Friday 5: 5 Reasons to Get That Workout Done in the Morning

Now, we talked about this a few years ago, whether or not to work it out in the morning, or in the evening – or, hell, even mid-day! And, while we all can agree that it doesn’t matter when you get your workout on as long as you’re getting it in… I think it’s okay to admit that choosing one time over the other has its benefits, yes?

I’ve got to admit, I definitely have a few!

Must… choose… workout time! AHHHHHH!

Here we go… five reasons to get that workout done in the morning!

1) When that workout is done, it’s done. If you’ve got kids, you already know what happens sometimes if you leave that workout until evening time, and something winds up happening with one of the babies: there’s a practice you forgot about, there’s a meeting with a teacher, there’s shopping to be done, you’ve got to help out another parent, insert actual/real/frustrating situation. If you’ve got that high-powered job, you already know what happens: you wind up having to stay late, power dinner, networking, opportunity to schmooze up to the boss, opportunity for overtime and you know you want the extra money, whatever. If you’ve got a partner, you already know. I don’t even have to go there.

If you get up a little early and get that workout in, nothing can take that away from you. Nothing can get in the way. Why? Because everyone’s sleep!

2) That morning workout can influence your food choices throughout the remainder of your day. If you know you worked out and you were top notch this morning, that mid-day scarf-a-thon with co-workers doesn’t look so appealing. Instead of getting the giant white pasta with alfredo sauce, you might instead opt for something a little bit more gentle, maybe even more fresh.

3) The average scumbag street harasser who cat calls you while you’re jogging – who also happens to be the same grade of scumbag who might mock you for working out because “it’s obviously not working!” – is also not likely to be awake at that hour. The street harassment immediately dwindles when you’re working out in the morning. It just… it does. Simply because of the fact that fewer people are up and out at this hour, it gives you the opportunity to be spared from the ridiculousness that is… “Hey, ma! I see that ass jigglin’ in ‘nem pants! Why don’t you let me run with you so I can get your number?”

4) There’s something encouraging about “The Early Morning Runner Team.” The Morning Runner Team is often pretty friendly. You all have the same goal – avoiding hitting the snooze button. Even if you’re an Early Morning Walker, being around the runners for long enough will show you something you might’ve never noticed before: runners often stop and walk. As silly as it might sound, seeing runners stop running and walk helped me feel less like being a runner would be impossible for me. It helped me learn that it wasn’t embarrassing or shameful to have to stop, because all these runners that I’d been seeing blitz past me every morning were stopping, too. It was relieving. And freeing.

5) You know that feel-good feeling that you get from working out? Now, you get it in the morning, after your workout, and it can help carry you through what might otherwise be a rough morning. You know those annoying people who come into work chipper as hell, all excited and able… instead of groggy, still digging eye crud out of their faces and possibly in dire need of a cup of “wake the hell up?” You, too, can be one of those chipper people! (Without the annoying, of course. In fact, you actually might find it less annoying! You might understand it!)

When do you work out, and why? What works best for you?