Being physically active is essential if you want to be healthy and remain that way well into your old age. However, it’s sometimes hard to fit any type of workout regimen into your everyday schedule. Being busy with work and family leaves little free time to do much of anything, which is why, if you decide to go running early in the morning, before anybody in your home is awake, you’ll be surprised by the number of people you run across (pun intended). Like you, most of them are there because that’s the only time that they can be there, but there are those that are aware of all the health benefits these early-morning running sessions bring. Here are some of those benefits.
Controlled appetite
There are two theories listed as possible reasons for morning runners to be less hungry throughout the day. The first one is that the exercise itself controls your appetite, making you feel full for longer. The other one is that, since you’ve started your day on a healthy note, you subconsciously don’t want to ruin it by eating too much or indulging yourself with junk food. In any case, people who are in the habit of running early in the morning tend to make better dietary decisions, which is a great contribution to their overall health.
Better concentration
Physical exercise, including running, can make you sharper, which may last for about ten hours after your workout. Running can improve your focus, help you stay on your task and even prolong your attention span. It can make it easier for you to ignore the distractions around you, multitask more skillfully and keep new information in your mind with ease. Although these benefits are always welcome, having better focus and attention early in the morning can make you more productive at work and at home all day long, whereas it would be wasted in the evening, before you go to sleep.
Improved mood
When you run, your body generates endorphins, the neurotransmitters that lower your stress levels and help you fight off depression. This way, running makes you feel better about yourself, boosting both your mood and self-confidence. With regards to this, there are some other, small, running-related things you can do for yourself, such as getting tummy-flattening women’s exercise tights, a sports bra with a hot tank top, as well as lightweight and breathable running shoes. When you look good and feel comfortable while you work out, it will add to your self-esteem even more, allowing you a positive outlook from the very beginning of your day.
Regular digestion
Your morning running sessions can help you achieve healthier and more regular bowel movement. Many runners report that their workout has an amazing effect on their digestive system, which is one of the reasons that some of them run in the first place. Having good bowel movement in combination with physical exercise early in the morning can be beneficial on your overall health and can help you start the day energized and feeling great, which can reflect on all your other activities later in the day. It also kickstarts your body into moving inside and out, so nothing sits in one place for too long. It ensures the runnings of your inner system are smooth and easy! It lessens the likelihood of heartburn and indigestion too, but even if you still suffer with it, you have the help of Zantac and similar medicines, so check it out for more info.
Sleeping well
An early-morning run can help you fall asleep easier in the evening, improving the quality of your sleep. It might have something to do with reduced anxiety and depression due to your physical exercise, which makes you more relaxed and calm once you go to bed. Also, running helps regulate your hormones, as your adrenaline is high in the morning when you exercise, and it slowly drops as the day goes by, which is much better than having an adrenaline rush before bedtime. Sleeping is very important for your general health, and, if nothing else, if you run early in the morning and then go about all your other business during the day, your body will yearn for a good night’s sleep in the evening. You are more likely to go to bed earlier and, that way, regulate your sleeping pattern in a positive manner, since you’re also getting up early to run.
Reduced high blood pressure
Running early in the morning can offer many health benefits. One of them is that running regulates your blood pressure, lowering your risk of hypertension, as well as high cholesterol and even cardiovascular disease. Another is that you burn calories while running, which will make it less likely for you to gain undesired weight, since being overweight can lead to many health issues. You don’t even have to run faster than 10 km/h and for no longer than 10 minutes a day to reap these benefits.
The time for excuses is over. Instead of being lazy and slow, start your every day with something that will make you feel healthier in the long run.
