Studies show that the majority of people have more energy and motivation to workout in the morning as opposed to the evening, therefore making the morning the ideal time to get your workout in. If you are thinking to yourself, “There is NO way in hell Id get myself to the gym before work or school”, here are a couple of reasons why you should consider changing your mentality…and alarm!
1. Enhances Your Metabolism.
One benefit to morning workouts is enhancing your metabolism! We are becoming more familiar with the term EPOC (Excess post-exercise consumptions), meaning, our body burns more calories after our workouts EVEN when we sit the rest of the day at work. This is the perfect scenario for morning exercise! Our body can do 1 of 3 things after we eat, 1) use that food as a source of energy, 2) use that food to replenish our body after exercise, or 3) that food can be stored for later (i.e. fat). We know we are replenishing our bodies right AFTER we workout in the morning, but now we are ALSO getting the benefits of EPOC later on in the day! Our metabolism is still rocking from our morning workout session and we are replenishing our calories to meet a high metabolic need. You will not bet getting this same benefit if you were to workout later in the day.
2. Improves Physical and Mental Energy.
Another benefit of a morning sweat session is the improvement of your physical and mental energy. Any type of movement can be a major source of energy, which the majority of us absolutely NEED to begin our day with. While the traditional cup of Joe may work to get you out the door, morning exercise has shown to improve focus and mental abilities all day long. So the next time you reach for a cup of coffee instead of your workout shoes, ask yourself this, “Am I going to maintain this energy and focus for the rest of the day?”
These are just a couple of examples why morning workouts are a huge influence on the rest of our day. If you and your friends consistently make it to the gym after work, thats awesome and keep it up! But if you are someone struggling with a consistent workout time, try working out 3 or 4 mornings one week and experience the benefits for yourself!
