Cassie Douglas
As someone who finds it very hard to wake up in the morning, I totally understand the hesitation to get up even earlier to work out. But, according to many studies, there are a lot of benefits to doing so! There are many reasons why you should start your day with a workout, but the most important is that it sets the tone for how YOU want your day to go. If you’re someone who struggles to stay consistent with working out, doing so in the morning will help you fall into a pattern of healthy living much easier.
Here are 10 reasons why you should work out first thing in the morning!
1.) Starting your day off by working out will give you an edge over those who end their day by working out. If you work out in the morning, then there’s no excuse to not work out later during the day if time permits.
2.) You will burn more fat. If you’re someone who is trying to lose weight, then you know how important it is to burn as many calories as possible. What’s great about doing a workout in the morning is that your metabolism will be working on burning your stored fat calories as opposed to food calories that you’ve ingested throughout the day. This means that your body will start burning those stored calories right away after your workout instead of waiting until later on during the day when your metabolism slows down from all of those fatty foods you’ve been eating.
3.) You’ll have more energy throughout the entire day. Many people experience a “slump” throughout the day where their energy goes down and they end up feeling sluggish. What’s great about working out in the morning is that you’ll likely have a boost of energy after your workout or that slump never hits at all.
4.) You’ll be more inclined to make healthy food choices–at least, according to a study that found that people who exercised felt more energetic which meant they were less likely to make poor food choices such as eating fast foods, skipping breakfast, etc… This also means it will be easier for them to say no to any cravings that hit throughout the day.
5.) You’ll feel motivated. Even if you don’t enjoy the process of working out, you know you will enjoy the results–which is enough to motivate just about anyone to continue doing good things for themselves.
6.) You’ll burn upwards of 300 more calories than those who don’t exercise. One study found that exercising first thing in the morning after waking up burns on average 300 more calories throughout the day compared to those who didn’t work out at all. Not only will this help with weight loss, but it will also be beneficial if you’re trying to add muscle and toning certain areas.
7.) It will be easier for you to hit your daily activity goal. Another study found that people who work out in the morning are more likely to meet their daily activity goals compared to those who worked out during other parts of the day. This means that being consistent with working out first thing in the morning will make it easier on yourself if you’re trying to reach a certain goal within a set time frame since you’ll have increased odds of doing so simply by committing to exercising first thing in the morning.
8.) Working out first thing in the morning provides many “WINS”! What’s great about working out first thing in the morning is that you’ll experience more wins throughout the process. Here are some examples:
- You’ll have more time in the morning.
- You’ll have a boost of energy from doing so.
- Your metabolism will be faster which means you’ll burn calories throughout the day better.
- You’ll start building a habit by being consistent with your workout routines first thing in the morning.
9.) You’ll experience less stress during the day since it’s “out of the way”. Many people tend to feel stressed during their mornings before leaving for school or work, but with exercising first thing in the morning, this will be one less thing you need to worry and think about for the day.
10.) You’ll have more time to do other things! Simply by waking up 45 minutes earlier than usual and dedicating that time to working out first thing in the morning, it will allow you to feel more relaxed during your post-workout activities such as cooking breakfast, getting ready for work/school, etc. This means that you’ll have more time on your hands throughout the rest of your day which gives you 100% flexibility with whatever activities you want to get done.
As seen above, there are many great benefits associated with working out first thing in the morning – especially if this is something new for yourself. It’s important to remain consistent and track your progress within a workout journal. This will help you see and feel results as well as ward off motivation levels throughout the day since it keeps you on point!