Let’s monkey with your Monday! Over the next few weeks, I’m going to highlight successful exercise tips that may help you monkey with your own fitness schedule. This week, we’re going to talk about monkeying with your schedule. Exercising first thing in the morning is a key to making an exercise, fitness or weight loss program more successful.
If you’re one of those people who can barely open their eyes first thing in the morning without a shower, a cup of coffee and an hour to really wake up, you’re probably shaking your head in disbelief. The simple fact of the matter is that statistics support morning workouts over every other time of day:
· 90 percent of people who exercise on a regular basis are exercising in the morning.
· Exercising early jumpstarts the day and raises your energy levels.
· Exercising in the morning elevates the metabolism.
· Exercising in the morning means you’re burning more calories ALL day long.
· Exercising early increases your alertness and can actually curb appetite surges.
· Exercising early means not drinking coffee first thing leading to healthier choices throughout the day.
· Exercising early means hydrating early. Drinking water first thing is a great thing for the body.
· Exercising at a regular time every morning evens out your biorhythms, you’ll sleep better, wake up more alert and function on a better physiological level.
· Your body will be conditioned for when it needs to be awake, hormones fire off and elevate – preparing you to handle the day so that you feel more alert.
· Your stress levels for the day are already modified.
· You have time to plan the day ahead as you go through your morning exercise routine.
· Research indicates that exercise in the morning can increase mental acuity for the rest of the day.
· Doing it first thing means it’s done. You don’t have to worry about scheduling conflicts or life precluding your exercise routine.
Looking at this list, you may be thinking it sounds great in theory but you can’t imagine getting up the gumption to dive into a workout first thing. After all, you’re already short on sleep and you’ve got a dozen things to do. Instead of trying to get up 90 minutes earlier, try going to bed 10 minutes earlier and getting up 10 minutes earlier. Give yourself a 10-minute workout in the morning.
As you adjust your biorhythms, gradually adjust your sleeping and waking times in 10-minute increments. Start small and retrain your body, you will enjoy the benefits all day long and soon, you may find yourself waking up without an alarm clock because you’ll have conditioned your body for its wake up time. Your reduced stress levels will improve the quality of your sleep.
So, play the Monkey with your Monday and Monkey with your Workout schedule. The one who benefits and wins will be you.