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Many of us already know that exercise is generally good for the body, however, what is the best period of the day to do it? Should you work out in the morning because it has even more advantages than working out in the mid-day or night?
Even if you are a morning person or go to bed late at night, the latest research in the field shows that morning exercises have many health benefits. One of the most wonderful things about being a morning exerciser is that you get to skip traffic and go straight to the gym. You’ve also got a few extra minutes to enjoy your morning coffee.
This article looks at some of the health benefits of morning workouts, and explains why you should make time for them, too.
1. Morning workouts are a great way to boost your metabolism
Any physical activity are the perfect way to increase your metabolism, but how? There are some basic principles that you can follow to maximize the effects of your workout. You need to be in a good mood and motivated.
Your body is in a state of adaptation — it will want to burn fat, not carbohydrates for energy. It’s also important that you don’t overdo it. The perfect way to do this is to exercise before you eat, and if necessary, eat something small and light to get you going.
2. A Morning Routine that Includes Exercise Will Help You to Stay Consistent Throughout the Day
The morning is a great time to get started on the day, and with the sun shining and the temperature rising, it’s a great time to avoid any distractions and kick-start your fitness routine. If you’re looking for a way to stay alert and consistent throughout the day, using a routine that combines strength training with some cardio might be just what you need.
There are plenty of ways to incorporate your morning exercise routine. For instance, you could head outside early in the morning for a jog and then get back in the house to work up a sweat session with some interval training.
3. Morning Exercise Allows You to Reach Your Fitness Goals Faster
Morning exercise allows you to reach your fitness goals faster by allowing your body to reset and repair itself. The hormone melatonin is released in the darkness of the morning, just as it is released in the darkness of the night, and it helps you fall asleep.
When you wake up, your internal clock catches up with the release of melatonin and allows you to achieve a state of wakefulness that lasts for 24 hours. This allows for the release of other hormones as well that support fat-burning in the morning. This is why choosing morning as best time to exercise is so important for achieving your weight loss goal and ultimately, a healthy lifestyle.
4. Morning Exercise is a Great Way to Start the Day and Provide You with Mental and Physical Energy
Physical activity is a great source of energy, something that we need when starting the day. Besides, working out in the morning was proven to enhance mental abilities and concentration throughout the day.
Morning exercise leads to distraction, it makes you forget about the stress that lives around you, which will make your day more productive as well as fun! Not only will you have more energy and feel more vigorous after training, but your mind will be ready to cope with all the tasks you have to perform that day.
Some neurotransmitters, endorphins and serotonin are also released during exercise, increasing the user’s euphoria until they have to stop or get hurt. As we all know, endorphins and serotonin are chemicals in the brain that make you feel happy when you exercise. It also turned out that endorphins decrease anxiety and depression.
This state of well-being can be maintained for the rest of the day. This effect is called post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) and it’s well known in sports circles. Many studies have been conducted on how long EPOC persists, but the consensus is that you can expect to burn an extra 150 calories (for a total of 500) in the 24 hours after a workout session.
5. Early Morning Workouts Can Help You Develop Better Self-Discipline
Needless to say, waking up early in the morning to workout involves strong personal discipline. And although it can be difficult at first, developing a discipline to wake up daily early in the morning to exercise becomes a routine over time.
The most important thing is that the discipline you have created will reflect on other aspects of your daily life, giving you a pleasant sense of accomplishment. Not only that but, if you have found the strength to exercise every morning, associating this with a healthier diet, for example, makes it a powerful combination.
6. An exercise routine in the morning can help you sleep better at night
You may not have thought but waking up early in the morning for a good workout will make you get a better night’s sleep. By practicing early in the morning you will improve not only the duration of sleep but also its quality, stimulating deeper sleep cycles.
A study done by the American College of Sports Medicine concluded that the more intense your workout is, the faster it may lead to a better deep sleep.
Morning workouts are the best in terms of your ability to get results and get enough and restful sleep at night, while avoiding any kind of energy depletion. A morning yoga session is great as it can help you relax more which will come in handy when performing cardio exercises at night. The morning routine should be short but intense so that it doesn’t take too much time out from one’s day.
7. Morning Exercises Reduce Diabetes Risk
Diabetes is a chronic disease that can lead to serious health consequences. One of the most important ways to limit the risk of diabetes is by exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet.
A recent study results were clear– taking a brisk walk every morning reduced the risk of diabetes by a remarkable 73%. Walking was the most effective way to prevent diabetes, with an additional 36% reduction of risk seen by walking in the morning.
Researchers at the University of Southern Denmark have found that people who exercise early in the morning are less likely to develop diabetes. The study involved 2,349 participants recruited from the general population and followed for a mean duration of 10 years. Those who exercised between 6 and 9 am had a 31 percent lower diabetes risk than those who did not partake in any exercise during this time.
8. Morning Workouts Reduce High Blood Pressure
One of the benefits of morning workouts is that it can dramatically lower blood pressure. A 2011 study of people with hypertension found that exercising at 6:30 a.m. reduced exercise-induced hypertension by up to 47 percent. Researchers theorize that this is due to the circadian rhythm.
Early morning exercise allows you to get your workout in while your body is most relaxed and your hypertension is at its lowest. And since you have more time, you can work out for longer. You can also take the opportunity to combine a 30-minute cardio workout with strength training.
9. Regular Morning Workouts Provides a Better Appetite Control
It’s a proven fact that exercising on an empty stomach will help make sure you’re not hungry before you eat, and will help you feel full and satisfied with every bite of food you eat after that. The exercise itself will also provide the same benefits in the form of increased heart rate and blood pressure. But it can also help to control your appetite/ manage your weight if you work out regularly, especially in the morning.
Morning exercise nutrition is what we should eat after workouts and should include carbs and protein. These are necessary for recovery after a workout. An example of healthier food choices is an apple with either peanut butter or almond butter as well as milk or water, almonds (or cashews), rice cakes, granola, oatmeal cookies etc.. The nutritional value of these items depends on their content in calorie-protein-carbs combination – all nutrients which are required by muscle tissue to repair and rebuild themselves.
10. The most important benefits of morning workouts is stress reduction
Morning workouts can be an excellent activity for relieving stress, thanks to a hormone produced naturally by the body, the so-called “stress hormone” – cortisol, and that is why I suggest you to become a morning exerciser. However, despite the health benefits of morning workouts, there is little evidence to show that they actually work as well as other forms of exercise, such as running.
It was only in the 1970s that the original studies were done on the effectiveness of regular exercise during the day. The results showed that the benefits of morning workouts would be to reduce stress, a lower blood pressure, and decreased heart rate. A study published at a university in Melbourne, Australia showed that morning workouts may be even more effective than evening workouts.
Conclusion
Morning workouts, or morning exercise routines, have become increasingly popular in the past decade. If your daily schedule allows it, the health benefits of morning workouts will be obvious. But what is the best time to exercise in the morning? It seems that best time of day would be 6am.
Even without working out, as long as you stick to a healthy diet and sleep well, you will feel much better than if you are tired all the time. As you can see, taking good care of your body is important for overall wellness. With these steps and consistency you can get started on a healthier life path that will put you in the best condition to achieve any goal you want.
Frequently Asked Questions
u003cstrongu003eWhy is working out in the morning better?u003c/strongu003e
There are several benefits of morning workouts. Morning exercisers tend to have more energy and focus than evening exercisers, which can help them stay on task during the day. They also tend to feel better physically after a morning workout than an afternoon one. Finally, people who exercise in the morning tend to eat less food later in the day, likely because they’re not as hungry.
u003cstrongu003eShould I work out before breakfast, after breakfast, or both?u003c/strongu003e
There is no definitive answer to this question since everyone responds differently to different types of exercise. However, some people believe that working out first thing in the morning can have benefits such as increased energy and improved mood, while others feel that exercising later in the day provides greater benefits such as a stronger physique and improved sleep quality. Ultimately it is up to each individual to decide what works best for them.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eNevertheless, waking up at 6am and exercising first thing can be challenging. Early workouts at 6am may be more beneficial for fat loss than exercising in the evening, according to a study published in 2019 by u003ca href=u0022https://rdcu.be/cpRmOu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eu003cemu003eInternational Journal of Obesityu003c/emu003eu003c/au003e.
u003cstrongu003eShould I use weights, body weight exercises, cardio machines, resistance bands or a combination of all of these for my morning workout routine?u003c/strongu003e
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the benefits of morning workouts will vary depending on your fitness level and preferences. However, some of the main benefits of morning workouts include increased energy levels, better exercise motivation and improved overall health. Accordingly, it is recommended that you use a combination of different types of exercises to maximize these benefits.
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About the Author
Adrian Kutnik is the Founder and Managing Editor at LiveHealthyandwell.com
Its purpose is to gather and share relevant information about how we can live a healthy lifestyle in today's environment.
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