Early morning workouts – 5 reasons to set your alarm
Ever wondered why athletes often make sure they get in an early morning workout or training session? Let me assure you – it’s not only to get it out of the way for the day, or because we are all happy morning people! There is always a method behind the madness when it comes to sports training.
As an athlete my reason was simple, I knew that an early morning workout would positively affect my performance and attitude. Getting up early requires discipline and athletes with discipline are successful. After adjusting to the initial shock of opening my eyes before the sun was up and getting used to the routine, I realized that I performed better early in the morning. My training stats confirmed my hunch – when I was a professional sprinter I achieved more during my early morning training sessions.
Scientifically it makes sense that our body is more efficient after a good rest and, as most people get their largest dose of rest and recovery at night, the morning is a time when your body is firing on all cylinders. You may also find you are more focused early in the morning before you face the challenges of your day-to-day task list. As a competitor, I also wanted to train my body to be ready if I ever had an early race. We talked about why competitions can help with personal fitness a few weeks ago and it’s important to prepare your body if you want to win a race that starts at the crack of dawn.
While you may not be preparing for your next race, there are good reasons for setting your alarm early and jump-starting your day with a positive jolt. I love to take athletic principles and use them in the fitness world and this idea can make a huge difference as you work towards your fat loss and fitness goals.
Five early morning workout tips to help you get up & get going
Focus
An early morning workout will free up the rest of your day and allow you to focus on the things you need to achieve. I find that the clear mind I get from jogging gives me the peace and quiet I need to plan my day and to make sure nothing is forgotten. Try using part of your exercise time to decide how you will spend your day so that you can make the most of your time.
Prioritize
We all have good intentions and I hear from so many people who say they always PLAN to workout but, over the course of each day, their time just fills up and they don’t prioritize exercise over the hundreds of other things they need to do.
How many times have your good fitness intentions gone to waste because your day became hectic, leaving you with no time or energy to take care of your body? By getting up early and starting your day with a workout, your plans can’t be derailed.
Be Positive
Improve your mood with a natural rush of healthy hormones. Exercise promotes the release of happy endorphins in your body. Starting your day with an early morning workout will generate a happy, positive feeling that will impact your own life and the lives of people you come into contact with all day long.
Achieve
Success and the feeling of achievement will help you to build confidence. There are few better feelings than accomplishing a goal, both in sports and in life. By setting good habits and working out early, you are achieving a goal of being active. Confidence is a terrific byproduct that comes from determination and success.
Metabolize
Morning workouts can help you to burn extra fat throughout the day. By kick-starting your day with exercise, you are also boosting your metabolism and forcing your body to use energy to re-generate during the day. Exercise can improve your resting metabolic rate, which can make your body more efficient at burning calories.
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Not swayed by my five reasons to exercise early? Well, as I always say: some exercise is better than no exercise and, really, whatever time of day you can squeeze in a workout is fine. Just so long as you do squeeze in the time to be active in some way every day!
I know there are a multitude of reasons why an early morning workout may not be for you. My hope is that this list will help you avoid the common mistake of deprioritizing exercise as I believe feeling fit will bring a heap of benefits into your life. Many people tell me that they feel a sense of guilt if they don’t start their day with activity or if they, once again, fail to fit in an after-work workout. I also find that starting your day positively by taking care of your body can boost your performance in other areas of life. By making your workout one of the first things you do each day, you side step the risk of exercise becoming a chore that you can keep delaying as other activities take precedence.
Exercise at any time of day can provide your mind and body with a life-changing boost. Just make an effort to be consistent and don’t let excuses stop you from being the best you can be.
Written by Samantha Clayton, AFAA, ISSA. Samantha is Director of Fitness Education at Herbalife.
Tags: Discover Good Fitness, DiscoverGoodFitness, early morning workout, Exercise advice, fitness expert, Get fit & feel great, Herbalife, how to, Samantha Clayton, workout tips
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Try the 24 line.
Oh my!! Forgot to mention some of the most important micronutrients… Herbalife supplements: F2 Multivitamin 3xday, F3 Cell Activator 2xday !!!
Morning Routine: Shot of warm Herbal Aloe concentrate, 1 hot cup of Herbal Tea Concentrate, Formula 1 Sport Healthy Meal with 4Tbsp of Personalized Protein Powder mixed in the blender with 3 ice cubes & 1 cup of water, then 1 packet of Herbalife24 Hydrate in my H24 green water bottle mixed with 1 serving (2 scoops) of Herbalife24 Prolong, and then I get changed ready to workout, and take 1 serving (2 scoops) of Herbalife24 Prepare… Then Hit It!! Work out for 20-30 minutes…
Then Post Workout: 1 Herbalife24 Rebuild Strength Shake (mix 2 scoops) straight away with water in my shaker cup!! INCREDIBLE PRODUCTS!!
If later that day/evening, I begin to feel any sign of muscle soreness, I take an Herbalife24 “Restore” tablet before bed (or mid-day, if necessary).
Right before bed, take 2 Sleep Now and sleep soundly, and wake up feeling rested and ready for my day!! Sleep now helps you get the most incredible restful sleep!!
Warm Wishes To All!!
http://www.goherbalife.com/coachszynski
I miss those days when I was able to get up for squash & a swim before work, swim during lunch & a bike ride or run early evening. It’s like being addicted – but to something good. Now I work 18-20+ hours a day. I get way too little sleep so there is no way I will manage getting up early for exercise. I ache for the luxury of a normal life with enough time for useful regular exercise, but I realize it has to be only after I had adequate rest. No getting around that it seems. Any ideas?
I feel so good working out in the morning.
I agree, it is the best way to start the day.
Half-hour walk with the dog, then 10min workout including press-ups. All preceded with F1 shake makes a good start for me.
To answer Jes question, I drink a protein shake after waking up, before going to the gym, and drink another protein shake after finish my workout, the shake is great because it fill you up, and is light to allow you to workout.
It is great if you eat within 30 mins after waking up, but it’ s no big deal if it is withih an hour too. When you wake up drink some water or green tea, workout for 30-40 minutes, or go jogging outside on a fresh early morning air. After that you have enough time to have your breakfast. It all easily fits within an hour. I’ll leave to Samantha to give you the choice of foods that will best suit your needs.
May she correct me if i wrote something wrong. Bye! ;-)
Glass of water. Herbalife shake with Personalised Protein 15 mins before morning exercise, for fuel. Herbalife shake with Personalised Protein within 15 minutes of stopping exercise, for repair. Glass of water. You can use Herbalife24 Hydrate in the water.
Adequate exercise is important. Adequate rest is also important.
I’ve heard many times, from different souces that it is best to eat within 30 minutes of waking up and also to have protein after your workout for muscle recovery. So I’m just wondering what and when are people eating if they work out in the morning. What is your typical morning routine?