5 Morning Exercises To Energize And Start Your Day Right

A lot of people find coffee as their energy-boosting ally in the morning. However, doing a morning exercise is just as good and energizing.

Of course, one of the notable benefits of morning exercise sets your outlook of the day positively.

Perhaps, the positive effect of sun exposure contributes to it. As we know, morning sunlight exposure helps maintain an excellent circadian rhythm. Plus, it's a good source of Vitamin D.

Unfortunately, not everyone feels comfortable with morning habits. And, when it comes to studies, there are conflicting evidence about the outcomes between morning and evening exercise.

However, it seems that morning exercise benefits tend to prevail1. Hence, it is worth putting efforts to be a morning person. But it's just does not resonates with everyone.

Before we explore the morning exercises you should be doing daily; a motivational tool can be useful, which is the 5-second rule by Mel Robbins, author of the book The 5-Second Rule – Transform Your Life Work and Confidence with Everyday Courage.

Here is her inspiring TED Talk. Please watch and listen to it before going further. This can significantly increase your chances of being able to do any morning exercise consistently.

Morning Exercises For Setting Your Day Right!

Hopefully, after watching Mel Robbins' talk, you feel motivated. Let's hope you apply the technique to keep that motivation high and able to do morning exercise daily.

So, let's start. But don't be surprised if these exercises are already mentioned in earlier topics. They're worth repeating especially putting them in the right perspective on when to do them.

1. Morning Walk or Run

One of the simplest forms of morning exercise is walking. Walking movements appear too basic, isn't it?

Probably, one of the reasons walking is an underrated form of exercise. However, never underestimate its benefits. However, a regular walking exercise can be life-saving.

For people who have a day job that requires long hours of sitting, walking is a good way to start your day. Additionally, walking is a low impact exercise and well-suited for most people especially those with joint and knee problems.

Just wake-up earlier, get up and prepare your morning walk daily. If you feel like not doing it, use Mel Robbins 5-second rule. Put it into practice every day, and soon you'll be able to overcome it and eventually make it a habit.

Moreover, a morning walk can also be a good form of meditation, which is also helpful in setting your day right. Studies have also shown that a regular walk is good for overall health and longevity.

2. High-Intensity Interval Training

HIIT or high-intensity interval training is one of the most effective exercises. If you can't go outside for a walk for some reasons, stay indoor and do HIIT, instead.

Of course, HIIT is more intense than walking, but it gives you good results, as well. It is an excellent full body workout that can be done in a few minutes.

The good news is that, it only takes a few minutes to do HIIT. If you're someone who constantly complaining about no time to exercise for hours, HIIT fits your needs.

Here is an example of HIIT you can do at home and indoors.

https://youtu.be/KVG-geWTsA4

On the other hand, individuals with heart problems should talk to their doctor first before doing HIIT.

3. Low-Intensity Interval Training

If there is HIIT, there is also LIIT (low-intensity interval training). Just like HIIT, LIIT is also and effective form of exercise. However, unlike HIIT, LIIT is best done when outdoors.

The concept of low-intensity interval training is the same as HIIT. It is best done outdoors as the movements are a combination of walking and jogging.

For overweight individuals who want to lose weight, low-intensity interval training is excellent. Here is how to do LIIT outdoors.

  • Just like any exercise, always do warm-up stretching.
  • Start walking at an average pace for 5 minutes.
  • Then, start jogging for 2 minutes, or even brisk walking will do.
  • Go back to normal pace walking again for 5 minutes.
  • Repeat the process until you reach up to 30 minutes of physical activity.

If you don't have much space to move outdoors, look for an open space like a parking area. A sports arena or a park are also good places to do this low-intensity interval training.

If you have a dog, you can bring along while doing LIIT.

4. Circuit Training

The principles in circuit training is similar to HIIT. It is about focusing and engaing the entire body with intense movement for a short period of time. Then, a rest or recovery phase follows.

Circuit training can be done either at home, gym or even outdoors. And, interestingly, you don't need any exercise equipment as it uses bodyweight only.

Here is an example of circuit training. If you're a beginner, this is a good start.

Other exercise movements that are good for circuit training include;

  • Squats using body weight
  • Burpees
  • Crunches
  • Jumping Jacks
  • Leg Lifts
  • Lunges
  • Mountain climbers
  • Push-ups
  • Planks

Take note that, although these movements look simple, it can be intense if you're a beginner. However, the more often you do it, the more fun it becomes.

You don't have to do all of these movements. Simply pick 3 or 4 movements and do it repeatedly. Circuit training takes out the boredom of movements.

Simply pick a combination of movements every time and enjoy your circuit training.

5. Swimming

Not everyone may be able to do swimming daily. Swimming is an incredibly amazing full-body workout.

It engages both cardiovascular endurance and muscular system. When you go swimming, you can feel every muscle of your body engaging including core muscles.

For people with injuries, swimming is a beneficial morning execise. The water helps limit the resistance of the body, which is beneficial for knee and back problems, or even joint problems.

Additionally, the resistance of the water helps in strengthening the muscles while maintaining very low impact.

Final Thoughts

If you are not into exercising in the morning, it's difficult to get started. However, take advantage of the 5-second rule and keep going. Additionally, check out these tips on how to maintain motivation for consistent exercise.

Once you get into the habit of doing morning exercises, it's easy. In fact, you might ask yourself, why you haven't done it earlier?

The good feeling you get in your morning exercise will always carry over to the rest of your day. It affects your productivity in a positive way as well as the way you interact with people around you.

Making morning exercise a part of your healthy lifestyle is a smart move. As you may notice, morning exercises can moderate-to-vigorous physical activities in which health experts recommend.

After every morning exercise, hydration is essential. In this case, instead of drinking bottled beverages loaded with sugar, drink water.

If you have access to pure coconut water, the better. Of course, coffee is a good option but drink it before your morning exercise rather than after the workout.

Lastly, although we have not mentioned in the above list, doing yoga in the morning is excellent. If you find doing yoga fits well to you and you feel like doing it, then do yoga.

The key is to find ways in order to maintain high motivation towards exercising.

Always keep in mind, you will never ran out of exercises and movements. In order to avoid boredom, keep changing your routine. As long as you're moving and the time you spent moving is more than the time you sit, you're good.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *