In the past, we’ve written about how stretching before bed and doing another light exercise can help you sleep. But today, we’re looking at how morning routines can help set you up for a great day. There is both science and practicality behind starting your day with exercise.
Staring your day with exercise doesn’t have to mean going for a run. No matter your leave of fitness or physical ability, you can begin your morning with your healthy exercise routine. If that’s with chair stretching, a walk or something more strenuous is wholly up to you!
It can be a great way to start your day on the right note and get you into a healthy headspace. Once you’ve taken one healthy step, it’s easier to take another. Exercise boosts your metabolism, so doing it in the morning can help kickstart your metabolism for the day. Working out also releases feel-good endorphins while also lowering the stress hormone cortisone so you can aid your mood.
There are other purely practical reasons for exercising in the morning. It can save you a shower! If you’re someone who showers every morning and then breaks a sweat when exercising, you can exercise before your morning wash and save both time and water. Another highly practical reason is that you won’t be interrupted. The phone is less likely to ring, people are less likely to stop by, the stores haven’t opened. There simply isn’t as much to distract you.
Our most significant reason to exercise in the morning is a mental one. While the saying goes, “There’s no time like the present,” when it comes to exercise, many of us feel like we’ll get to it later. But then later doesn’t come. With the best intentions in the world, things get in the way. If exercise isn’t your favorite part of the day, it can be easy to prioritize everything over a workout. Before you know it, the day is over, and you haven’t moved as much as you meant to. That’s why we think starting your day with exercise is great: you get it done and get on with your day on the right track. It doesn’t have to be a chore you feel guilty for never getting around to; you did it first thing. That in and of itself can feel great for people who aren’t enthusiastic about working out: it’s over before the day begins.
So, start the day off with exercise. Depending on your personality, you’ll start out with a boost, or you’ll get an arduous task done before breakfast! Either way, it’s a great way to welcome the morning, and your mind and body will thank you!
