Once you get up to exercise in the morning, you often won’t want to miss it anymore. Exercising in the morning really wakes up the body and makes it fit during the day. These eight reasons will convince you.
Morning exercise – that means getting up when you could actually turn over in bed with pleasure. The first few minutes are hard, but the feeling is even better once you’ve done it.
When it comes to morning exercise, it doesn’t really matter which sport you choose. Early morning is not the right time for ambitious training for some people, so don’t demand peak performance from your body just yet.
The classic morning exercise is to jog casually in the park. But that’s just one of many possibilities. The AOK recommends choosing a sporting activity that you enjoy doing. It’s easier to get started with your new morning routine if you can train regardless of the weather. For example, you can roll out your yoga mat in front of the open window.
Another option is to incorporate physical activity on the way to work. For example, you can cycle to work (even just to the train station) or walk a bit.
1. Morning exercise wakes you up sustainably
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Morning exercise helps to get your circulation going. You feel fresh and fit for several hours. You may even be able to avoid short-term stimulants like caffeine. Why this is so:
- During the night the circulation decreases and everything is in a state of rest.
- The knowledge magazine Spektrum explains the processes that slowly wake up the organism: Towards morning, the body releases more hormones. The hormones accelerate the heartbeat and the heart pumps more blood through the body. This is how your body prepares itself for the day’s activities.
- By exercising in the morning you support the effect of your hormones.
- The blood circulates faster in the body because the arms and legs quickly need fresh blood through movement.
Warning: If you have a weak heart, get a doctor’s opinion about whether morning exercise is right for you. The double strain could overwhelm the heart.
2. Morning exercise gives you a relaxed sleep
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By exercising regularly in the morning, you will not only be more awake, but you will also be able to fall asleep better in the evening. You sleep deeper and more relaxed, your circulation is more stable.
- The Professional Association of German Internists (BDI) recommends early morning exercise. Research shows that exercising at 7 a.m. might help you fall asleep more easily at night than exercising at 1 or 7 p.m.
- Studies also suggest that the number of sleep periods increases if you exercise in the morning. If you go through too few sleep cycles at night, you won’t be well-rested afterwards.
- According to a study, early morning exercise can also lower blood pressure in overweight people. This can also have a positive effect on sleep. Because high blood pressure is a common reason for bad sheep.
- In the long term, early morning exercise should reduce your risk of a heart attack.
By the way: More sleep is not always better:
3. Morning exercise stimulates your metabolism
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When you exercise in the morning, your body uses energy that it gets from carbohydrates and fats. Your metabolism gets going and you burn calories. However, it is not yet clear among scientists whether you burn fat reserves faster by exercising in the morning than if you exercise at another time of the day.
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This is supported by a study from the University of Bath. The researchers found that fat tissue was broken down more quickly if the test subjects had not eaten anything before exercising. The energy stores in the body only fill up with carbohydrates through meals over the course of the day. Therefore, the body is more likely to get the energy it needs from fat reserves when it still has few carbohydrates available.
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On the other hand, there is also a study that found no significant difference in fat burning. Fat metabolism depends on many factors and the individual situation. The study therefore did not consider the time of training to be crucial.
The researchers agree on one point: regular exercise is important for a healthy metabolism. The specialist magazine Ärzteblatt points out that exercise is one of the most effective “medicines” for preventing illness. Exercise can prevent illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure or osteoporosis as well as stress and burnout.
4. Fill up on vitamin D with morning exercise in the sun
Morning exercise in the fresh air provides you with oxygen. The skin produces the important vitamin D through the sun’s rays. Many working people are unable to exercise outdoors during their lunch break, so an extra half hour of morning exercise is a welcome addition.
This means your body can produce vitamin D better with the help of the sun’s rays.
- Vitamin D can protect you from colds and strengthens the entire immune system.
- The medical portal Netdoktor points out that a lack of vitamin D can lead to osteoporosis in later years.
- A study highlights the connection between an adequate supply of vitamin D and powerful muscles. This reduces the risk of injury from strains or broken bones.
5. Morning exercise: Turbo for the brain
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Through exercise, the body releases hormones that control many functions in the brain. Your brain will work faster and more creatively for several hours. So if you train in the morning, you will also benefit from it during the day.
During your morning exercise workout you are also focused on your body. Physical activity can help you unwind and distract yourself from worries or problems. When you exercise, the body releases the hormone adrenaline, which naturally increases brain performance. The body also releases happiness hormones such as serotonin, which stimulates the nerve cells. These hormones are part of the body’s reward system.
The Ärzteblatt recommends sport as an adjunct to the treatment of depression. Research also suggests that people who are physically active are less likely to develop dementia as they get older.
6. Stress can no longer affect you as much
By exercising in the morning you can reduce stress and be more relaxed in everyday life. Find a beautiful place that inspires you. This can be a park, a forest or even a beautiful avenue. You are surrounded by nature and can listen to the birds.
You take these beautiful experiences with you into your everyday life and can draw on them in stressful situations. You are more balanced and react more calmly. The scientists at the University of Freiburg describe this as the “stress buffering effect” of sport. According to their findings, physical exercise can reduce the various pathogenic influences caused by chronic stress in everyday life.
7. Morning exercise easily becomes a routine
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For many people, morning exercise fits better into their daily routine than at lunchtime or after work. The advantage if you have already done sport in the morning is that even later short-term changes to your daily routine can no longer prevent you from doing so – because you have already been sporty.
The AOK advises untrained people to slowly get used to their early morning exercise routine. To start with, ten minutes of morning exercise is enough, but you can then slowly extend this to half an hour.
With a few psychological tricks you can overcome your inner weaker self until morning exercise is part of your morning routine anyway – that might not take as long as you think!
- Get up early so that you don’t have to rush and have time to do your morning exercise.
- Get your sports clothes ready the evening before.
- Don’t start from zero to 100 straight away. Give your body a few minutes before you start exercising. The best way to do this is to slowly drink a glass of water and do a few breathing exercises.
8. After the effort comes the enjoyment
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Reward yourself after your morning exercise with a good breakfast. A delicious, healthy breakfast can look like this, for example:
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Lots of whole grain: You can now enjoy whole grain bread or muesli. Together with fruit, yoghurt or a vegetable spread, your breakfast contains many important nutrients to start the day.
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Little sugar: With pastries made from white flour and sugary spreads, the feeling of satiety does not last long. They contain fewer nutrients and you burden the body with unnecessary calories. You are more prone to cravings during the day.
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Avoid hidden fats: This primarily means animal fats. They are found, among other things, in cold cuts such as salami or in the milk or coffee cream in coffee.
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English version available: Rise and Shine: 3 Major Benefits of a Morning Workout
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