If you’re not a morning person have you ever wondered how some people can be full of energy and so chipper first thing in the morning?  You may be the type where it’s a struggle just to throw back the covers to get up out of bed each day.  What is it that vim and vigor person is doing to be so awake that early?

It’s a good chance they are exercising soon after the alarm goes off.  Prioritizing in an early morning workout can set the mood for the rest of the day, helping you approach life with an enthusiastic, optimistic attitude.

Exercise and just movement in general promotes endorphins in the brain elevating your mood and starting your day off on a positive note.  Getting in a workout first thing early in the day, gives you a sense of accomplishment knowing you have crossed that off your list before the workday has even started.  And there’s a good chance you’ll be done with your work out before many people have even set foot outside of their bed.

Early morning workouts also significantly increase mental capacity allowing you to capture that increased brainpower.  Once you’re done working out, you’ll feel more wide-awake, alert, and energized to take on the day. Many people who work out early report their best time of day to accomplish a ton of work, whether on the job or at home, is in the morning hours. 

If you currently don’t exercise first thing in the morning, it may seem very hard to do particularly if it takes you awhile to wake up.  Here are some tips to help out with that:

·         Go to bed 30-45 minutes earlier to keep you on your normal sleep schedule.

·         This extra time will allow time to do a warmup and the workout without compromising adequate rest.

·         Get up at the same time each day to go exercise.  People who consistently exercise in the morning train their body to be prepared to workout at that time.

·         Set out everything you will need the night before.  This means your workout attire and setting out anything else you may use to keep you from rushing around the next morning.

·         Give yourself a pep talk.  Repeat “I can do this” or be more forceful and say “Get your butt out of bed.”

·         Some people may need a small pre-workout meal to provide more energy.  Drinking a healthy smoothie can provide ample fuel to power you through a workout. 

Another perk from working out early is you will sleep better at night than people who work out later in the day.  Exercising at night can potentially make it hard for you to fall asleep disrupting your normal sleep cycle. 

Most importantly, choose an early morning exercise routine you enjoy.  This will help you get out of bed ready to start moving.  It might be a brisk walk or run, a yoga session or a bike ride, whatever it may be, the important thing is to stick to the routine remembering to greet those early rays of sunshine with a smile.