There are good reasons to workout in the morning. That doesn’t mean that if morning is an impossibility for you that you should skip the gym and give up, just that if you’re one of those people who have the ability to choose between a morning workout and another time of day, choose the morning. Normally, the gym is less crowded and you’re not yet wound up in the dramas of the day, so it creates a peaceful atmosphere, like a mini vacation with sweat.
You’ll jump start your metabolism for the day.
Whether you’re a morning person or not, an early morning workout gets your body going. I’ve had clients that told me it takes several cups of coffee and about two hours before they could mumble cohesive sentences whom I convinced to come to the earliest session. Their day was already hectic and a workout became harder to fit into their schedule as each hour passed. Each one of them took me up on the challenge and each one of them were amazed at how different they felt once they did. One study at Brigham Young University showed that when people worked out in the morning, they were more active the rest of the day. Another showed they burnt more calories throughout the day than those who didn’t exercise early.
When you workout early, you’ll be more likely to be consistent.
You know it yourself, as the day wears on, there are new demands on your time. A project can run overtime and before you know it, you’ve missed your workout session. Getting an early bird start avoids many of the conflicts that occur throughout the day. If you’re the checklist type of person, you’ve checked it off your list and can focus the rest of your day on other things.
You’ll become a human dynamo.
Even though you go into the workout with one eye closed, it will soon change before the end of the first set. While you might want that first cup of coffee to make it to the workout, once the workout begins, your body will provide the wake up call and become the source of energy. Studies show that exercise is a better stimulant than even coffee. It gets the blood circulating and wakes up the mind. That super zip to your step is one reason you shouldn’t exercise at night or you’ll find it hard to fall asleep. The water you drink to rehydrate also provides more energy than coffee.
You’ll do a better job throughout the day and be mentally quicker. One study shows that a brisk workout can boost your cognitive abilities by 12 percent. Coffee only gives a 6 percent boost.
Do you shower in the morning? Then a morning workout actually saves you the time it takes. You’ll get your after workout shower/hair/make-up prep and morning shower all at the same time.
Start your day with a smile. Sure you’ll face many challenges and rigors of the day, but you’ll have the happy hormones on your side that the body creates during a workout.
You’ll get many health benefits, one of which is lower blood pressure. One study at Appalachian State University showed that people who worked out in the morning had the benefit of lowering their blood pressure by 10 percent and that not only stayed lower throughout the day, lowered to up to 25 percent at night.