Fitness Experts Reveal The Benefits Of Morning Workouts That Make The Early Rise Worth it
People who work out in the morning will never pass up an opportunity to tell you about their dedicated routine. Like, I get it: You're some sort of rare breed of human who doesn't get the urge to snooze your alarm 17 times before finally getting out of bed. Quite frankly, though, I'm just jealous; morning workouts seem incredibly beneficial for the body in so many ways, and I wish I could get my butt to the gym at the crack of dawn. Plus, the benefits of working out in the morning that you don't see are really powerful, so much so that they can set the tone for your entire day after the fact.
Caleb Backe, a personal trainer and health and wellness expert for Maple Holistics, tells Elite Daily over email that he believes the morning really is the best time to exercise. "The body is alert and highly responsive, packed with energy from what was hopefully a good night’s sleep," he says. "Take advantage of this amazing time period of awakening, where your inner rhythm is aligned with the Earth and its sun, and you are not yet physically bogged down with day-to-day routines and domestic madness."
According to Backe, your body and your mind will thank you for squeezing in a morning workout, even if climbing out of bed is, you know, less than enjoyable at first.
If you already consider yourself a morning workout person, here are five amazing things happening internally, all thanks to your dedication. You might not be able to see these benefits with your own eyes, but they're there, friend, and they make those early-morning alarms so worth it.
It's Amazing For Your Mental Health
According to Backe, working out in the morning affects your mental well-being in a big way. "As far as the mind-body connection is concerned, some amount of physical activity is almost essential for good mental health," he tells Elite Daily. "Moving your body helps to regulate processes of all kinds, and releases chemicals which help homeostasis and proper maintenance."
That being said, it's not easy getting out of bed earlier than usual to go and work out. However, if you're successful in motivating yourself to get up and moving, Backe says, you may see a remarkable change in your mental state. "This is mainly because we are driven to achieve goals [first thing in the morning], and few things feel as good as personal achievements, which can give you a feeling of meaning and purpose," he explains.
It Gets Your Creative Juices Flowing
If you're in a creative slump that you can't seem to shake, Backe says many people find morning workouts to be an essential step in clearing the mind and boosting creativity.
"In addition to increasing the oxygen flow to [the] brain, morning exercises can relieve stress and leave you feeling wide awake and prepared for the day ahead," he tells Elite Daily. Honestly, that sounds way better than punching the snooze button again and again and again.
It Boosts Your Energy Way More Than Your Coffee Will
A good morning workout can basically be the equivalent to those beloved cups of coffee you can't live without in the a.m. OK, chill out, you can have both — no one's really asking you to pick between the two.
"Exercising is another great way of keeping your energy levels up," Backe says. "The different hormones which are released during a sweat session not only help you with the actual progression of the workout, but they also raise your levels of energy and help to build your [overall] confidence up."
And, as Backe points out, even if you commit to a quick, 10-minute morning workout, you’ll likely be surprised by how much more energy you have after the fact to tackle the rest of your day. "Small victories add up, and eventually, if you stick to it, there is a kind of positive feedback loop which catches up with you and propels you to new heights and higher levels," the trainer tells Elite Daily.
It'll Help You Sleep Later That Night
You might feel like you're losing sleep when your alarm rings first thing in the morning and summons you to your sweat sesh, but according to Bill Fish, a certified sleep science coach and co-founder of Tuck Sleep, you're actually gaining more shut-eye in the long run. "One benefit of exercising in the morning is that it will help you sleep better," he tells Elite Daily over email.
When you exercise first thing in the morning, Fish says, you have plenty of time for your body to recover before you rest your head on the pillow later that evening, thus allowing you to get the recommended amount of sleep before you, well, wake up and crush your goals all over again the next morning!
You'll Have Laser-Like Focus For The Rest Of The Day
Aerobic exercise has a strong correlation to improved focus and concentration, according to April Tafoya, a NASM-certified personal trainer with an emphasis in functional strength training. A 2014 study published in the journal NeuroImage found that, immediately after people engaged in 10 to 25 minutes of moderate exercise, their prefrontal cortex (aka the two left-side regions of the brain that control attention and concentration) worked harder to resist distractions, thus naturally improving their attention.
"Even if you can only roll out of bed for a 20-minute bike ride or a light jog around your neighborhood," Tafoya says, "small amounts of morning exercise can set you up for improved problem-solving, attention span, and even memory capacity."
