Wake up at 5:30 am to go exercise?!?! You. Are. Crazy. That’s what I used to think of those early morning crazy people. In fact, the first time someone asked me to workout “in the morning,” I thought they were talking about the normal people morning, 8-9am.
No, they said, before the kids get up… 5 or 6am. I laughed. I told her there was NO WAY I was ever going to wake up to go exercise. I needed my beauty sleep! Who would want to voluntarily wake up before 6am?! Those people are nuts, I thought.
Two kids and about 5 years later, I can’t remember the last time I exercised in the evening. It’s like once you go early, you never go back. And gone are the days when I actually have time and energy to workout in the afternoon or evenings. Now don’t get me wrong, I still love my sleep and if there is an opportunity to sleep in and workout around 9am or so, I take it. But unfortunately those days are few and far between with young kiddos and responsibilities keeping me busy.
Benefits
Come to find out, we crazies that workout early morning aren’t that crazy if you think about the several benefits, both mental and physical, that exercising at the break of dawn has. This list could go on and on, but I’ve narrowed it down to what I think are the top benefits to an early morning workout:
Increases your energy throughout the day. Wake up super early and have more energy? Yep. Exercising releases endorphins in your body giving you an energy boost that will last well into the afternoon.
Increases your metabolism. Your body continues to burn calories long after a workout is over. Use this metabolism boost throughout the day while you’re eating rather then when you’re asleep.
Helps you manage cravings. By getting your exercise in early morning, you’ll be more likely to reinforce your positive choices by making better eating decisions throughout the day. Why put in a hard workout only to throw it away by eating an unhealthy lunch?
Gives you time in the evening with family. Use that extra time in the evenings to go on a walk or cook with your family. Working out before everyone else gets up frees up so much time later in the day!
Have you seen the sunrise over the beach? You don’t get to see it if you sleep in. Enough said.
Makes a stressful day more tolerable. Have you ever had a great workout and thought you could tackle the world afterwards? Take that feeling with you when you go to work or have a ton of things to do.
Helps you sleep better. Exercise stimulates your mind and body, so working out in the evening makes it difficult for your body to relax and get into resting mode. Studies have shown that those that exercise in the morning get better sleep and feel more rested throughout the day.
Tips
Getting up bright and early is definitely an adjustment that your body will have to get used to. Here are some tips to help make the transition a little easier:
Ease into it. Don’t go from never having woken up before 7 am to setting your alarm for 5 am every morning in the first week. Start with one day the first week and slowly add days. After a few weeks, your body will be adjusted to your new routine.
Go to bed early. For me, this is the hardest part. There is so much good trashy TV on that I just can’t bring myself to go to bed! The Bachelor is not near as exciting if you have to watch it on Tuesday. Unfortunately (or fortunately), those are the sacrafices you make for a healthy lifestyle. Your brain will thank you.
Get a buddy. Having a friend to meet is the key to getting up early. You’re less likely to hit snooze 5 times if you’re friend is counting on you to meet up. Not to mention the social aspect. Some of my best friends are my morning workout buddies. It’s like happy hour every morning!
Set out clothes the night before. Not setting clothes out the night before is a deal breaker for me. Having everything out and ready to go makes it so easy to just roll out of bed, get dressed and get out the door. No thinking required, my brain doesn’t work pre-coffee anyway.
Drink Coffee. If you are a coffee drinker you will know that this is an absolute necessity to have at least a little coffee before your workout. I usually make mine to-go and drink it on the way to wherever I’m going. For some reason knowing I can have coffee before I workout makes the whole getting up thing more tolerable.
Do you prefer early morning workouts or would you rather sleep in and go in the evening?
