible to really enjoy the start of your day to wake up and exercise, but I once thought about that too, and now I can't imagine life any other way.
Why Morning Exercise Kicks Butt
Exercising early in the morning provides many benefits, both for your health and for your daily schedule, that exercise at other times of the day cannot provide. Yes, you have to be disciplined to get up early. And yes, you should focus on getting an effective workout, not just following the steps in the case of zombies. It just takes a little time and practice before morning exercise becomes a habit.
Need something convincing? Let's take a closer look at some of the benefits of exercising early in the morning.
1. Morning Exercises Improve your Metabolism
Excessive post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) is a buzzword in the fitness industry. This basically means that your body burns more calories after a workout, even when you're sitting at a desk or driving your car. One study showed that participants burned an additional 190 calories in 14 hours after exercise compared to those who did no exercise at all.
This works perfectly with your morning workout routine. Get up, get moving, increase your metabolic rate, and then start eating. Every time you eat, your body can do one of 3 things with the calories you take in.
- It can be used as an energy source.
- It can be used to rejuvenate your body
- You can store it for later (meaning fat!)
What do you think happens when you eat after exercise? Yes, you nourish your body. What happens when you eat later in the day while your metabolism is still recovering from your morning workout? You guessed it: You're replenishing your body and saving calories to meet your higher metabolic needs. You don't get this benefit when you exercise later in the day.
2. Good Morning Exercise Routine will help develop consistency
Exercising in the morning ensures that your exercise program is not interrupted by other daily things that may seem more urgent. For example, if you work out at night, you risk being late for work, feeling overwhelmed with the tasks you have to do, or taking on the burden of other unexpected tasks. There goes your training.
First thing in the morning is the time of day when something is least likely to show up. This is the time to establish consistent exercise.
Other times, you may simply feel too tired to exercise at the end of a long day. But, in the morning, there's nothing to distract you from getting down to work. Exercising will be your top priority and will be done.
3. Morning exercise improves your physical and mental energy
Participating in morning workouts is a perfectly normal cup of coffee. Awaken your body and prepare your mind.
Movement can be a huge source of energy, and it's something that many need as we begin the day. But then, morning exercises have been shown to improve focus and mental abilities throughout the day. Not only will you feel awake and have more energy after your workout, but your mind will be ready to take on whatever task you set out for that day.
Some research has measured the effectiveness of exercise in "waking up" the mind, and results show that it works better than coffee.
A short period of exercise has been shown to be more effective than a cup of coffee in enhancing cognitive abilities.
4. Early morning exercises help you develop strong self-discipline
I don't think anyone would argue with me when I say that getting up early in the morning to exercise improves personal discipline. Like any habit, developing the discipline to get up and exercise in the morning becomes easier over time.
Perhaps most importantly, this discipline is likely to extend to other areas of your life. After all, if you work hard to exercise every morning, then combining this work with healthy eating, for example, only makes sense.
5. A morning exercise routine will help you sleep better
Getting up early in the morning to exercise will help you sleep better. Your body will enjoy a healthy feeling of tiredness at the end of the day and be ready for bed. Say goodbye to the twists and turns that happen when your body is in turmoil!
I don't make this up either. In a recent study, participants exercised at 7 a.m., 1 p.m. M. Or 7 pm. 3 days a week. Guess who slept the deepest and longest? Yes, they were the ones doing the training sessions at 7am!
Morning exercises not only improve the duration of sleep you will enjoy, but also improve the quality of your sleep by promoting deeper sleep cycles.
Evening exercise can have the opposite effect. Exercise is a form of stress, and your body reacts to stress by releasing hormones, including adrenaline. Are you going to take a shot of adrenaline and then expect to fall asleep a little later? (I do not think so)
6. Morning exercise allows you to reach your fitness goals faster
As mentioned earlier, getting up early in the morning to exercise gives a high priority to fitness. Whether you know it or not, committing to something (in this case, morning exercise) that requires sacrifice (in this case, sleeping in) creates a compelling argument in your mind that says, "You had better deserve it!"
No one wants to get up early every morning to exercise if they don't see results. The sacrifice required will subconsciously push you to work harder, find other ways to support your workout results, and help you stick to the process for a longer period of time (hopefully for a lifetime!). A goal-oriented mindset is enhanced by the sacrificial habit of morning practice.
7. Work out in the morning and love your life!
Should I discuss this? You've built a strong habit of exercising in the morning, your metabolism is spurring, your body looks and feels better, you sleep well at night, and your mind is sharper than ever. Are you already enjoying your new life?
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