Lifestyle

7 Benefits Of Exercising In The Morning The Moment You Wake Up

Boon Hun

2019-07-08 , 12:00 pm

Last Updated on 2021-01-24 , 5:19 pm

If you’re a firm believer in getting that extra five minutes of sleep before a long day at work, I get you.

But here’s the thing, when you snooze, you lose.

And I’m not saying this in a motivational, behavioural kind of way; it’s totally scientific.

But that’s a totally different article which you can check out here.

This article is going to tell you what to do instead of snoozing: exercise.

Here are seven benefits of exercising early in the morning, and it’s not just because #weightlossgoals.

1. Fewer Pollutants

Say you’re into exercising, except you prefer exercising in the evenings before you sleep. Here’s one good reason which will make you change your exercising habit: less pollution.

Singapore’s an urban jungle, which means? Lots of vehicles on the road. Now imagine you’re running hard, which means you’re taking in deeper breaths than usual, what that means is you’re going to take in more pollutants.

But if you exercise early in the morning where there are lesser vehicles? You’ll get healthier both inside and out.

2. It Burns Fat Faster

Now, if your fat is as stubborn as my boss, I’ve got great news for you.

Exercising early in the morning on an empty stomach is proven to help you burn fat faster. After all, they say that sleeping = 7 hours fast (provided you don’t eat supper).

So your body has no choice but to draw on existing fat stores (like if you’re starving and your body cannibalises itself to survive) to sustain the activity.

3. It Makes You More Disciplined

Waking up early is an antithesis to most of us. After all, most of us would rather stay in our warm bed than dragging ourselves up earlier than required every morning.

But if you’re able to make yourself do that?

You’ll find yourself performing better at everything else in your life, and not just physically.

After all, there’s a saying that’s pretty prevalent: ideas are everywhere but disciplined people making these ideas work isn’t.

4. Makes You Smarter Too

As you grow older, your brain declines. That’s why your primary school nephew’s school work looks so complicated.

Exercising is proven to help you improve memory and thinking skills. Which means when you work out, your brain gets worked out too.

5. But More Importantly, Exercising Early In The Morning Can Help You Make Smart Decisions Too

Steve Jobs was famous for wearing the same thing every day. And that’s because of something called decision fatigue, where people believe you expend mental energy every time you make a decision.

Now imagine if you exercise early in the morning, and you plan your day during the quiet hours of the morning when your brain just woke up.

You’re going to make better and smarter decisions for the rest of the day while you’re fresh off from sleep.

Then follow the programme until you can rinse and repeat the next day.

Most of us, when we look back at our lives, see the bad decisions that we’ve made, leading to who we are today.

Now, imagine where you’ll be if you had made better decisions back then.

6. You’ll Get Better Sleep

Wait…disturbing your own sleep makes you sleep better? How does that work?

As oxymoronic as it sounds, it’s true, at least according to WebMD.

It was found out that people who exercise in the morning (at least 3.5 to 4 hours per week) has an easier time falling asleep.

But if you worked out lesser than 3 hours a week? It didn’t help with sleep problems.

People who work out in the evening, however, had more trouble falling asleep than people who work out in the morning.

And on a side note, when you know you are going to wake up earlier the next morning, you’ll make yourself sleep earlier (10 to 11 pm), which is the best time for your body to rest and rejuvenate.

7. Regulate Your Appetite

Exercising in the morning can help you regulate your appetite throughout the day.

According to Medical News Today, when you exercise, your body will heat up and this will send signals to your brain to suppress the appetite.

Featured Image: lzf / Shutterstock.com