WILL A MORNING WORKOUT BOOST OR SINK YOUR MOOD?
It’s a common struggle that many of us face: the idea of getting out of bed early in the morning to exercise can seem like a daunting task. However, despite the initial reluctance, incorporating physical activity into your morning routine can have a significant positive impact on your mood and overall well-being throughout the day. Not only that, but it also frees up time in the evening for social and leisure activities.
Multiple studies have shown that regular exercise, even something as simple as a brisk walk, can help to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. In fact, a review of more than 1,000 trials with over 120,000 participants found that exercise can be more effective than counseling or medication for the management of depression.
The exact mechanisms behind why exercise improves mood are still being studied by experts. One theory is that physical activity triggers the release of endorphins, which are known as “feel-good” chemicals. Exercise also raises your heart rate, which can lead to increased production of norepinephrine, a chemical that helps your brain handle stress more effectively.
In addition to these chemical changes, exercise also improves blood flow to the brain. This increased blood flow can positively affect cellular functions such as concentration, sleep regulation, and overall mood enhancement. By improving these functions, exercise can help you feel more alert, focused, and energized throughout the day.
Exercising in the morning before breakfast can provide additional benefits beyond just improving your mood. Research has shown that working out on an empty stomach can help to balance your body’s internal metabolism and may even have protective benefits against a range of clinical diseases. For example, studies have found that exercising before breakfast can help to reduce the risk of developing conditions such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. These benefits are thought to be due to the way that exercise affects the body’s metabolism when it is in a fasted state.
When you exercise on an empty stomach, your body is forced to use its stored energy reserves for fuel. This can lead to increased fat burning and improved insulin sensitivity, both of which can help to reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases.
In addition to these metabolic benefits, exercising before breakfast can also help to improve cardiovascular health. Regular physical activity has been shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of heart disease.
In a nutshell, incorporating physical activity into your morning routine can have a significant positive impact on your mood and overall well-being. Regular exercise has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety and may work by triggering the release of endorphins and norepinephrine. Additionally, exercise improves blood flow to the brain, positively affecting cellular functions such as concentration and sleep regulation. Exercising in the morning before breakfast can also provide a range of additional benefits beyond just improving your mood. Working out on an empty stomach can help to balance your body’s metabolism and may have protective benefits against conditions such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Regular exercise can also improve cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Despite the initial reluctance to get out of bed and exercise first thing in the morning, it is absolutely worth it for the benefits it provides.
Tips to get your workout in, before your day starts
Incorporating exercise into your morning routine can be a challenge, but with a little planning and determination, it is absolutely achievable. Here are some tips to help you make morning exercise a regular part of your routine:
1. Plan ahead
Preparation is essential when it comes to successfully incorporating exercise into your morning routine. By taking a few simple steps the night before, you can make it much easier for yourself to follow through on your commitment to exercise. Start by setting out your workout clothes so that you don’t have to spend time searching for them in the morning. Decide where you will go to exercise, whether it’s a gym, a park, or just a walk around your neighborhood. Set a specific goal for your workout, such as running for a certain amount of time or completing a certain number of repetitions of an exercise.
In addition to these practical steps, you might also consider taking a supplement like Nutch before bed to help boost your energy levels in the morning, and wake up fresh. This can help you feel more alert and ready to tackle your workout when you wake up.
By taking these steps to prepare for your morning workout, you’ll be setting yourself up for success. Having everything you need ready to go, and a clear plan in place for what you want to achieve can make it much easier to follow through on your commitment to exercise and make morning workouts a regular part of your routine.
2. Raise the stakes
Accountability is a powerful motivator when it comes to sticking to a fitness routine. When you are only accountable to yourself, it can be easy to give in to resistance and skip your workout. However, when you involve others in your fitness journey, you increase your motivation and commitment to follow through on your goals.
One way to increase accountability is to coordinate with a friend, trainer, or teacher at a studio or gym. Make a commitment to show up for your workouts and hold yourself accountable to them as well as to yourself. Knowing that someone else is counting on you can provide the extra motivation you need to stick to your routine even when it’s tough.
In addition to the accountability provided by working out with others, involving friends or trainers in your fitness journey can also provide social support and encouragement. They can help you stay motivated and on track, celebrate your successes, and provide support when you face challenges. Working out with others can also make exercise more enjoyable and fun, which can help you stick to your routine over the long term.
By coordinating with others and making a commitment to show up for your workouts, you can increase your motivation and commitment to achieve your goals. Involving others in your fitness journey can also provide social support and encouragement along the way.
3. Stick with it
Habits play a major role in shaping our behavior and determining our actions. With patience and persistence, you can develop the habit of exercising in the morning and make it a regular part of your routine. It may be difficult at first, as with any new habit, but with each step you take, no matter how small, it will become easier and easier until it becomes second nature.
It’s important to be compassionate with yourself as you work to develop this new habit. Acknowledge that it will be a struggle at first and that there will be days when you don’t feel like exercising. But with time and practice, your morning workout will become an integral part of your routine and something that you look forward to.
One way to make it easier to stick to your morning workout routine is to start small. Set achievable goals for yourself and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts as you become more comfortable with the routine. Celebrate your successes along the way and remind yourself of the benefits of regular exercise, such as improved mood, increased energy levels, and reduced risk of chronic diseases.
By being patient, persistent and compassionate with yourself as you work to develop this new habit, you can make morning exercise a regular part of your routine. Along the way, it will become easier and easier until it becomes second nature.
To sum up, incorporating exercise into your morning routine takes planning and determination. By setting yourself up for success the night before, raising the stakes by making yourself accountable to others, and sticking with it even when it’s tough, you can develop the habit of exercising in the morning and enjoy all the benefits that come with it. Regular exercise can improve your mood, boost your energy levels, and reduce your risk of chronic diseases. So why not give it a try?
