Seeing a good
number of twitter and Facebook posts this morning from people training early
has inspired me to write this blog on the benefits of training early in the
day.
From a
personal point of view I always prefer to train first thing as this is when I'm at my best. The gyms are dead and the
roads are quiet so it seems to be the perfect time for it. Not only it is a quiet time but I feel a
greater sense of achievement having finished an awesome workout and just seeing
people still yawning whilst driving to work. It’s as though I'm already ahead of the game!
I can then
enjoy the rest of my day feeling focused and knowing I don’t have that nagging
feeling of going to the gym after a long day in work. When I have finished work I can enjoy the rest
of my evening or (if the Misses let’s me and I feel good) I might go for cheeky
light workout.
This is all
subjective of course based on my own personal preference but there are many
proven benefits to training early in the day. So here is the science bit...
Hormones – Your cortisol levels are at
their peak in the morning which places you in a good hormonal state for
exercise and allowing you to naturally feel tired later in the evening.
Sleep – Your hormonal fluctuations will
allow for a peaceful night’s sleep. By
training in the evening you will raise cortisol levels therefore making your
body more alert which will keep you awake. If you can sleep easy at night after
exercising late in the evening then you probably have a hormonal imbalance.
Fat loss – If you exercise in the
morning you are likely to burn more fat as your blood sugar levels will be low
after sleeping therefore your body will use more fat to fuel your workout.
There are many
more benefits to early morning training which can be a little too subjective
however the fact of having a good night’s sleep, feeling better and losing more
fat is worth taking note of regardless of your own personal opinion.
So if you
haven’t tried early morning training why not give it a go for a month and see
how good you feel? I would be interested to get your thoughts.
For more help
with any elements to health, fitness and weight loss you can follow us on
twitter, Facebook or email me on lewis@elitefitnessconsultants.co.uk
Good luck & keep healthy