Morning Workout Goodness
Working out is important - we know that!! So in this post, I'm going to try to show you the benefits of a morning workout. Bare with me. I didn't always used to be this nuts about my early sweat fests. Before I had kids, I'd drive to the gym after work or get in a run at some point. But as you other working moms learn quickly, we are way too tired for that!! A majority of the people I coach are physical therapists lately. Lift weights or do a push up after treating patients all day?? Just the thought of it now makes me exhausted. If you've skipped more workouts than you'd like to admit for this reason you need to read the rest of this article. It may seem impossible right now if you're not a morning person. It seemed impossible for me too. Read this with an open mind, because it might be exactly what you need to hear.
This isn't just a personal preference - there are many reasons why working out in the morning is a must! Exercising early in the morning offers numerous benefits, both to your health and to your daily schedule, that exercising at other times of the day just can’t provide. Here's WHY morning workouts work.
1) Nothing gets in your way. No excuse (other than wanting to hit the snooze button) will stop you.
2) You’re fresh from sleep and have the most energy you'll have all day.
3) It increases your metabolism for the rest of the day. That means more fat burning all day long. When you workout before eating your first meal, you use that food for energy and replacement and you efficiently burn it all day long . If you don't do this, your metabolism is set up totally different for the rest of the day.
4) Morning exercise has been shown to improve focus and mental abilities all day long. Not only will you feel awake and have more energy after your workout, but your mind will be ready to take on whatever tasks you have lined up that day. More energy!!
5) I don’t think anyone will argue with me when I say that waking up early in the morning to exercise enhances your personal discipline. Just like any habit, developing the discipline to get up and exercise in the morning only gets easier with time. This discipline can also spill over into other areas of your life.
6) Get better sleep. When you wake up at the same early time each day, and you're fatiguing your body with some exercise you will sleep more soundly because you'll actually be tired enough for sleep. And studies are showing exercise promotes a better quality of sleep - so if you're skipping them because you can't fit it into your day or life gets in the way, that doesn't work for getting you asleep quickly or staying asleep. 6) You may actually reach your fitness and weight loss goals. Amazing what consistency does for your body. Consistently eat the right foods, consistently workout and rev your metabolism all day long with morning exercise. Goals are much easier to achieve.
I totally get that in the beginning this will be difficult! And when you want to hit the snooze button you need to convince your mind that getting up will actually be worth it! You don't want to be getting up early if you're not going to get results. And in your subconscious, the sacrifice of an extra 30 min of sleep will actually push you harder toward achieving your goals because you don't want it all to be for nothing. It gives you more of a reason to eat better and take care of yourself. Think about how you may feel 6 months from now after establishing a morning workout. Dare I say you will LOVE your life more?! You have created a strong habit of morning exercise, your metabolism is flowing, your body is looking and feeling better, you’re sleeping well at night, and your mind is as sharp as ever. Did I convince you that you want this new life yet?!