Five Benefits of Morning Exercise

benefits of morning exercise

We all know one person (or at least follow one on Instagram) who gets up every morning at 4:00 am to workout. If you’re not a morning person, this seems absolutely insane – especially when there are 12 more hours in a day to exercise!

However, there are actually some major benefits of morning exercise. And while 4:00 am is a little extreme, giving yourself an extra 30-40 minutes each morning before work or school may become your new favorite way to wake up! As you work on crafting your summer body, the sun is rising earlier, and morning exercise might be something you should consider. Here are a few benefits, as well as a few tips for getting it done.

Morning Exercise Boosts Your Metabolism

There is a phenomenon called Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), which fitness experts have known about for years. There are several things to understand about EPOC, but the main takeaway as it relates to morning fitness routines is that your body actually burns calories after a workout thus stimulating your metabolism and kicking your body into gear for the day.

Morning Exercise Helps You Develop Discipline & Consistency

Let’s be honest – exercising every morning is difficult! However, when you will yourself to do it, it becomes easier over time and you start to develop self-discipline. Perhaps the discipline you achieve from your morning workout routine will spill over into other areas of your life.

It’s also easier to establish a consistent routine when you work out in the mornings. Throughout the day, you lose motivation, distractions occur, enticing offers come up, and life just happens. All of a sudden, it’s 9:00 pm and you’re exhausted. This happens to everyone! But, when you’re dedicated to exercising each morning, before you do anything, you’re much less likely to skip out on a session.

Morning Exercise Boosts Your Energy & Mental Clarity

The best, all-natural stimulant you can give to your body each morning is exercise! There is a notion that exercise can actually tire you out, and while it may feel this way during and immediately after a long session, exercising actually produces energy in your body at a cellular level.

To get this energy boost – you don’t have to over-do it. Even 5 minutes of high-intensity movement each morning can boost cognitive function, so get out of bed and hop on that treadmill, rower, or elliptical first thing!

Morning Exercise Improves Your Sleep

Wait, isn’t this counter-intuitive? If I want better sleep, I need to wake up earlier!? There actually is something to this. The optimal time of day for exercise is around 7:00 am, and research has shown that people who work out at this time sleep longer and sleep deeper.

Additionally, strenuous workouts before bed can hurt your sleep quality because of the boost in body temperature and stimulation you receive when you’re supposed to be winding down. Take it easy in the evenings with some stretching, yoga, or meditation instead.

Morning Exercise Improves Your Mood

As we’ve mentioned, exercising in the mornings is not an easy thing to do. But achieving difficult tasks boosts self-confidence, and a boost in confidence can improve your mood! It also gives you a sense of accomplishment – you’ve treated your body right first thing, before your day even started, and carrying this with you throughout the day can do wonders for your mood and self-esteem.

There’s also physiological reasoning behind this idea. Certain types of workouts release endorphins, which can give you a tangible mood boost. This feel-good hormone boost generally comes with more intense workouts, but remember – there are plenty of reasons to be happy and confident after a 15-20 minute morning workout.

Tips For Starting a Morning Exercise Routine

You understand the benefits, but how can you motivate yourself to get started? Here are a few ways:

  • Put your alarm across the room, so you’re forced to get out of bed to turn it off.
  • Layout your workout clothes and a bottle of ice water before you go to sleep – wake up, chug the water, and get going.
  • Turn on your favorite motivational music first thing.
  • Start slow – if you’re just beginning your fitness journey, start with just 5 minutes of movement in the morning, then increase the time and intensity of the session each week.
  • Just do it! Will power is a valuable thing and you have it. Pull yourself out of bed, don’t second guess anything, and start moving. After a couple weeks, this will get so much easier.

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