Dear Fit,
Four to five times a week, my alarm goes off at 5 a.m. I drag myself out of bed, put on my sneaks, and hit the treadmill in my home first thing in the morning. Is this bad for my body or metabolism? Would I be better off waiting until I got home from work?
— Early Bird
This is a great question, since I'm sure many FitSugar readers are fans of early morning workouts. It's a great way to start the day and relieve any pre-work stress, and getting it done first thing in the morning means you don't have to worry about fitting it in during the rest of your busy day. With that said, there are some things you need to consider for your morning, workouts so read more.
You're getting up pretty early in the morning, so you want to make sure you're not missing out on getting enough shut-eye. A person needs about seven to eight hours every night, so make sure you're in bed by 9 p.m. every night if you know you'll be getting up early to work out. Also, since your body hasn't eaten for at least eight hours, you'll need to eat a little something to give your body enough fuel to exercise. If you exercise on an empty stomach, you body will hold on to fat and target your lean muscles instead for fuel, which is not what you want. You want to hold on to your lean muscle since it helps to boost your metabolism. So munch on a piece of whole wheat toast with peanut butter, a banana, or a small cup of yogurt since they are foods you can digest easily. Experiment with different pre-workout snacks to see which ones work best.
Before you hit the treadmill at full speed, make sure you warm up with at least five minutes of walking. It'll make your body and mind more alert, which will help prevent injury. Be sure to hydrate yourself during and after your workout. Then be sure to eat follow your workout with a good breakfast that includes carbs, protein, and healthy fat.
Princesse Tam-Tam
Monsoon
Marithe' F. Girbaud
I'm an early morning girl. My alarm goes off at 5:30, but I'm on a tight schedule and never really have time to eat before I work out. Is there anything you suggest that is easy to make a week in advance so that I can just grab it on my way out the door?
1I would be an early morning runner, but I am too scared to run by myself when it is dark/semi dark out still. My husband and I used to do it, but then he got too busy with work, so now I can't anymore!
2I know a lot of people who work out first thing in the morning and that's what works for them. But for me, I look forward to working out in the evening right after work because I get to let go of the stress I've accumulated over my work day and also, I feel better and more re-energized when I get home. It feels great to exercise and be active after being glued to my desk all day!
3Ella you can eat a banana or something like that.
4I'm an early runner too. It's nice to run when nobody is up yet and the city is all quiet
ooh, helpful post. on the mornings when i workout early, i never eat first. that stems from never really being a breakfast person until about a year ago, i think (now i always eat breakfast). now i'll try to be more conscious about grabbing something first.
5I can't do morning workouts. I'd hurt someone. Seriously. I prefer work out after work. It just seems to do better for me and my routine.
6Oh god I cannot do working out first thing in the morning, my muscles just feel stiff and sore and I cannot warm up.
7This is something I really need to start doing.. I avoid waking up early (I hate to see 7 am!) but I feel like this would be good for me regardless.
8I love morning workouts, but sometimes I'm not hungry enough to really eat much so I keep bananas in the kitchen. They're easy and non-filling and only take a minute to get some fuel.
9My alarm goes off at 5:30 every morning (weekdays that is:). I put on my sneakers and go for my 7-mile run plus I do some weights at my gym.I dont eat before my workout (otherwise i feel heavy) but I do have a healthy breakfast about 30 minutes after my run (some fruit and scrambled egg whites with my favorite light laughing cow cheese wedge:)
10I can't fathom waking up early to workout, much less THAT early - and I love working out. I'm just soooo not a morning person. If I workout in the morning I'm usually achy and headachy for the rest of the morning. I have a more effective workout later in the day.
11I work out first thing -- but no time to eat and digest before. I usually warm up and do my thing and then eat within 30 minutes of finishing to refuel.
I'd love to work out after work, but with job activities, meetings, etc., I would probably end up having to skip it most day, leading to less active time.
12I've been considering changing my late-afternoon workouts to morning, but I'm soooo not a morning person. Maybe I'll give it a try later this week and see how it goes.
13It depends on what I'm doing that day. I have my more intense workouts in the early afternoon and my conditioning/flexibility workouts at night. I just try to break it up some days so that I'm not tired all day.
14I wasn't (er, am not) a morning person at all. I try to put on a friendly face and say hello to a few people, but really, I don't like being up that early. But a workout and a shower really gets me awake for the day. Its really a lot harder in the winter, cause it's still pitch black when I get to work, and I've been up for over 2 hours. But history has told me that I do much better in the AMs. I'm more consistent & there aren't a lot of things to distract me. Didn't get to go this AM though
my car is in the shop & it was raining like crazy. I'll have to make up for it this weekend!
15Ok, so it seems I'm not alone in that I really can't eat anything early early in the morning before a workout. I tend to just do weights (well, kettlebells to be exact) and if I eat anything before then it makes me feel queasy. I do eat something healthy and filling right after though. Does this mean I am doing more damage to myself?
16Its just easier for me to workout in the morning because after work things can get crazy, stuff comes up last minute but in the morning its pretty much a go.
I think it's good to workout whenever you have the energy to do it.
17In college I was a morning work out girl because the afternoons and evenings were too booked. Now, I have little time in the morning and have moved to an afternoon workout. I take my lunch hour and work out 45 minutes and then do a 30 minute walk after dinner. I have slowed down a little know that I am maintaining and not loosing weight. If I had a choice I would workout in the morning.
18The best time to work out is the time that you know you can stick with so you'll be consistent. I personally am a morning person and I get up early to work out as well. Sometimes that means 3 am when I have to go to work early, but I'm always sure to go to bed early the night before so I'm not skipping sleep. I'm also not a big pre-workout eater, but I've found that if I just eat after I work out (I usually eat oatmeal and a piece of fruit), I'm fine. I don't think it's a good idea to force yourself to eat if you're not hungry; your body will tell you when it wants food.
19I wish I could workout in the morning and free up my evenings, but I literally feel sick if I try to excise first thing. Any tips on adjusting to an early AM workout schedule?
20i wonder what people think about something like ensure high protein before an early morning workout? i had a trainer suggest it to me. i bought a six pack and have used them this week. i don't feel heavy and i work off all the calories while at the gym. however, there are 290mg of sodium or 31g carbs (21g as sugar) in each 8oz drink.
i'm trying to decide whether i want to buy more and any advice would be helpful!
21Working out first thing in the morning helps me be more alert for the rest of my day. If I don't get in a workout, then I need lots of extra coffee to put up with all the genuine morning people at the office. But I can't have anything in my stomach, otherwise I get cramps. And there's no way I would get up earlier to have time to eat and then digest the food. I'd have to get up at 4:00 am. That's just crazy.
22i'm in bed at 930 up at 550. it's more of a "robot" deal if you will. its become such a routine that i don't even think about it anymore. however, i do not eat before, only after, as i am not that hungry when i just rolled out of bed. i'm wondering now if that's bad?? suggestions?
23"If you exercise on an empty stomach, you body will hold on to fat and target your lean muscles instead for fuel, which is not what you want."
That has nothing to do with it. Long, moderate-paced workouts will always switch to fat for fuel. Short, fast workouts will burn muscle (to convert to glucose) if there is no glucose supply.
24I have a question about this ... I get up at 6am and do a 20 minute workout to Jillian Michael's 30 day shred. It's just a great morning boost, and I do my full, hardcore workout later in the day. I usually eat right afterwards...
Do I still need to nibble on something beforehand? I can't imagine eating right as I get up
25I have a question about this ... I get up at 6am and do a 20 minute workout to Jillian Michael's 30 day shred. It's just a great morning boost, and I do my full, hardcore workout later in the day. I usually eat right afterwards...
Do I still need to nibble on something beforehand? I can't imagine eating right as I get up
(Sorry I wasnt logged in!)
26Yeah, I'm pretty sure 30 day shred involve intervals and weights. You will need some fuel to build muscle and prevent it being burned for the short cardio intervals.
27well, the best cardio of all time is SEX. So have that more often. And the best is that you can do it anytime of the day...but preferably do it with someone WORTH all that energy =)
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