Reasons to Love Morning Exercise

Let’s face it: getting up early is tough stuff.

After another late night catching up on work, tending your neighbor’s children, or partying with your friends, forcing yourself to crawl out of bed early in the morning is the last thing you want to do.

You’re tired. It’s cold and dark outside. And isn’t there some study or other that proves we’re not getting enough sleep each night?

However, if you were to set aside the excuses and started a new early morning routine, you’d be amazed at how much you can accomplish with your day.

Fight every moan and groan with one of these ten reasons to love morning exercise, and get your morning started on the right foot.

Why You Should Try an Early Bird Exercise Routine

1. It boosts your brainpower: There’s no doubt about it; exercise gets your heart pumping and blood flowing, which means a significant boost in mental acuity and focus. Some studies have shown that these exercise benefits last as long as 4 to 10 hours after you’ve finished your workout

2. It controls your appetite: Those who participate in early morning exercise have a greater tendency to keep their appetite under control for the rest of the day. Not only do they tend to choose healthier foods, but the increase in endorphins (‘feel-good’ hormones that are released during exercise) reduces the need for greater portions.

3. It increases your chances of success: Exercising in the morning allows you to set up a consistent schedule. Rather than crossing your fingers and hoping that you’ll find an extra half an hour to hit the gym after work, by participating in morning exercise, you can cross it off your to-do list without having to worry about it later.

4. It kickstarts your metabolism: Building muscle is a great way to boost your metabolism and burn more fat. By starting a morning exercise routine, you can significantly elevate your body’s ability to breakdown fats for as much as 24 hours!

5. It improves the quality of your sleep: Although some mornings it may feel as though you need the rest more than you need your exercise, by getting up 30 to 60 minutes earlier in the morning to exercise, you’ll be doing your body a favor. Those who exercise regularly report a dramatic improvement in how quickly they fall asleep and how deeply they sleep throughout the night –meaning you’ll be getting more sleep in the long run by getting up early.

6. It becomes a habit: The more you exercise in the morning, the better your body will feel. Eventually, you may find that you look forward to your early morning run rather than grudging your routine every minute of the day. Because exercise should be a lifelong goal, making your morning routine a habit can give you amazing benefits for years to come.

7. It increases your energy levels: Not only do you get the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve already gotten your exercise out of the way, but the increase in endorphins can boost your energy levels throughout the day. So you don’t have to rely on your chocolate covered afternoon pick-me-up to stay focused.

8. It aids in regulating hormones: If you make morning exercise your number one priority and force yourself to get up at the same time every day, you’ll be amazed at how well your body adapts to your new schedule. Consistent wake-up times make it easier for your body to synchronize its internal clock (circadian rhythm) with your regular exercise routine. Consequently, your body will naturally begin to prepare for exercise by producing essential hormones and raising your metabolism several hours before you crawl out of bed.

9. It fits into your busy schedule: For most people, finding time to exercise is like finding a twenty-dollar bill in their pocket from last winter: it happens from time to time, but it’s not a regular thing. However, by getting up and exercising in the morning, you won’t have to sacrifice your evening time, so you can devote the rest of your day to whatever errands, tasks, engagements, and demands that are unexpectedly placed upon you.

10. It decreases your risk of heart disease: Studies have shown that regular exercise can reduce your resting heart rate while lowering your cholesterol – both of which are essential for preventing coronary failure and other heart problems.

Do your heart a favor by resisting the urge to hit the snooze button. Your morning exercise is worth the few extra minutes of sleep.

More Information on Different Types of Exercise

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise is any exercise that raises your heart and breathing rates and works your muscles. It is considered by the American College of Sports Medicine to be an exercise that “uses large muscle groups, can be maintained continuously and is rhythmic in nature. This type of activity is essential for strengthening and maintaining a healthy heart and a strong set of lungs, and healthy, efficient circulatory and respiratory systems in general. It’s also an essential part of any routine that focuses on calorie burning and weight loss. The recommended daily amount of aerobic exercise per adult is generally about 30 minutes a day at least five days per week. To be done correctly, both the warm-up and cool-down periods should be included. Examples include running, jogging, swimming, dancing, tennis, and brisk walking.

Anaerobic Exercise (Strength Training)

Unlike aerobic exercise, anaerobic exercise is not something that is done for a sustained time. Instead, it is done in short bursts and utilizes stored energy within the muscles. It helps build and maintain strong, healthy, and efficient bones, tendons, ligaments, joints, and muscles, which means improved ability when it comes to many everyday activities and a reduced risk of injury in general. Incorporating anaerobic exercise into your fitness routine several times a week not only helps keep you at your strongest, but it helps keep you looking good as well. Examples include weight lifting, sprinting, and other types of interval training.

Flexibility Exercise

Also called stretching exercises, flexibility exercises help you develop a broader ability and range when it comes to movement and reduce your risk of injury while engaging in other types of activity. This type of exercise describes any activity that involves an extension of the limbs, and many kinds of basic flexibility exercises focus on specific muscle groups. Ensuring you maintain an optimum level of flexibility also reduces the tendency to naturally become stiffer and restricted with age. Examples of exercises that help build flexibility and improve range of motion include pilates, yoga, and tai chi.

While persons of all ages can benefit from becoming more active in general and incorporating physical activity into their routine, a well-rounded and effective workout routine will include at least some exercise of all three types. Some activities will, of course, fit into more than one category. Depending on what type of results you are looking to achieve from your workout routine, you may want to put particular emphasis on any one of the above categories

Additional Suggestions

Although early morning exercise might not be for everyone, it’s undoubtedly a great way to lose weight and burn more calories every day. If you need yet one more reason to exercise in the morning, keep in mind that you’ll probably be too sleepy to remember your workout anyway, so you can let your mind shut off, and your body takes over while you reap all the benefits. It’s a win-win situation, so what are you waiting for?

Set your alarm clocks 30-60 min earlier and see how much morning exercise can help you.