Sheldon’s Corner: Benefits Of An Early Morning WOD

For someone who is not a morning person, an early morning WOD may seem like the worst possible time to workout. But, when considering all the benefits…it’s actually not a bad thing to try at all. I personally can attest to this, as for years I use to workout solely in the evenings. It wasn’t until about two years ago I started attending the early morning WODs, reaped the benefits, and never looked back. Now, I’m not saying that it is bad to workout at any other time, as some of us can’t make early mornings due to scheduling and other conflicts, but if you can find the time and are on the fence about it…here are a 8 reasons why you should.

1. Jumps Starts Your Metabolism

Without a doubt, exercise can boost your metabolic rate. The degree depends on your current fitness level and the kind of activity you choose. All other things being equal, working out in the morning will help to boost your metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories for the rest of the day. This phenomenon is called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC.

2. You’ll Exercise Consistently

Recent studies have show that people who exercise in the morning are 90% more likely to consistently exercise, rather than skip days. When exercise is pushed to latter in the day, it can sometimes be replaced by other things that crowd you schedule.

3. Regulates Your Appetite

Many people have found that exercising in the morning regulates their appetite and that they’re not as hungry throughout the day. In turn this allows them to make better food choices when they eat. It helps them maintain a healthy mindset.

4. Increased Energy Levels

When you workout in the morning you’ll feel a boost of energy throughout the whole day. I personally have seen the difference when I workout in the morning vs. other times of the day.

5. Increases Brain Power

Research has shown that exercising in the morning increases mental acuity. It can last on average between 4 to 10 hours after a workout. Not only will you feel awake and have more energy after your workout, but your mind will be ready to take on whatever tasks you have lined up that day. I find this to be very useful as I accomplish tasks more efficiently at work and forget less.

6. Develop Strong Self-Discipline

I don’t think anyone will argue with me when I say that waking up early in the morning to exercise enhances your personal discipline. Just like any habit, developing the discipline to get up and exercise in the morning only gets easier with time. Perhaps more importantly, this discipline is likely to spill over into other areas of your life. After all, if you’re going to such lengths to exercise each morning, pairing that work with healthier eating, as an example, only makes sense. Not to mention, you will also have a higher success of reaching your fitness goals.

7. Get Better Sleep

Waking up early in the morning to exercise will in turn help you sleep better. Your body will enjoy a healthy sense of fatigue at the end of the day and will be ready to sleep. A recent study had participants exercise at 7 am, 1 pm, and 7 pm 3 days per week. Guess who got the deepest, longest sleeps? Yeah – it was those who were doing the 7 am workout sessions! Morning exercise not only improves the length of sleep you will enjoy, but also your quality of sleep by promoting deeper sleep cycles.
Evening exercise can actually have the opposite effect. Exercise is a form of stress, and your body reacts to stress by releasing hormones including adrenaline. Would you take a shot of adrenaline and then expect to fall asleep soon after? (I didn’t think so)

8. Love Life

Do I even need to argue this one? You have created a strong habit of morning exercise, your metabolism is flowing, your body is looking and feeling better, you’re sleeping well at night, and your mind is as sharp as ever. Are you enjoying your new life yet?