Dr. Mike was walking through his Wellness Center one afternoon when he heard someone comment, “I love exercising early in the morning, but it makes me late for work sometimes.” Feel the same way? Don’t give up your morning routine just yet. Here are some of the benefits of early rise workouts and ways you can take advantage of them.
Physical activity in the morning helps reduce blood pressure during the day and boosts brain power (cognitive function and mental acuity) for 4 to 10 hours. You also rev up your metabolism, so you burn more calories all day and you’ll have a sounder, deeper sleep that night. In addition, getting active in the morning makes it easier to stick with your workout schedule; several studies show more than 90 percent of the most consistent exercisers do it in the morning.
One of Dr. Mike’s favorite early morning routines is interval training, especially when you are pressed for time. It’s a great way to make sure you burn calories, increase cardio fitness and reap all the other benefits—and still make it to work on time. In a walking routine, he suggests, you walk fast enough for four minutes to start sweating; return to a slower pace for three minutes. Repeat the cycle for 30 minutes. And if you were thinking about doing something else aerobic for a little cardio-action in the morning, that’s good for body and soul, too.
Medically reviewed in December 2019.
