By Peteni Kuzwayo – Team Vitality Club Manager
Today is Global Running Day, but I’m not going to gear you up for a Comrades Marathon just yet. My role is to encourage people to move a little more every day and motivate ordinary people, who need an incentive to get going, for their good health.
Even if you don’t think you’re a “morning person”, this is why getting your exercise done first thing can be ideal.
Here’s why and how you should start workouts in the morning:
Exercise boosts your metabolism
A 2019 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that morning exercise improves attention, visual learning, and decision-making. Another study, which looked at the effects of a 45-minute vigorous intensity exercise session, showed a significant elevation in post-exercise energy consumption that could last for up to 14-hours. This means that by putting in a solid exercise session in the morning, you will burn more kilojoules throughout your day – which can help you lose weight faster. The earlier you exercise in the day, the sooner you can experience the benefits and the more effective your workout will be.
Powerful way to boost your health in the morning
Aside from being a powerful metabolism booster; exercise has positive effects on your heart rate and blood pressure.
Exercise helps develop consistency and self-discipline
Scheduling an exercise session in the afternoon or evening makes it easier to procrastinate or cancel entirely; your day can fill up quickly and other priorities may take preference. When you work out in the morning, you prioritise your health and exercise becomes one less thing on your to-do list that day.
Exercise lowers stress and anxiety
Exercise can lift your spirits. When you start exerting yourself, your body releases hormones which help to regulate your mood, energy, motivation and attention. Exercise also releases endorphins which help relieve pain, stress and anxiety.
Here are my top 5 tips to get a morning exercise routine going:
1. It's obvious – go to bed early. Lying in bed isn't good enough if you're still watching or reading something – even if your blue light filter is on. Ensure your bedroom is as dark and quiet as you can manage. Clear your mind and take a few deep breaths to help you drift off faster.
2. Set out your exercise clothes the night before to make things easier and faster in the morning.
3. Don't hit the snooze button. Position your alarm on the other side of the room, forcing you to get up from bed to switch it off. When it wakes you, don't lie there debating whether or not to get up – the less you think about it, the better. Just heave yourself up and go, and you will feel much better afterwards.
4. Remember to do an effective warm-up. A few leg swings or air squats to raise your core temperature and prepare the muscles for the workout ahead at the start of your morning training session. Your body temperature will be lower than in the afternoon.
5. Make your morning session something fun such as walking your dog, running or going to gym with a buddy over a training session or doing a park run on weekends or the Vitality Run Series races with your entire family.
Give a morning routine a shot for just a few weeks and surprise yourself with how quickly it becomes a happy norm. As author Brian Tracy once said, "You can make excuses or you can make progress". Join Team Vitality and we will be by your side to help you get those good habits going strong.