Should you exercise in the morning or evening? This is something many people consider when devising their exercise routines. Although it may be hard to bring yourself to work out first thing, exercising in the morning has a number of benefits that may help advance your fitness and well-being. Starting your day with a workout also means you have more time in the evening to enjoy yourself, whether that’s socialising, taking part in a hobby, or relaxing.
Here, we’re taking a look at some of the main benefits of morning exercise.
1. Healthier food choices
Morning exercise is scientifically proven to benefit your relationship with food, encouraging healthier food choices and reducing overall daily food intake. According to one study, women who exercised first thing in the morning were less food motivated and more likely to increase their physical activity throughout the day.
Another study found that regular cardio exercise promotes healthier food choices. By starting their day healthily, participants were more likely to carry that healthy feeling throughout the rest of their day.
2. Better sleep
According to research, early morning workouts can improve sleep quality by increasing deep sleep and reducing awakenings and the time taken to fall asleep. Whereas exercising in the evening may do the opposite and reduce sleep quality. This is primarily because exercise raises your heart rate and body temperature, both of which must remain low in order for you to fall asleep.
What’s more, light exposure in the morning can help your body wake up better and also increases levels of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin at night.
3. Increased weight loss
Exercising before eating breakfast can help promote weight loss because there is no food to provide available energy for muscles. Instead, the body must burn through fat reserves to obtain energy to fuel a workout. According to research, working out on an empty stomach can burn up to as much as 20% more fat, a great benefit for those looking to lose weight.
4. Lower stress and better mood
During exercise, your brain releases “feel good” endorphins which help relieve stress and improve your mood. By exercising in the morning, you can ensure you start your day on a positive note.
One study found that morning exercise is also associated with improved attention, visual learning and decision-making. This may be hugely beneficial to those with long working days ahead of them.
The perfect exercise support
Taking a supplement like New Leaf’s ZMA tablets can enhance exercise performance and recovery, enabling you to maximise the results of your morning workouts. This supplement includes a few essential nutrients including:
- Zinc: to help repair muscle tissue and regulate testosterone levels, an important hormone for building muscle.
- Magnesium: to improve muscle function and speed up recovery.
- Vitamin B6: to reduce tiredness and fatigue.
Summary
The benefits of morning exercise stretch far beyond simply increasing fitness levels. Multiple studies have proven that physical activity in the morning can enhance many aspects of your physical and mental health and can change patterns of behaviour.
Morning exercise can promote healthier food choices throughout the day and reduce overall food intake, accelerate fat burning and weight loss, improve sleep quality, alleviate stress and boost mood.
Taking New Leaf’s ZMA supplement is a great way to support your workouts, as it combines essential nutrients to enhance exercise performance and recovery.