
Does the time you work out matter? Yes! And today, we’ll give you eight compelling reasons why.
Reason #1: There are Fewer Distractions
Early mornings are perfect for working out because a lot of people are either still asleep or busy preparing for work. This means there are fewer texts, emails, social media updates, and phone calls to distract you from your workout.
There’s probably less traffic on the road as well and fewer people in the gym at this time than if you go during lunch or after work.
Reason #2: You Have More Willpower
The thing with willpower is that it’s a finite resource. The more you use it, the less of it you have. And if you haven’t built a solid habit of working out yet, you need a whole lot of willpower to push yourself to start each training session.
The problem is that throughout each day, you naturally encounter things that slowly chip away at your willpower, such as:
- That annoying colleague you want to yell at but just ignored
- That piece of cake you were craving for but resisted
- That report you were too lazy to work on but had to finish
- That expensive thing you really wanted but didn’t buy
- That constant itch to check your social media that you managed to resist
Long story short, the later in the day you try to workout, the less willpower you have to actually do it.
Reason #3: It May Help You Keep Cravings at Bay
A 2012 study had women take a 45-minute walk on a treadmill in the morning. Afterward, the researchers showed them photos of flowers (i.e., the control) and food then measured their brain waves.
Seven days later, the researchers repeated the same process but without the 45-minute walk. What they found was that the participants’ brains responded more strongly to the photos of the food this time around, suggesting that working out in the morning may change the way seeing food affects us throughout the day.
This means that seeing that slice of pizza, or cake, or ice cream may not have as big of an impact on you if you get a quick workout in before leaving home in the morning.
Reason #4: It Puts You in a Better Mood
Do you always find yourself having to drag yourself out of bed in the morning? How much more productive do you think you’ll be if you started your day on a more positive note?
Well, that’s exactly what working out in the morning can help you do. You see, exercise is known to promote the release of the feel-good neurotransmitters called endorphins. Just couple it with a good breakfast and maybe a cup of fresh coffee and we promise you’ll be more ready to conquer the day than ever before.