There are those who of us, like myself, who cannot seem to pull ourselves out of bed at 6am on the weekdays to go for a run. Then there are those who can and are raring to go at that ungodly hour. While the majority of us will prefer to leave the running or cardio till after work hours, it has to be said that the more diligent ones (the ones who work out in the early mornings), may be benefitting from it more.
Therein begs the question. What is the best time to work out in the morning?
According to experts, it seems like the most advantageous time to do is between 5am to 8am. And this is accompanied by reasons why.
1. The air is fresher
The reason why the air seems cleaner in the early mornings is because that’s when plants start producing oxygen and after a whole night of heightened carbon dioxide intake, that breath of oxygen awakens our senses and brings us “back to life”. Thus, when you exercise in the mornings, you are taking in loads of fresh oxygen, which is definitely beneficial for your brain and body functions throughout the day.
2. Consistency
It is easier to maintain a form of schedule if you run in the mornings when distractions are usually unlikely as compared to after work hours. There are dinners, get togethers, work events to attend which will tamper with your evening run routine and anyway, even if you are heading home straight after work, your tiredness from the long day may just make you skip your exercise altogether.
3. Healthy breakfast
Getting your workout done in the morning can set you up for a healthy breakfast and a naturally occurring diet routine throughout the day thereafter. If you notice, many athletes will tend to upkeep a form of healthy eating to not waste the exercise they have done. And it seems, morning workouts help with doing just that too.
4. Hitting the sack earlier
I don’t mean you going to sleep as soon as you get home from work at 8pm. What I mean is, if you know that you have an early start to your days, perhaps it might just make you feel the need to go to bed earlier so that you will be able to wake up in time for your run. If you are a regular late-nighter, it may be a good idea to plan something exciting to spur you to go to bed early just so you can wake up, go for your run/exercise, and then perhaps have that awesome breakfast you had in mind the night before. It may just cause you to unwittingly start exercising in the morning, even on the weekdays.
If you have issues with getting out of the house early in the morning, you may also consider getting some gym equipment to reduce the inertia to start your workout in the morning.
