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"Top
10 Reasons To Exercise In The Morning!"
Copyright 2003 by Greg Landry, M.S.
If I had to pick a single factor that I
thought was most important in a successful
exercise or weight loss program, it would
be to exercise first thing in the morning
- every morning! Some mornings, you may
just be able to fit in a 10 minute walk,
but it's important to try to do something
every morning.
So why mornings?...
1. Over 90% of people who exercise *consistently*,
exercise in the morning. If you want to
exercise consistently, odds are in your
favor if you exercise first thing in the
morning.
2. When you exercise early in the morning,
it "jump starts" your metabolism
and keeps it elevated for hours, sometimes
up to 24 hours! That means you're burning
more calories all day long just because
you exercised in the morning!
3. When you exercise in the morning you'll
be *energized* for the day! Personally,
I feel dramatically different on days when
I have and haven't exercised in the morning.
4. Many people find that morning exercise
"regulates" their appetite for
the day - that they aren't as hungry and
that they make better food choices. Several
people have told me that it puts them in
a "healthy mindset."
5. If you exercise at about the same time
every morning, and ideally wake-up at about
the same time on a regular basis, your body's
endocrine system and circadian rhythms adjust
to that. Physiologically, some wonderful
things begin to happen; A couple of hours
*before* you awaken, your body begins to
prepare for waking and exercise because
it "knows" it's about to happen.
Why? Because it "knows" you do
the same thing just about everyday. You
benefit from that in several ways..
a) It's MUCH easier to wake-up. When you
wake-up at different times everyday, it
confuses your body and thus it's never really
"prepared" to awaken. b) Your
metabolism and all the hormones involved
in activity and exercise begin to elevate
while you're sleeping. Thus, you feel more
alert, energized, and ready to exercise
when you do wake-up. c) Hormones prepare
your body for exercise by regulating blood
pressure, heart rate, blood flow to muscles,
etc.
6. For many people, that appointed time
every morning becomes something they look
forward to. It's time they've set aside
to do something good for themselves - to
take care of their body, mind, and soul.
Many find that it's a great time to think
clearly, pray, plan their day, or just relax
mentally.
7. Research has demonstrated that exercise
increases mental acuity. On average it lasts
four to ten hours after exercise! No sense
in wasting that brain power while you're
sleeping. :)
8. Exercise first thing in the morning
is really the only way to assure that something
else won't crowd exercise out of your schedule.
When your days get hectic, exercise usually
takes a back seat!
9. If finding time to exercise is difficult,
anyone can get up 30 to 60 minutes earlier
to exercise (if it's a priority in your
life). If necessary, you can go to sleep
a little earlier. Also, research has demonstrated
that people who exercise on a regular basis
have a higher quality of sleep and thus
require less sleep!
10. You'll feel GREAT! DO IT! :)
Author and exercise physiologist, Greg
Landry, offers FREE weight loss success
stories and his "Fast, Healthy Weight
Loss" newsletter at his site: http://www.Landry.com
copyright 2003 by Greg Landry, M.S.
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