Getting your daily dose of exercise in the morning is an effective way to jump-start your day. It can help relieve stiffness in your muscles and joints, and it boosts your metabolism almost immediately. These results are easy to see after trying just one or two 30- to 60-minute morning workouts at a moderate intensity level, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation for adults.
Metabolism
Your metabolism spikes during the middle of the day, according to Jorge Cruise, weight loss expert and author of "8 Minutes in the Morning for Real Shapes, Real Sizes." However, he points out that exercising in the morning as opposed to later in the day offers the benefits of increased metabolism throughout the day, lower levels of stress and improved fat-burning potential. A high metabolism means your body is burning more calories, so it's a vital part of losing weight.
Weight Loss
Exercising in the morning can certainly help you lose weight, but it's important not to lose weight too fast. The CDC recommendation for weight loss is a maximum of 1 to 2 lbs. per week. This ensures your body properly and safely adjusts to the changes it's experiencing as you lose weight. For optimal weight loss results, use a combination of aerobic and resistance training exercise sessions throughout the week. This will help you get the aerobic, calorie-burning benefit offered by aerobic exercise, as well as the lean muscle-building benefit resistance training offers.
Breakfast
It's important to eat something before you work out in the morning. Your body's main source of fuel comes from carbohydrates that are stored in your body as glycogen. In the morning, these stores are depleted, so your muscles and brain will have a hard time functioning at a high level without restoring your body's fuel supply. Len Kravitz, Ph.D., of the University of New Mexico suggests eating a light snack before a morning workout to restore your glycogen stores; this might consist of fresh fruit, yogurt and trail mix.
Exercise
Aerobic exercise offers the greatest weight loss potential, but resistance training can help speed up your progress. A 2003 study published in the "Journal of Physiological Anthropology and Applied Human Science" stated that participants lost more weight -- particularly abdominal fat -- by alternating aerobic and resistance training sessions six days per week: three aerobic days and three strength-training days. A few effective aerobic exercises include walking briskly, elliptical training and inline skating. Strength-training exercises include weightlifting, resistance band training and body weight exercises like pushups and crunches.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: How Much Physical Activity do Adults Need?
- "8 Minutes in the Morning for Real Shapes, Real Sizes"; Jorge Cruise; 2003
- University of New Mexico; Calorie Burning: It's Time to Think "Outside the Box" -- 7 Programs that Burn a lot of Calories; Len Kravitz, Ph.D.
- "Journal of Physiological Anthropology and Applied Human Science"; The Effect of Combined Aerobic and Resistance Exercise Training on Abdominal Fat in Obese Middle-Aged Women; Park SK, et al.; May 2003
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