Love morning exercise
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I am not a morning person. Actually let me clarify that. I'm not usually a morning exercise person. I like mornings as I do most of my work then. I get up around 6.45am - 7am depending how bright the sun shines through the blinds. OK 7am is probably not earlybird for some but is early for me! Then I usually head to my office to do emails, write training plans, update site etc for about 30-45min. Then its brekky. |
Well that was before I started doing my 8 week challenge, where
now most days I'm up for a quick check of morning emails, coffee
and then do exercise. Admittedly not long cardio, about
30mins but at least its a kickstart to the day. So now my
work (and you the viewers) have to wait until I've done
my exercise before any work is done. So thanks for
waiting!
It took me a while to enjoy exercise in the morning as I usually
trained in the afternoon. But after getting into a good routine and
telling my body to find energy from somewhere at that time, cardio
has been good espcially with Trixie as she has to be
exercised. I try to get outdoors to do fast walking or stairs
as time seems to fly by much faster than doing stationary bike and
watching the telly....and the clock. Once I'm up and about
and out the door, I feel fine.
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a. Exercising in the morning
energizes you for the day-not to mention that gratifying
feeling of virtue you have knowing you've done something
disciplined and good for you. (Much better than a
worm!) |
b. Studies have shown that exercise
significantly increases mental acuity-a benefit that lasts
four to ten hours after your workout ends. Exercising in the a.m.
means you get to harness that brainpower, instead of wasting it
while you're snoozing.
c. When you exercise at about the same time every
morning-especially if you wake up regularly at about the same
time-you're regulating your body's endocrine system and circadian
rhythms. Your body learns that you do the same thing just about
every day, and it begins to prepare for waking and exercise several
hours before you actually open your eyes. That's beneficial
because:
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Your body's not
"confused" by wildly changing wake-up times, which means
waking up is much less painful. (You may even find that you don't
need an alarm clock most days.). Hormones prepare your body for
exercise by regulating blood pressure, heart rate, blood flow to
muscles, etc. Your metabolism, along with all the hormones involved in activity and exercise, begin to elevate while you're sleeping. As a result, you'll feel more alert, energized, and ready to exercise when you do wake up. |
e. Many people find that morning exercise has a tendency to regulate their appetite for the
rest of the day. Not only do they eat less (since activity
causes the release of endorphins, which in turn diminishes
appetite), they also choose healthier portions of healthier
foods.
f. People who consistently exercise find, sometimes to their great
surprise, that the appointed time every morning evolves into something they look forward
to. Besides the satisfaction of taking care of themselves,
they find it's a great time to plan their day and think more
clearly-things most of us often don't get to do otherwise.
g. Exercising first thing in the morning is the most foolproof way to ensure that other things
don't overtake your fitness commitment, particularly if you have a
hectic family life.
More than 90% of those who exercise consistently have a morning fitness routine. If you want to exercise on a regular basis, the odds are in your favor if you squeeze your workout into the a.m.
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Non-morning people can always trick themselves in the a.m. Having trouble psyching yourself up for a sunrise walk, bike or jog? Do what I did-tell yourself that you'll still be so fast asleep that you won't even remember-much less mind! |
Lisa 'earlybird'
Menzies
Go Figure
