The Importance of Morning Exercise in Losing Weight

Exercise is great anytime, but morning exercise is especially beneficial. This is something I discovered in my weight loss journey. When I moved my exercise routine to the morning, I noticed a difference in both the way that I felt as well as the amount of weight I was losing. Not only was I more energetic throughout the day, I had a more restful and complete night's sleep. It was also easier to keep my eating under control.

Some of the benefits to morning exercise are:

Increased metabolism. Exercising the first thing in the morning gives your metabolism a jump start. The great thing about that is not only will you burn more calories during your actual workout, but you will also burn more calories throughout the course of the day.

You make your health a priority. Getting up in the morning and exercising sends a powerful message to your brain. The message is saying "I'm working out the first thing this morning because I'm worth it. My health is more important than anything else...because if I'm not around, nothing else matters". Morning exercise sets the stage for the rest of your day and gets you in the proper frame of mind. All day long you can feel the effects of your work out. You can feel the mental high from knowing you accomplished something good for yourself. By doing this you are much less likely to engage in behaviors that will sabotage your weight loss, because you will feel like it is negating the time you spent exercising.

Other things cannot delay your workout. The longer in the day you wait to work out, the higher the chance is that your work out is not going to happen. Unexpected events during the course of the day can make it far too easy to put your exercise on hold. Errands need running. The kids need to be picked up from school. Grocery shopping needs to be done. The boss has two more deadlines for you to meet. By getting up early enough to make exercise a part of your morning routine, you are guaranteeing to yourself that your work out is not going to be interrupted.

I have seen how this works in my own life. I will do very well for awhile in regard to morning exercise. I set my exercise clothing out the night before so that it is ready and waiting in the morning. When I see it the first thing, I am reminded instantly of what I need to do. I will do great on my morning exercise for a few weeks. Then, if I get lazy about doing it in the morning, I will tell myself I can do it just as well in the afternoon or early evening. 9 times out of 10, it doesn't happen. Something always interferes or takes priority.

More restful sleep. When you exercise later on in the day, it gets your blood pumping and revs up your entire system, making it more difficult for you to fall asleep and have a restful sleep. When you exercise early in the day, however, your body has time to recover so that you can get a good night's sleep. The importance of a good night's sleep cannot be underestimated. The more fatigued you are, the more likely you are to make poor food choices. You are more likely to be tempted by high calorie, fatty foods...and less likely to be mindful about any of your choices related to your health. The amount of restful sleep you have has a direct impact on your weight loss success.

Morning exercise is a habit that can be developed over time. You will notice immediate results and that will be the biggest motivator to keep you going.