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Exercise

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Ten Reasons to Exercise in the Morning
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*,
exercisein 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 and fitness success
stories and targeted, highly affective weight
loss
programs for women,
men, type 2 diabetics, and people
with slow metabolisms
and hypothyroidism. http://www.Landry.com
copyright 2004 by
Greg Landry, M.S.
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