5 scientific reasons you should workout in the morning, even though it’s clearly the worst
For some of us, waking up and getting out of bed every day requires a ton of effort. Snuggling under the sheets coupled with the satisfaction of sleeping (hands down, one of the best human activities ever) makes us dismiss all the scientific reasons you should work out in the morning. We know it’s good for us, but compared to sleep, it honestly sounds like the worst idea ever.
Our apologies to people who work out in the morning. We know you’re probably on a treadmill sneering at that statement while gleefully watching the sun rise. But it feels like an impossible feat to work out in the morning, especially because it feels *so* good to just lie there and do nothing before daily obligations force us to get up and at ’em.
In the interest of trying something new, we decided to go searching for your secrets to getting up and breaking a sweat first thing. As it turns out, there are some legitimate reasons to get your heart pumping in the AM that don’t have anything to do with being really angry with your alarm for interrupting your sleep.
For one, there are claims that morning workouts speed up your metabolism, plus it’s much easier to address your fitness needs without the threat of scheduling interruptions that are likely to occur when everyone else rouses from their slumber and starts demanding your time and attention.
Fine, so we kinda get it.
It still sounds like a major struggle, but we can’t deny all the scientific reasons you should work out in the morning.
1. You start the day off feeling upbeat and accomplished.
And that’s because you’ve already done something major to show that you’re a get-sh*t-done kinda person. There’s a scientific explanation for why you’ll feel unstoppable after a morning workout. Exercising releases dopamine, which makes you feel happy. We couldn’t think of a better way to start the day.
2. You’ll get better sleep.
It’s hard to say no to anything that promises to give us more quality time with our pillow and bed. In fact, studies show that morning exercise may help improve sleep quality. We don’t need to tell you why getting more sleep is awesome, but since we’re more than happy to continue singing its praises, here goes: It helps improve your memory and your mood while giving your brain the rest it requires to process information and keep the body functioning in tip-top condition the next day.
3. You’ll have more energy throughout the day.
It’s entirely possibly that you’ll feel really tired when you first start your morning workouts. But the more you get into the AM routine, the more increased energy you’ll experience later on in the day. According to WebMd, exercise is a natural way to boost energy and fight fatigue.
4. It helps you handle cravings better.
Consider how much will power takes to not hit snooze, get out of bed, and actually get in a workout before going about the rest of your day. Then think about how pointless those efforts will have been if you jet out of the gym and head straight for your favorite fast food joint.
If you seriously don’t want to let your morning grind to go to waste, just know that there’s some science on your side to help you: A 2012 study performed by researchers at Brigham Young University found that early morning workouts may cut hunger cravings. So fueling your body with a workout might help you feed it other things it actually needs too.
5. Your stress coping skills will flourish.
Because exercising reduces stress and anxiety, its effects can honestly be beneficial at any time, but imagine how wonderful it would feel to start the day off feeling more relaxed and knowing that you’ll be less prone to being aggravated by stressful events? Zen mode, FTW.
Sweating it out in the morning means you’ll be less likely to sweat the small stuff later. That’s easily enough incentive to break up with the snooze button and make exercise a regular part of your morning routine.
