The wonders of a good workout have been well documented by researchers. Even though it’s been said that there’s no “right” time for exercising, scientists have argued that morning workouts increase your alertness, improve your focus, support weight loss, and leave you in a better mood.
In addition to these, exercising in the morning also has some other benefits, namely:
- There are fewer distractions in the morning so you can focus better on the workout.
- You have more energy and motivation in the morning to exercise.
- It’s not as hot in the mornings as in the rest of the day. This helps you sweat those calories out without feeling the humidity take a toll on your mental health.
Now that we know how beneficial working out in the morning is, it’s important that we proactively take steps to incorporate it into our routine. But how does one go about it? This post discusses seven tips you can implement right now to start exercising every morning before you start your day.
1. Sleep well
If you have a good night’s rest, you will have no trouble waking up early. Don’t cut on the number of hours as less sleep can adversely impact your health. No matter how hectic your routine is, aim for seven to eight hours of sleep each night.
2. Gradually adjust your schedule
If you’re habituated to sleeping late and waking up in the afternoons, it might be difficult for you to suddenly accommodate a lot of exercise in your mornings. Don’t pressure yourself into making sudden changes.
Instead, gradually adjust your workout time. Instead of aiming to start exercising at 8 AM, slowly move your time to wake up time earlier and exercise right after you get out of bed.
Follow the steps in this post to wake up early.
3. Prepare your workout gear
Before you go to bed, set out your gym clothes, shoes, Yoga mat, and whatever else you need for your exercise. That way, when you wake up in the morning, seeing all your workout gear stored in one place will leave you with fewer excuses to skip your exercise for the day.
4. Plan breakfast the night before
The night before, make plans for an energizing meal to start your day. You can cut up and keep the ingredients ready so it doesn’t take you much time to make your breakfast. You can even prepare your meal and keep it in the refrigerator to be consumed in the morning without any extra effort.
5. Have an accountability partner
Having a friend who also has the same goals of working out in the morning is a great way to stick to your goals. However, not everyone is fortunate enough to have like-minded people in their network.
An easy way out of this tricky situation is to hire an accountability coach. These are experts trained in habit coaching and can help you stick to your goals and get back on track if you fall off the wagon for some reason.
You can also download a habit tracker and mark your progress each day. That way, seeing a calendar build up with an unbroken streak of working out in the morning will motivate you to keep pushing yourself.
6. Do exercise you enjoy
Before you make a workout plan with help from an expert or by taking tips from people who have done it on the internet, try new exercises and see what you like most. Your body will help you decide a plan that you enjoy the most and feel comfortable doing.
When you are truly excited about starting your workout right after you wake up, it’ll be easier to get out of bed and start your exercise regime.