The Importance Of A Morning RoutineChris Browning Personal Training

Running outside as part of a morning exercise routine — Is your morning routine setting you up for success or failure?

Do you have a regular morning routine?

Or more of a panicked rush to get ready to leave the house?

Either way, your morning is setting you up for the day ahead…

So how does your morning routine affect health & fitness?

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day…

Why?

In theory, breakfast sets the tone for how you eat throughout the day...

Skipping breakfast often leads to negative food choices later. It’s only a matter of time before you grab something sweet and convenient as hunger and low blood sugar take hold.

Most other habits work the same way.

Your first couple of hours can be a positive or negative influence. You’ll either start on the road to a successful day, or fall behind schedule.

It’s essential to get this part of the day right.

So what does an ideal morning routine look like?

The specifics will of course depend on you as a person…

What are your goals?
How much time do you really have?
What responsibilities do you have?

There are basics that represent a good start to the day for anybody with an interest in their health & fitness...

Adding any of the following as a regular habit would have benefits for most people...

Plan & prepare (night before).
Wake up at the same time each day.
Make your bed!
Hydrate.
Move.
Calm yourself.
Refuel.
Daylight.
Caffeine (optional).
Plan & prepare again for tomorrow.

Notice that PLAN and PREPARE get two mentions…

...get the hint?

Plan and Prepare

“Morning routine”:

1) it’s in the morning,

2) it’s a routine!

In other words, it’s regular. Not simply made up as you go along.

Your morning routine should be planned in advance and relevant to your goals.

Plan the night before.

It’s a bit cliché and obvious, but lay out clothes for tomorrow morning to remove one decision and reduce decision fatigue. Plan and prepare breakfast where possible. Make a to-do-list. Fill a water bottle and leave it where you can’t miss it. Most importantly… plan a good night’s sleep!

Wake Up At The Same Time

You know what it feels like to have an irregular sleep cycle.

Disrupted sleep, jet-lag or even just losing 60 minutes when the clocks go forward… irregular sleep not only feels horrible, it also plays havoc on your body (this deserves an article of it’s own later – for now, just understand that you will benefit physically and mentally from a regular sleep cycle).

Make Your Bed

“Make my bed… how is that relevant?!”

The bed itself isn’t the point.

The point is more to do with your mindset and building positive momentum.

Not convinced?

Check out the video for below...

Getting out of bed will always be the very first thing you do each day.

So the very first task, or decision, productive step…

...whatever you want to call it…

...is choosing whether to make your bed or not.

Choose to do it, and you’ve “won” the first battle of the day.

It’s a small one, but you’re on 1 out of 1. A 100% success rate.

And it might just help set the tone for the next “battle”.

Hydrate

Hopefully self-explanatory.

Hydration is massive in any health & fitness goal. Not only should you be drinking water consistently anyway, but you’ll be especially dehydrated after approx 8 hours asleep.

You can still start the day with a tea or coffee… just make sure you’re hydrated (remember caffeine can act as a diuretic).

Movement

Female performing squats with a resistance band. — Get moving early. Walking, stretching, mobility… it doesn't need to be strenuous!

Get moving as early as you can!

One of the most common, and most frustrating mistakes that new clients are making…

...is assuming that their 45-60 minute workouts are the only necessary component of an active and healthy lifestyle.

A 60 minute workout* is only 4% of your day!

*1 – many people don’t do this every day (that’s fine by the way as long as you’re following an effective, structured programme with planned rest days)

*2 – many people’s workouts are less than 60 min’s (again, that’s not a criticism… the point is that over the course of a week, month, year etc., your workouts probably represent far less than 4% of your total time!)

Almost every health or fitness goal that you can imagine will require, or at least benefit from, being a generally active person.

A workout does NOT excuse general laziness!

Excess sitting and a general lack of physical effort will impact your health & fitness programme results. Period.

So again, why not start with good intentions. Get moving early. Walking, stretching, mobility… it definitely does not need to be strenuous.

Obviously if you prefer to go to the gym, run, swim early in the morning… great!

Including movement in your morning routine;

sets the tone for the day ahead
encourages blood flow to muscles, the brain and helps mobilise joints
makes it easier to achieve daily activity goals eg., 10,000 steps
contributes to N.E.A.T
reinforces the “I’m an active person” mindset

Stay Calm

Stress, panic and mental fatigue are the ideal conditions for decisions that will negatively impact health & fitness.

Skipped workouts, bad food choices, general laziness can usually all be traced back to mental and or physical fatigue.

Some stress is unavoidable.

But at least start off in the right frame of mind.

Being organised (the night before?), stretching, yoga, meditation… basically whatever works for you.

Just try to avoid a mad panic at the very start of the day where possible.

Refuel: Food & Drink

I’m a die-hard believer in starting off the day with a good breakfast.

Hunger and low blood sugar, like stress, will not help you to make smart food decisions.

Good morning routines allow time for a relaxed breakfast which contributes to your nutrition goals.

If you’re currently chewing on a piece of toast as you rush out the door… I’m afraid this needs work on multiple levels...

Sleeping for 8 hours already means you’re body is in need of nutrients.

The “ideal” breakfast will depend on your preferences, goals and time available.

As a general guideline, you’re probably going to want to think about protein, minimising sugar and including fruits/vegetables. Remember, plants provide vitamins and fibre which will help to keep you feeling full for longer… hopefully avoiding the need for sugary snacks before lunch.

Fat and carbohydrate ratios will depend on the factors listed above. But again, think about what you’re doing, what you are trying to achieve and generally aim to make sure that you’re breakfast is contributing to your overall daily nutrition targets - NOT making them harder!

Daylight: Get Outside

The sun rising in the morning — One of the most effective things you can do, is expose yourself to daylight as soon as possible after waking.

Daylight has a huge influence on your body clock…

when you feel tired
when you feel awake and energetic
when you feel productive
when you feel motivated
when you feel hungry/get cravings
how well you digest & get nutrients from food
your metabolism
how well you sleep…

...almost everything you do is affected by your body clock.

Ideally, your daily routine should be fairly consistent.

That includes regular bedtime and wake-up times...

Regular meal times...

A consistent workout time where possible.

One of the most effective things you can do, is expose yourself to daylight as soon as possible after waking.

Daylight signals to your brain that it’s daytime and that your energy levels and bodily functions should respond accordingly.

Darkness, dim lights etc, will signal the opposite.

So… especially in winter, if you’re spending most of your time in poorly lit rooms, don’t be surprised if your brain and body want to slow down and go to sleep!

Caffeine

Coffee poured from a machine in the morning. — Caffeine can be a positive part of, or a negative influence, on your morning routine.

Are you a coffee or tea drinker?

If you are either… it’s fairly likely this will be one of the more regular parts of your morning routine.

Like daylight, caffeine can help with morning energy and alertness.

There are downsides to caffeine though. Too much caffeine, or drinking it too late in the day can disrupt sleep. Predictably, this means you’re more likely to feel tired the next morning. And that will inevitably affect your ongoing morning routine...