Some of us enjoy a sunset run while others rise and shine, ready to work out. We all have our preferred times and types of workouts, whether you’re an early bird or a night owl. With our busy modern lives, we should be proud if we’re managing to fit even 10 or 15 minutes of exercise into our day.
Those who enjoy working out in the morning will be pleased to hear that there are plenty of benefits, from better sleep to sharpening your focus. Let’s look at the research.
The benefits of morning exercise
Research highlights the advantages of exercising earlier in the day, so there’s no need to ditch that morning run, yoga routine, or strength training sesh.
Sleep more soundly
One study published in Sleep Medicine showed that just walking in the morning could improve sleep quality at night. The study involved adults aged 55 to 65 with mild insomnia or difficulty falling asleep. The most significant improvements were found in the middle of the night.
Blood sugar regulation
Research published in the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology has shown that morning exercise can lower the risk of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar levels. In this study, adults with type 1 diabetes completed treadmill workouts in the morning and in the afternoon, and the results indicated that morning exercise was linked to a lower risk of hypoglycemic events compared to exercising in the afternoon.
Sharper focus
We all want to sharpen our thinking skills and stay more focused to level up our productivity at work and elsewhere. A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine revealed that morning exercise boosts visual learning, decision-making, and attention span.
For this study, participants sat on their butts for eight-hour sessions. They were split into two groups, with only one group completing a 30-minute morning treadmill walk. As expected, the group who completed the morning walk showed better results when it came to improving cognitive function, or shall we call it brain power.
More movement when you aren’t working out
Interestingly, some research reveals that people tend to move around more on the day following their morning training. The researchers found that earlier workouts increased participants’ NEAT, which refers to their non-exercise activity thermogenesis and how much energy they burn throughout the day performing their regular tasks when they’re not working out.
Appetite regulation
Waking up and getting those muscles moving sooner can also help regulate your appetite. For example, in a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, researchers recruited 35 participants to walk on a treadmill for 45 minutes in the morning.
Researchers examined and measured their brain activity while participants looked at images of flowers or food. They repeated the process without exercising in the morning and found that the participant’s brains showed a stronger response to food images on the days when they didn’t complete the morning exercise.
Of course, any exercise is better than no exercise at all, but if you prefer to knock your workouts out before lunch, you’ll get several benefits for your overall health and fitness.
