Exercising in the morning
By: Krista Cook
Starting a new exercise program is no easy feat. Starting an exercise program in the morning is even harder, but the rewards out weigh the snooze button bliss. Just like anything you start, be realistic, don’t start out with guns a blazin’…
If you aren’t a morning person, try waking up early in a progression. If your regular wake up time is at 7:00, try waking up at 6:45, and do a 7-minute workout. Once you’re feeling confident with this, try waking up at 6:30 and get 15-20 minutes of exercise in and progress from there. Getting the habit down is the most important part. The rest will come.
There are many benefits to exercising in the morning.
1. Exercising in the morning, keeps your evenings free. If you’re like me, your evenings tend to be fairly busy and I don’t like going to bed feeling guilty because I didn’t get my workout in.
2. Your physical and mental energy will be better. Exercise is a natural endorphin; which inspires your body to keep moving throughout the day.
3. Exercise is a great stress reducer and it also helps with your mood and who doesn’t want to start their day off in a great mood?
4. You’ll sleep better, being consistent with your morning exercise help improve your sleep patterns. Allowing for a deeper, longer and higher quality sleep.
5. Exercising in the morning with help boost your metabolism. This doesn’t give you license to eat poorly for the rest of the day. Being mindful of what you eat is very important.
Here are a few ideas to help you be successful in the morning.
1- Set your clothes out the night before. Check the weather forecast as well.
2- Make sure your lunch and breakfast prep are done the night before, so you won’t feel as rushed after your workout.
3- Schedule the workouts in advance, this way you don’t have to think about what you're going to do. You will only need to have a quick look at your schedule and off you go.
4- Be sure to get to bed on time consistently, especially if you aren’t a morning person. Staying up for “one more” episode of a show isn’t doing you any favours.
Exercising in the morning is all about routine. Once you get into the habit, you'll start to enjoy it more. You'll feel better and you’ve already accomplished something before you’ve “started” your day.
