Exercising every single morning has become an unconscious ritual in my life. When I spend the early hours of the morning exercising and being in what I call “the zone”, I set myself up for the rest of the day ahead.

Setting my day up ensures that I am in a peak performance state, and I know I can tackle anything challenging which comes my way. I’m willing to go the extra mile and have the energy to do so.

Exercise can be a powerful state that changes your physiology. After a few years of training, you will become somewhat hooked to those “feel good” hormones accompanying a great workout. Whether you work out in the mornings or afternoons, there is no right or wrong. The best time to work out is suitable for you and that can be scheduled daily.

Most people appreciate a morning workout for the following reasons:

1. They are less likely to be interrupted by family, phone calls, emails and messages.
2. It doesn’t interfere with their work and family schedules.
3. It’s a great incentive to get their workout completed first thing.
4. They are less likely to make excuses in the afternoons,

If you have contemplated morning workouts for a while, consider the following advantages if you’re on the fence about starting an early fitness regimen. 

• Physical activity, regardless of when it is done, enhances focus and concentration, attention, visual learning and decision making throughout the day. A morning workout, on the other hand, can be just what you need if you’re having difficulties concentrating during the day.

It’s not just me that thinks that, according to a 2019 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, morning exercise enhances attention, visual learning, and decision-making,

Participants in the study conducted a series of 8-hour days of prolonged sitting with and without a 30-minute morning treadmill walk. They also took 3-minute walking breaks every 30 minutes on some days.Morning exercise was linked to improved cognition throughout the day, particularly when combined with regular breaks.

This alone stimulates better cognition and concentration. Rather than giving into sugar cravings at 3 pm, why not walk in the sunshine for a few minutes and watch how much your energy changes.

• Being physically active in the morning increases your chances of doing even more activity during the latter part of the day.

When you work up a sweat exercising, oxygen and nutrients travel to your heart and lungs. As a result, exercise dramatically improves your cardiovascular system, endurance and stamina. This is excellent news if you want to decrease your body weight or lead a more active lifestyle.

• It helps to sleep better and longer. After completing a morning workout, participants seem to spend more time in deep sleep — proclaims a 2014 study in Vascular Health and Risk Management. Those who work out in the morning also experience fewer nighttime awakenings, as well as taking less time to fall asleep.

If you want to achieve your best every day and bypass exhaustion — then definitely continue to work out every morning — even for 10 minutes.

• It will help you make healthier choices during the day. It makes sense that when you start the day by making a healthy choice, then you will be more likely to continue the flow and finish the day off right.

Morning exercise can even help you eat better…without even trying.
2,680 college students underwent a 15-week fitness program in a 2018 study published in the International Journal of Obesity Trusted Source. Three 30-minute cardio workouts were scheduled each week.

The pupils were not required to alter their dietary habits. Those that persisted with the program, on the other hand, made healthier meal choices, such as avoiding red meat and fried items.

The findings indicate how exercise can encourage healthier eating, even though the study didn’t assess the ideal time of day to exercise. Keeping your energy flowing to make the most out of your day will progress towards making healthy nutritional choices.

• In general, exercise helps to control your appetite by lowering the hunger hormone ghrelin. Satiety hormones such as peptide YY and glucagon-like peptide-1 are also increased. Walking for exercise in the morning, on the other hand, may help you regulate your appetite even more.

A study in  2012, asked 35 women to walk on a treadmill for 45 minutes in the morning.  The women’s brain waves were then measured while they saw photographs of flowers (the control) and food.

The process was repeated a week later, but this time without the morning exercise. The women’s brains responded to food photographs more strongly when they didn’t exercise in the morning, according to the study. The study was published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise and may show that working out in the morning can help your brain respond better to food cues.

• Physical activity is one of the most effective strategies to naturally lower blood pressure.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects one out of every three persons in the United States. However, a tiny 2014 study published in Vascular Health and Risk Management, suggests that exercising first thing in the morning is the best option.

Twenty pre-hypertensive people exercised on a treadmill at 7 a.m., 1 p.m., and 7 p.m. in three independent sessions. A medical gadget was also worn by the subjects to track their blood pressure response. The most beneficial blood pressure changes occurred on 7 a.m. workout days, according to the study.

• It puts you in a better and more positive mood. Physical activity is an all-natural stress reliever. Endorphins, the “feel-good” neurotransmitters responsible for the runner’s high, are produced in greater quantities during exercise. You’ll also have a sense of accomplishment, which will give you a positive outlook for the rest of the day.

It makes a big difference to your self-confidence when you practice self-love. Showing you want the best for yourself can put you in a great mood — and bring out a cheerful and motivating nature.

As a morning exerciser, I could not think of training my mind and body any other time of the day.  I feel that I’m not my best self without some self-care during the early hours.

Perhaps it’s a mix of having some time on my own, pushing those limiting beliefs out the window by doing things I didn’t think I was capable of…whatever I do, I never regret the extra effort made or going to bed early to make it happen. Without this simple ritual every morning, I don’t feel as though I could move ahead as positively and productively as possible.

Morning exercise provides the foundation for making positive choices throughout the day without forcefully motivating yourself to do so. It’s a win-win all around. I urge you to try out the morning shift and see what a difference it makes in your own life.

• Share this post: