Let’s be honest here… some people are morning people and some people are… not. I am one of those that is not a morning person, so starting to exercise in the morning has been a huge struggle. BUT I have learned that it gives me a healthy start to the day, and sets me up for a higher likelihood of success that day. To wind down from my workday, I also exercise for a short period after work as well. Do you exercise first thing in the morning? There are a few awesome boosts that it can do for you.
Here are a few:
· Treats are not as tempting! Do you ever get those mid-morning or mid-afternoon cravings for sweets? I know most of us do. You get in those “slumps” where you need a boost of energy. Well, guess what? When you start your day off with exercise, you are less likely to crave unhealthy treats during the day. Would you really want to eat a giant piece of cake if you had started your day with exercise in the morning? You are more likely to think back to the exercise you did, and see it as a waste if you have that sugar-filled cake.
· You’ll be in a good mood all day! You know that nice endorphin boost that you get after exercise? Exercise releases mood-boosting hormones, so if you exercise in the morning, you’ll have that boost for the rest of the day. Exercise also reduces stress hormones, so you will be in a more relaxed state, which also helps improve mood.
· You will think more clearly! I don’t know about you, but when I exercise in the morning before going to work, I think more clearly all day. Since my stress and anxiety levels are lowered, I can concentrate on my tasks more efficiently and manage my time better. Exercise increases blood flow all throughout your body, therefore extra blood is pumped to your brain as well! More blood means more energy and oxygen, which makes your brain perform at its best.
· You’ll sleep better! Exercising too late in the day interferes with sleep hormones for some people. Personally, I can sleep even if I exercise late in the day, but some people cannot. Exercise can give you a big energy boost, which might keep you up longer than normal. This is totally on a person-by-person basis and can vary. If you frequently have trouble sleeping, try a morning workout instead!
Now, a popular question – How do I make myself wake up early to exercise? We all know that waking up earlier than needed to work out takes a lot of willpower, especially if you are not a morning person. If you are not a morning person, today is your lucky day, because I have a few tips to help you get up for your morning workouts.
· Lay out your clothes before bed! This handy trick is something I use every day. I lay out all of my clothing on the bathroom counter before bed. That may sound like a weird place, but I get up earlier than my husband and do not want to wake him up by turning on the light to find my clothes! This just makes it easier on yourself when you get up earlier.
· Wear your clothes to bed! OK, if laying your clothes out before bed didn’t help, you can always WEAR them to bed! I have done this before too. It’s always easier to work out when you are already dressed! I work out at home, currently with Chalean Extreme and T25, so all I need is a sports bra and shorts and I am dressed!
· Move your alarm clock across the room! Set your alarm with a super annoying tone, and move it across the room. Some people even move their alarm clock outside of the room, so they have to go farther to turn it off, but there is no way that I would hear mine. If you move it across the room, then it isn’t as easy to press SNOOZE. You would have to get out of bed to press snooze, which most of us will not do. Once I’m up, then I am up!
· Set up a date with a friend! This one is easy… if you have a friend waiting for you to arrive at the gym or the park to work out, you will not leave them hanging! Or if you would, you’re not a very nice friend…
Whitney J DeLong
