Have you ever heard of the phrase “early bird gets the worm”? This popular saying advocates that starting your day early helps promote efficiency and retain energy throughout the day. We’ve also heard countless times about the benefits of consistent exercise in boosting energy levels and enhancing physical and mental productivity. So why not invest in a daily morning exercise routine to really foster a healthy lifestyle?
Benefits of Morning Workouts
Consistent morning workout, no matter how simple it may be, has several long-term benefits for health and general wellness.
1. Consistent exercise helps with weight management. Inactive or sedentary routines are an underlying cause of excessive weight gain or obesity. Exercise can help manage this weight by energy expenditure. Incorporating morning exercise for women who are prone to weight gain due to conditions like PCOS/PCOD or because of menstruation also helps with weight management. (1)
2. Some studies find that exercising in the morning is better for our appetite and eating behaviors than exercising later in the day. The findings show that morning exercise aids the overall maintenance of energy balance. (2)
3. Daytime exercise also enhances the quality of sleep. People are more likely to have a deep, uninterrupted sleep at night after working out in the morning rather than later in the day. (3)
4. Morning workouts also let you beat the heat, especially for people who prefer outdoor exercise. Working out in the mornings is more refreshing than being under the afternoon sun.
5. Easy exercise in the morning can help beginners incorporate a healthy workout routine better into their daily schedules.
Simple Morning Exercises to Follow
Not everyone has enough time even in the early hours of the day to dedicate to a full-fledged exercise routine. But even these undemanding and low-effort exercises to do in the morning can impact energy retention and enhancement:
1. Stretches: Stretching is a good low-effort addition to your daily morning exercise. Start your day by stretching out your body – arms, legs, back. After a good night’s sleep, stretching makes the body relieve itself of the stiffness and tension from sleeping. Include quadricep and hamstring stretches to aid flexibility.
2. Jumping Jacks: Simple jumping jacks is an easy cardio exercise to get the entire body moving – working the lower body, upper body, as well as core muscles.
3. Endurance Training: This includes burpees and planks. Although challenging for some, burpees are a good fat-burning exercise that increase metabolism and burn calories throughout the day. And even a minute-long plank is the best morning exercise for abs.
4. Low-Effort Aerobics: Walking, running, and cycling are considered aerobic exercises. Going for a run or walk first thing in the morning can help get rid of drowsiness. Commuters can even pick up cycling to save travel time while also incorporating a workout into their routine.
5. Swimming: To make a refreshing start to your day, swimming is a good low-impact exercise that can replace an entire workout routine. Swimming helps cool the body and rejuvenate the senses, leading to better energy and attentive capabilities. The exercise from swimming also aids internal bodily functions, like increasing blood circulation and relieving muscle tension.
6. Yoga: Even if you do only the basic yoga poses, it helps relax your muscles. Yoga also improves mental health, thereby enhancing attention capacities and reviving energy.
These exercises are less physically intensive and don’t demand a lot of time and energy. Also, these morning exercises for women would help them maintain their physical wellbeing and energy during menstruation, while they might not be able to follow strenuous routines.
Other Morning Habits to Incorporate for a Healthy Lifestyle
Apart from a daily morning workout, you should build some easy habits to ensuring better productivity for the remaining day. Make these subtle changes to your morning routine and feel first-hand the impact on your spirit and energy:
1. Wake up as early as possible. Try to skip the snooze button and leave your bed as soon as you wake up. This helps your body re-align with its natural circadian rhythm, promoting better mental health.
2. Drink a full glass of water. Staying hydrated is key to keeping your energy levels up, thus helping you retain attention and focus on your tasks. Make sure to drink water after waking up before your regular tea or coffee.
3. Eat a good healthy breakfast. It’s true; breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, and should not be skipped in Favour of other priorities. Be sure to eat at least a small breakfast in the form of oatmeal, cereal, or even a smoothie; if not a full-fledged prepared meal.
4. Practice meditation. This can be interpreted differently by different people – some may prefer a thorough meditation session, while for others, meditation could entail just practicing mindful breathing. Either way, meditation can calm your nerves before you get caught up with the major priorities of the day.
5. Create a rough schedule for the day. Mentally preparing a clear plan for all the tasks of the day in the morning helps better compartmentalize responsibilities. This can reduce decision fatigue, increasing efficiency.
6. Minimize screen light. Getting on a digital device first thing in the morning can negatively affect the eyes. Avoiding so can reduce eye strain while nurturing a relaxed state of mind.
While these are simple changes to make, following such a routine can show a significant positive impact on your overall lifestyle condition and wellbeing.
Final Thoughts
Morning exercise awakens both your body and mind. Combined with small yet meaningful habits like drinking water, eating a balanced breakfast, and limiting screen times, a mindful morning routine can transform how energized you feel throughout the day. Starting your day with quick and effortless exercises can have a powerful effect on your health, all while sticking to natural methods. So kick off your tomorrow with a quick workout routine, and start building a healthier you.
FAQs
Q1. How can I increase my energy in the morning workout?
• Make sure to stay hydrated before getting into your morning workout routine.
• Don’t compromise sleep to make time for a morning exercise; your body needs adequate amount of rest to be able to sustain energy throughout a workout and carry it into the day.
• Have pre-workout food; whether this is in the form of a quick protein meal or drink, don’t work out on an empty stomach.
Q2. What is the 5 5 5 30 morning workout?
The 5 5 5 30 morning workout, introduced by entrepreneur and author Sahil Bloom, is a combination of 5 push-ups, 5 squats, and 5 lunges, complete with a 30-second plank at the end. This ensures exercising the full body but in a short time, getting the muscles working and kick-starting metabolism.
Q3. What workout is best for the morning?
The best morning workout should boost energy and be easy to do anywhere, without requiring equipment. Here’s a list of workout exercises that can be completed at home in the mornings:
• Jumping Jacks
• Squats
• Push-ups
• Plank
• Quick jog
Q4. What is the best exercise to increase energy levels?
Cardiovascular exercises – walking, jogging, swimming, cycling – help promote energy levels. These exercises drive oxygen and nutrients to the tissues which improves heart and lung health, thereby producing more energy.
Q5. Can I exercise immediately after waking up?
While there are no direct concerns with working out after waking up, it is important to not push your body forcefully past its capabilities. Make sure to not skip the warm-up; when exercising immediately after waking up, remember to stretch or warm up your body before advancing into a full workout routine.