It feels like training. Preparing kit the night before and setting the alarm for 5.30am. Charging lights, filling bottles then heading off to bed.
The sky is still dark at that time, and the birds have yet to wake. This all means that the roads are quiet and the only noise is that of the hum of the tyres on the road and the heavy breathing of exertion.
I’m not really sure why I’m up and riding so early – I’ve not set any plans for the year ahead – but I know it’s good to be up. The early morning’s require an early night and sufficient sleep – otherwise the snooze button becomes both my best friend and my worst enemy.
The sun will be up soon, the birds will be singing and the roads will start to get busier, but for now it’s just me and the village milkman who share the lanes.
If you’re not a morning person (and I’m not) then it’s not always the easiest thing to do to get up at and be out by 6 – BUT, it is definitely worth it! Sometimes it’s useful to know why you are doing it, here are 4 really useful motivators to get you through it.
- People who exercise in the morning get a host of benefits that can last for the rest of the day, including a surge of energy to last the day due to the cardiovascular kickstart and an increase of endorphins to power you through.
Early morning exercise helps to keep the appetite at bay throughout the day, it will also be better for solid sleep than exercising after work.
Concentration is improved by that kickstart, the early mornings also provide time to work through the tasks of the day ahead, whether it’s work, family, or simply trying to fit in some personal time, the quiet and calm of the morning will help solve the world’s ills!
The early morning also helps burn more calories than later workouts – by working the muscles early the metabolism is increased throughout the day, burning upto 20% more calories just by doing your normal activities.
That’s the logic sorted, now what?
Pack early.
I always get my kit sorted the night before, lay it out on the sofa downstairs so I can simply roll out of bed and tiptoe through the house without waking anyone. The last thing I want to do is wake up Anda and get ‘the look’ at 5.30!
Fasted exercise
There’s plenty of words written out on the world wide web about the benefit of early morning fasted exercise to stimulate fat burn. Do it!But be prepared to refuel afterwards! If you are heading straight in an office, have it packed and ready. If you are back and the house is till quiet have it ready on the counter top so there’s little risk of making additional noise.
Find a buddy
Have you got a cycling/running buddy who is willing and able to get out with you? A workout shared is a workout more intense! But it also helps to develop more commitment to the cause and stops you from bailing/hitting the snooze.
No time!
An early morning session means that there’s always time!
Ditch the TV, limit social media, stop reading blogs. There’s loads of free time out there to use wisely!