Ever tried working out early in the morning? Did you experience better productivity and concentration throughout the day? This doesn’t really come as a big surprise since morning workouts will positively affect your mind and body. Exercise will help boost your metabolism, keep your burning more calories throughout the day and increase your heart rate. This also eliminates the need to schedule in your workout during the afternoon or after work.
A recent study concluded that exercising before taking in your first meal of the day can help reduce the risk of weight gain or overeating. The study was done of two groups of subjects. One were asked to exercise without eating breakfast and the other consumed breakfast before their workout. It showed that the group that was not able to have breakfast overate after the workout and the group that did consume less and showed no sign of resistance to insulin.
I may give you different more reasons to inspire you to work out early, but let’s face it; not all of us are morning people. Most of us are not given the mutual respectful relationship with our alarm clock. To help you get into morning workouts here are some tips and tricks to help you get motivated for working out in the morning.
Stretch It Out
When you’re tempted to hit that snooze button, remove your blanket and stretch it out. The simple action of moving and stretching your limbs can help you feel more awake. Keep your alarm ringing as you stretch in bed. This will also help decrease the time of your workout by skipping the warm up stretch. Start by sitting upright and crossing your bent leg over each other. Take the knee that is on top and pull it towards your chest. Repeat this process on the other side. After your first stretch, extend your legs straight and stretch your arms over your head, feel the stretch in your shoulder and back. Slowly try to reach your toes (Keep your leg straight). Your last exercise is the hamstring stretch. Bend one of your knees slightly, pull your other leg towards the sky. Hold on to your ankle or knee and pull it towards your head. Repeat this process on the other side. You’re now done with your stretching and
warmed up to work out.
The Sound of Your Alarm
Picking the right sound for your alarm can help make you more into a morning person. Waking up to a blood pumping beat can help motivate you to wake up. Go for songs that are lively and fun. Pick one that is your jam and a song that can always make you want to dance. Slow and repetitive alarms can at time sync into your normal beat, making you miss the alarm. Just remember to change your music atleast once a week. Hearing the same song over and over again will make you hate it.
Make It A Habit Not A Task
Making morning workouts a habit can help you make it as a lifestyle choice. Don’t think that waking up in the morning for 2 months every day to wake up is a good idea. Think of this as a long term goal. How many times a week can you wake up early, without sacrificing too much of your relaxation time or
physical health? When starting, stick to waking up three days in a row. Performing something three times in a row can help make it a habit. Once you get the hang of three days increase your schedule and stick by them.
Short Workouts
Like making it a habit, you can’t go full on beast mode in the beginning. You’ll end up getting sore muscles throughout the day and depleted energy levels. Start with short workouts, let your body adjust to the new schedule and don’t force yourself when you feel tired. Simply walk around outside a few minutes is enough. The more you get into the morning routine the easier the process will be.
Keep a Bottled Water beside You
Drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning can remove some of the haze of waking up and make you feel more refreshed. If you can drink a cold glass of water the better. It’s important to hydrate yourself first thing in the morning. This will also prevent you from getting dizzy due to dehydration
during your workout.
Not much of a morning person? So is half the world! Don’t worry, like most things we can learn to adapt and make it into permanent habit. Try following these tips and kick start your day with a good heart pumping workout.
