5 Reasons To Do Exercise In The Morning

If you have trouble finding time to exercise during the day, early morning exercise may be the answer. People who exercise in the morning before breakfast may enjoy benefits, such as increased energy throughout the day and greater weight loss. Making morning exercise a habit can improve your performance during the day and help you sleep better at night. People who exercise before breakfast in the morning may also enjoy burning more calories than those who exercise later in the day.

* More Calorie Burning

A study by Belgian researchers published in the “Journal of Physiology” found that male test subjects who ate a diet high in fat and carbohydrates, and engaged in strenuous exercise for 60 to 90 minutes before eating breakfast, gained very little weight despite eating a calorie-rich diet. Morning exercise may not be for everyone, but the benefits may outweigh the inconvenience of getting up earlier for exercise. Your body continues to burn fat and calories after exercise. Working out in the morning when your body -- in a fasting state -- burns fat more efficiently may improve your weight-loss efforts. As you lose fat and gain muscle mass, your body becomes even more efficient at burning fat.

* Better Sleep

Exercising early in the morning may lead to better sleep at night. Researchers at Appalachian State University found that in a small sample of test subjects, those engaged in aerobic exercise for 30 minutes in the morning experienced significantly better sleep compared to those who exercised mid-day or in the evening. The participants in the study who exercised in the morning worked out on a treadmill at 7 a.m. The morning exercisers benefited by spending more time the following night in deep sleep.

* Good Mood

People who exercise in the mornings enjoy increased energy levels throughout the day and improved mood. Exercise stimulates the brain to produce endorphins. Endorphins are often called “feel-good” hormones. They produce a sense of well-being and sometimes cause the exerciser to feel a mild euphoria, such as the “runner's high.” People who engage in 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise in the mornings can benefit from natural endorphins.

* Times For Other Priorities

I may make a living from the gym, but it's still not my number one priority. Nothing is more important than family. Clearly there's a trade-off between the amount of time you spend in the gym and the amount of time you can spend at home. Which is why slicing off a small segment, like you can in the morning, is usually better than in the evening, when you have to fight rush hour, navigate a crowded gym environment, get home to shower, and allot whatever's left for your family. The math simply works better if you get your workout done in the morning.

* More Focused

A bout of exercise increases your focus on the next activity, because your body is aroused. What follows a morning workout? For most people, it's the office or school. Hence, one of the advantages of working out in the morning is that you're more alert during those later hours.