Imran Akram, ex-boss of Asons, is a big supporter of regular exercise for overall good health.
He believes that there are plenty of reasons why exercising first thing in the morning can make you feel good, but Imran is also keen to point out that making it a part of your daily routine can really have a positive lasting effect on your whole day!
While exercise can be a great tension reliever for your body, it also helps to build up your physical endurance and your tolerance for successfully handling stress. The less stressed you get the more energy you will have to get you through your day.
Many people can get out of bed in the morning feeling mentally and physically exhausted, and this doesn’t bode well for how you will feel for the rest of the day. Instead, even if you manage to fit in a short 15 minute morning workout before you start your day, you can boost your circulation, warm up your muscles, get rid of built-up tension and get your brain moving.
Exercising early has a profound effect
Being physically active early in the morning can have a profound impact on your mental health and clarity of mind. Gentle exercise in the morning can release feel-good chemicals called endorphins which stimulate the areas of the brain that can help us concentrate and make better judgements.
The tension-relieving action of moving and stretching your muscles can help lift your mood, reduce anxiety and boost your confidence – great if you are heading in to work for a morning meeting where you are giving a talk or presentation.
As well as helping to get your brain into gear, early morning exercise can also benefit many of the body’s other functions, such as boosting your metabolism and improving your sleep.
Raising your alertness
According to exercise studies, working out in the early morning can alter your body clock so you naturally become more awake and alert in the early hours. This can not only can improve your sleep quality enabling you to fall asleep quicker and getting more nourishing deep sleep, but making you more mentally alert during the rest of the morning.
Imran Akram is often asked when the best time to workout would be. Imran knows from experience that this would be around 7 am to get the most benefits, so if you can devise a home workout routine that you can comfortably complete before breakfast, you will be setting yourself up for a productive day!
What sort of exercise should you do?
The best way to get you out of bed and committed to your morning workout routine is to do something that you enjoy. If you see exercise as a punishment, then you will have no desire to jump out of bed to get stuck in.
Think of your morning exercise routine as a celebration of movement and an appreciation of the ability you have to move. Your exercise should be something that is fun and makes you feel good while doing it and leaves you energised at the end.
While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to what exercise you should do, pick something that gets you moving and suits your personality. You can do anything from yoga, pilates and bodyweight exercises to letting loose and dancing around your bedroom like no-one is watching while listening to rousing anthems from the 80s and 90s.
Imran is also asked often why he chooses to do a morning workout rather than at any other time of day? He believes that there are good reasons why morning workouts surpass evening exercise, for example:
Fewer distractions
Working out in the morning can mean that you will be less distracted. As you will be just getting out of bed, there is less chance of being interrupted by phone calls, emails and text messages. As you haven’t started tackling your to-do list yet, you have no excuse to put off your workout until later.
Setting up better-eating habits
By starting the day off with a positive workout, you will be less inclined to ruin your progress by tucking into unhealthy foods for breakfast. Instead of grabbing coffee with sugar and a sweet pastry on the way to work, getting up earlier to workout at home can also leave you with more time to prepare and eat a healthy breakfast.
Avoiding bad weather
Working out in the early morning can mean you will beat the heat of the day during the summer. Mornings are much cooler and more comfortable for exercising than later in the day when temperatures may have climbed to an uncomfortable level.
Increased alertness
Our hormones are known to fluctuate throughout the day so exercising early in the day can be a much better fit with our hormone levels. Our bodies produce cortisol to keep us awake and alert. This is the stress hormone and can be a problem if we produce too much or too little. As cortisol release is increased in the morning to wake us up and get our bodies moving, it makes sense to exercise when this hormone is peaking – usually between 7 and 8 am.
Improved daytime energy levels
Taking up any regular exercise is a great way to boost your energy levels, but when you work out in the morning, it will encourage an increased amount of oxygen and essential nutrients travelling to your brain, heart and lungs. This is excellent for reducing fatigue and improving your cardiovascular system, stamina and maintaining good energy levels throughout the day.
Blood glucose control
For diabetics, performing regular physical activity is an important part of managing their condition. While gentle exercise is recommended for anyone with diabetes to avoid hypoglycemia, morning exercise is recommended because it helps to lower that risk.
But what if mornings are too difficult?
If you find mornings are impossible for setting up a regular exercise routine because you may have a young family or a partner that you don’t wish to disturb, it is always best to exercise at the time of day that works best for you instead. Consistent exercise carried out at any time of day is much better than inconsistent morning workouts.