Working out is a personal journey and the best time to work out is whenever you’re most comfortable. However, there are perks to starting your day with a good sweat. It is crucial to take advantage of the many morning workout benefits.
For instance, it’s so easy to miss your evening workout because you missed your alarm. Social meetups and family events also happen at this time, so you may opt to skip your exercise.
Some Important Morning Workout Benefits
Studies reveal that around 79% of Americans work out, and among them, 50% prefer to do so in the morning.1 Early morning workouts are highly beneficial. If you’re having a hard time sticking to your fitness and training routine, they might just be the solution.
Here are 5 reasons you should start your day with an early morning exercise.
It Sets the Tone for the Day
Have you noticed how happier you feel after a workout session? When you exercise in the morning, your body produces dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin, which are feel-good chemicals transmitters. This then boosts your mood and leaves you feeling more fulfilled.
Regular morning exercise has several mental benefits. For instance, it helps in the secretion of neurotransmitters that help with your attention span and promote mental clarity. Exercise also reduces depression, and regular morning sessions will make you feel rejuvenated.
You’ll get a sense of achievement which you’ll carry throughout your day. Studies also show that people who work out in the morning are generally more active and that early exercises have more weight loss benefits.2
Boosts Your Energy Levels
Sometimes all you need is a successful morning workout to keep you going. If you start your morning with high energy levels, then you’ll be productive throughout the day. The morning activity will trigger the production of mitochondria, which will, in turn, enhance energy production to meet your needs.
Studies have also shown that exercise provides you with more energy than a cup of coffee.3
It Enhances Your Sleep Quality
Have you ever had an evening workout but then had a hard time sleeping afterward? Or took a late-night class but couldn’t fall asleep even though you were exhausted? You did not imagine the connection.
Engaging in exhausting activities stimulates your body. This, in turn, makes it harder for you to fall asleep. If you, however, work out in the morning, you get an instant energy boost. Your body will also be well relaxed in the evening, making it easy for you to have a deep night’s sleep.
It Helps You Burn More Fat
If you work out first thing in the morning, you’ll burn more calories. This is because you’ll likely be exercising on an empty stomach, which means you’ll be using your energy reserves.
Early morning workouts also help you consume fewer calories.
You may think that after the workout, you’ll be so hungry that you end up eating a lot of food. However, studies have shown that people who work out in the morning are less likely to feed during the day. Since you started the day trying to smash your fitness goals, you’ll also be less inclined to eat foods that will jeopardize your progress.
It Helps You Avoid Procrastination
Regular morning exercises are the best way to establish a fitness and training routine. You’ll be less distracted and full of untapped energy, so you will work out for longer. Once you’ve established a routine, you’ll be less likely to miss a workout session.
Evening workouts, on the other hand, are very easy to skip. You may get off work later; you could have prior commitments or are simply too tired to work out. This reduces your consistency which in turn makes it easier to miss subsequent sessions.
Enjoy the Benefits of Morning Workouts
Working out regularly comes with fatigue. Recovery is thus an important aspect of fitness. Good recovery comprises getting good sleep and making use of recovery modalities available. Modern recovery methods like cryotherapy are becoming commonplace and highly beneficial for people who work out regularly.
If you’re having a hard time sticking to your fitness and training routine, you should try beginning the day with a workout season. You’ll be more energized during the day, you’ll burn more calories, and your sleep quality will increase.
You’ll also have an easy time establishing and sticking to a routine.
Links to Sources Used
- Mornings are the most popular time for Americans to work out – https://today.yougov.com/topics/lifestyle/articles-reports/2018/10/02/mornings-are-most-popular-time-americans-work-out
- Morning Exercise May Offer the Most Weight Loss Benefits – https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/31/well/move/morning-exercise-may-offer-the-most-weight-loss-benefits.html
- Exercise versus caffeine: Which is your best ally to fight fatigue? – https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/exercise-versus-caffeine-which-is-your-best-ally-to-fight-fatigue-2017060811843
