Early Bird Gets the Worm!
“Life is about getting up an hour early, to live an hour more”- Unknown
Girl, I get it. The idea of waking up even a few minutes early isn’t really that exciting. We are tired, exhausted even. I’m here to tell you though, you’ll lay your head down a lot more satisfied each night, if you’ve started your day by moving your body.
There are a lot of ideas about exercise and what time of day is best to do it. The truth is, any time of day is better than no time of day, BUT there is a A LOT to be said for making it happen, early in the day. We eat breakfast to jump start our metabolism and break the fast. Exercise does the same thing. This means, that simply by exercising early you’re going to burn more calories all day long. Get that engine started but give it about ten minutes before jumping right into your workout so your aren’t starting out cold, literally.
Mentally, exercising early goes a very long way. For starters, it’s done! You’ve checked it off your list and now you have an entire day to go conquer. Additionally, it’s a lot easier to stick to a morning plan before your day gets in the way. Exercising literally gives you energy so you’ll find the days that you workout early, you’re likely a lot more productive and in a much better mood. The endorphins produced by exercising are incredible. Have you ever heard the quote, “You’re only one workout away from a good mood!”? or “I really regret that workout, said no one ever.”? Both so true. When you exercise, your body releases chemicals called endorphins. These endorphins interact with the receptors in your brain that reduce your perception of pain. Endorphins also trigger a positive feeling in the body, similar to that of morphine. Literally, exercise will make you happy! So go get high!
Physically, exercising early does a ton of good, too. You’ll burn more fat, build muscle more efficiently, lower your blood pressure, improve memory, protect yourself from diabetes and sleep better just to name a few things! Remember, that some exercise is better than none. You don’t need to go run 10 miles at 5 a.m. to feel accomplished. So much can be done in just 20-30 minutes, so be sure to focus on that simple fact to keep you going.
Establishing a routine and consistency is really the big key. I’ve found that after only one week of focus on a routine, things really start to stick. My body gets used to waking up early, it also starts to crave the movement, the endorphins and the productivity created by it all. There is also something wonderful about having those precious minutes all to yourself first thing in the morning. Especially if you’re a parent or have someone else depending on you.
Set yourself up for a SUCCESSFUL morning, the night before. Lay out your clothes and shoes, set up your equipment (if needed), organize a breakfast command center to save time on putting something together, fill up a water bottle, have your playlist or music ready to go. When you wake up, avoid the phone. Your social life will still be there, and guess what? You’ll get to brag about what you’ve just accomplished ;).
Girl, you gotta do this for YOU. Somehow that feels or seems selfish when you may have people relying on you, but you can not pour from an empty cup. Just like on airplanes you need to put on your oxygen mask first, the same goes for your every day health and mental wellbeing. The more time you take each day to do something good for yourself and for your body, the more you’ll get out of each of your days and the more energy you’ll have to give to those you love. Don’t underestimate the power that comes from doing the little things. All of those little things, that come from something as simple as 30 extra minutes in your morning, will add up to BIG changes. Go get that worm, girl!
