Getting up early and working out before your day starts, might seem like an impossible task to some. But there are many reasons why you should at least attempt to make working out in the morning your new norm. Aside from the physical benefits, like increased metabolism, there are several other benefits to working out in the morning that you don’t necessarily see, but you’ll love them.
Releases Endorphins
What better way to start off your day than with a rush of endorphins. It’s common knowledge that exercise releases feel good hormones in your brain, but it’s worth pointing out again.
Study after study shows that mood increases significantly after a workout or even just a brisk walk around the block. The real question here is why wouldn’t you want to start off your day with some free, homemade anti-depressants?
Improves Your Focus
Exercising in the morning not only wakes up your body, but it also wakes up your brain. When your body is moving, your blood gets flowing and you naturally become more alert which can leave you feeling more focused and productive.
Regular aerobic exercise also boosts the size of the hippocampus, the area of the brain that’s involved in verbal memory and learning. Not interested in working up a sweat first thing in the morning? Research has found that after just 20 minutes of Hatha yoga, people performed better, both speed-wise and accuracy-wise, on brain functioning tests.
Provides a Sense of Accomplishment
Regardless of what the rest of your day entails, when you exercise first thing in the morning you can say without a doubt that you got at least one thing accomplished. You might miss a deadline, forget to pick up the dry cleaning, or blow off your book club, but at least you got your workout in for the day.
Whether you get satisfaction in crossing an item off your to-do list or in doing something great for yourself, having that sense of accomplishment during the day will help you sleep better at night.
Opens Up Your Day
Another benefit of working out in the morning, is that it leaves the rest of your day open to possibilities. Gone will be the days where you have to decline last minute happy hour plans because you need to get to the gym. You won’t have to stress out about cutting your workout time in half because you had to stay late at work, or scrap it altogether because of unexpected to-do items.
Working out in the morning completely eliminates having to choose between your workout and the rest of your life, because your workout is already done!
Boosts Energy
Whether you are a full-time parent or have a full-time job outside the home (or both!), we could all use a little more energy. It might seem counterintuitive but exercising and exerting energy can actually give you more!
Studies show that people who exercise in the morning, also increased their physical activity throughout the day. It’s also been shown that working out in the morning, compared to later in the afternoon or evening, may help individuals get more quality sleep at night. And better sleep means more energy the following day.
