Does Early Morning Exercise Have Any Benefits?

Exercise

Ask any licensed practitioner of medicine and they will tell you the same thing, worldwide: physical exercise contributes to your physical fitness and overall health. It strengthens your muscles and cardiovascular system, contributes to weight loss, floods your body with endorphins which can help provide an overall sense of well-being, helps prevent cardiovascular diseases, heart diseases, diabetes and obesity, and assists the body to obtain deeper, more relaxing sleep at night which can reduce fatigue. Exercises can be performed in a variety of ways, mostly falling into one of four main categories: aerobic exercise, anaerobic exercise, strength training, and agility training.

Frequent and regular aerobic exercise has been shown to regulate blood pressure as well as depression in conjunction with the aforementioned side effects. Studies have shown that remaining physically active, especially in middle age, leads to a higher quality of life and greater physical abilities in your senior years, and having a regular fitness regimen as part of your routine can benefit your mental health as well, by stimulating blood flow and oxygen to the brain as well as balancing the chemicals and neurotransmitters required for optimal cognitive function.

Why Early Morning versus Other Times of the Day?

While most professionals simply suggest exercising whenever is best for your lifestyle, as opposed to forcing an exercise routine which is not conducive to your schedule or preferences, there are a variety of reasons why people choose to exercise in the morning. An obvious reason during warm seasons is that it is cooler in the mornings. According to Professor Tommy Boone of the College of St. Scholastica in Minnesota – also a co-founder of the American Society of Exercise Physiology – working out in the mornings allows the individual to have a “lower to moderate heart rate that facilitates a higher fat burn. A person would probably be able to sustain their exercise a little bit longer. That would reap a little more benefit.”

According to Denovan Fogt, assistant professor at the Department of Health and Kinesiology for the UTSA, working out first thing in the morning on an empty stomach allows the body to burn off stored fat for energy rather than relying upon carbohydrates. Working out after eating means that your body is consuming the energy from the food recently consumed rather than the stored fat in the body. Hence, a better option for those seeking to lose weight.

In addition, many studies have shown that individuals who exercise first thing in the morning sleep better at night. The reasons are multiple, primarily due to the fact that the rush of adrenaline and endorphins as a result of physical activity can interfere with sleep cycles, hence working out at later in the day or in the evening hours may be detrimental to sleep routines. In addition, by waking up early your body will naturally find itself desiring to sleep at an earlier hour, achieving deeper levels of sleep and thus reducing fatigue and contributes to overall well-being.

Furthermore, the endorphins and chemicals the body releases as a side effect of physical exertion are an excellent way to enable the individual to experience a natural high, clearly a pleasant way to start one’s day. Additionally, research has shown that the chemicals released into the body can increase mental acuity for up to 10 hours after exercise, better enabling peak performance for the entire day. Studies also show that the vast majority of those who routinely exercise in the morning continue with their regimen over the long run as compared with those who try to fit exercise into overtaxed schedules. Finally, exercise catapults metabolism and maintains it at an elevated level throughout the day, effectively burning more calories than if one had worked out later in the day.

Another potential effect, at least for some individuals, is that exercise regulates their appetite, and aids them in making healthier food choices. When good choices are made early in the day, it tends to be extended throughout the entirety of the day. In contrast, those who exercise “when they have time” are more prone to compensate by “treating” themselves to a reward for exercise. Diet and exercise go hand in hand, both in positive and negative ways.

Many find it difficult to find time for fitness in their busy, hectic lives. Scheduling extra time first thing in the morning is a proactive way to ensure that health is a number one priority.

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