What is the best time to do your workout routine? This is the common question asked by those who are actively working out. There are studies conducted that you can do your exercising routine any time of the day depending on your lifestyle and preference. However, if you would talk about the benefits that you will gain from exercising, the recommended time to do your workout is early in the morning upon waking up.
Doing morning workout routine delivers benefits physically and mentally. It delivers more advantages compared to working out at any time of the day. It serves as a kicker to be productive all throughout the day. In this article, we’ll explain the benefits of morning workout routine and we’ll demonstrate how to execute suitable exercises.
How To Do The Morning Workout Routine
Doing the morning workout routine has a lot of benefits not only to the overall functioning of the body but it also aims to set your mood for the day. Your routine consists of doing gentle movements that lead to big results. You are not required to spend a lot of time doing workouts in the morning, 10-15 minutes is already enough. You can have your morning workout every day but when you have muscle soreness during your first week, you can have it every other day.
For it to be an effective routine, a particular exercise is done in repetition. The goal of a morning workout routine is to make you energized and prepare your body for all your activities the whole day. There are a lot of simple exercises that you can do that will surely motivate and energize you the whole day. Here are some of the exercises that are suitable for your daily morning routine.
1. Hollow body hold
This exercise can be done for 30-60 seconds in each set for 3-5 repetitions. It targets the muscle group in front of your body that enhances the diaphragm, abs, quads, and hip flexors. Doing this regularly builds stability, bodily control, and strength.
Step 1: Lie down facing up with your sides and legs extended straight pulling the belly button towards the floor. The arms and legs should be held straight out from the body with hands and toes pointed.
Step 2: Slowly raise shoulders and legs from the ground. The arms and head should be raised along with the shoulders. The lower back must remain in contact with the floor.
Step 3: The goal is to find the lowest position that you can hold the arms and legs, without them touching the floor and without breaking lower back contact. You can close your legs closer to the floor for it to be more challenging.
2. Single-leg glute bridge
This exercise aims to target the three glute muscles mainly: Maximus, medius, and minimus. As you do this routine it also enhances lower back and hamstrings. You can do it for 15 to 20 reps with 30 seconds in between sets.
Step 1: Lie faceup on your back with knees bent, feet shoulder-width apart, and 12-16 inches from glutes. Lift your right leg so it’s straight up in the air at hip height with your foot flexed. Make sure to keep your upper back on the floor.
Step 2: Extend left leg straight out, then press into the right heel to lift hips straight up off the mat.
Step 3: Keep your core engaged the entire time. Pause at the top, squeezing your glutes for one to two seconds. Then lower back down to the start. Complete all your reps, then switch legs.
3. Reverse oblique crunch
It is an intermediate level kind of exercise that engages the upper body. As you put your legs towards your chest, your abs are contracted to give you the strength. Make sure to execute it correctly so as to avoid injury.
Step 1: Start lying down with your arms by your sides. Raise your legs so your thighs are perpendicular to the floor and your knees are bent at a 90° angle. Brace your torso by contracting as if someone were going to punch you in the tummy.
Step 2: Breathe out and contract your abs to bring your knees up towards your chest and raise your hips off the floor. Lift your hips up and twist them to the right slightly so as to contract through the right side of your torso.
Step 3: Hold for three seconds, then slowly lower your legs back to the starting position, keeping your legs in the air.
4. Plank with a knee tap
The combination of both planking and knee tap is to have strong and tight abs. It consists of simple moves but this morning routine for beginners can be difficult because you should have a strong core, to begin with.
Step 1: Start by resting on your palm, knees, elbows, and toes. Keep your hands directly below your shoulders.
Step 2: Contract your abs to keep yourself up and prevent your bottom from sticking up. Remember to keep your belly button pulled in. With your head and spine in line, keep your back flat, don’t let it curve. Picture your body as a long, straight board.
Step 3: Without shifting weight, draw right knee to chest and lift a left hand to tap right knee, then draw left knee to chest and lift a right hand to tap left knee. Continue alternating as fast as possible without losing your form.
Step 4: Repeat the same movement with the right leg. This completes one rep. Complete two sets of 10 reps
5. Double leg lift
This exercise strengthens the core muscles such as the rectus abdominis, the obliques, and the hip flexors. It strengthens the stability of the core muscles.
Step 1: Lie faceup on mat, legs extended up toward the ceiling so your body forms a 90-degree angle. Bring arms down by your sides, keep core engaged, and press low back into the mat.
Step 2: Pressing your lower back into the ground, slowly lower both legs down toward the floor, then slowly raise them back up. If this is too difficult, lower them as much as you can, or lower one leg at a time.
Step 3: Pressing your lower back into the ground, slowly lower both legs down toward the floor, then slowly raise them back up. If this is too difficult, lower them as much as you can, or lower one leg at a time.
Step 4: Complete 10 to 15 reps. Check your position: Pilates stance, open chest, wide elbows, abdominals pulled in. Repeat the exercise 6 to 8 times.
6. Squat
The squats do not only help you have a toned leg but it also enhances the hamstrings, quadriceps, abdominal muscles, calves, and lower back. If you are not used to doing squats, achieve for 3 sets with 12-15 repetition.
Step 1: Stand with feet just wider than hip-width. Keep hips stacked over knees, knees over ankles. Hinge at hips, then send hips back and bend knees to lower your body into a perfect squat.
Step 2: Bend at your knees and hips, sticking your butt out like you’re sitting into an imaginary chair. Keep your chest lifted and your spine neutral, and do not let your lower back round.
Step 3: Squat down as low as you can, keeping your head and chest lifted. Keep your knees over your ankles and press your weight back into your heels.
Step 4: As you press back up to standing, raise your right knee up toward your right elbow and do a side crunch with your torso to the right. Step your right foot down and immediately repeat sumo squat and crunch to the left. Repeat, alternating sides each time, for 1 minute.
7. Inchworm push-up
This exercise benefits the muscles of your shoulders, hips, and chest. When executed correctly, it has the ability to support your body’s weight as you do the planking position. It is considered as a high-intensity training exercise since it coordinates the core muscles.
Step 1: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Hinge at hips to bend over and touch the floor with your hands, then walk hands out to a high plank position.
Step 2: Keeping elbows close to sides, bend elbows, and lower your chest to the floor. Push back up, then walk hands back toward feet. Slowly walk your hands out away from your feet, shifting weight forward, bringing shoulders over hands, and lowering torso into full plank position. Brace your abs in tight and hold for 1 count.
Step 3: Gently release your hips to the floor and arch your lower back, lifting head and chest to the ceiling, taking a deep breath in as you stretch. Exhale, draw your abs in tight and use your abdominals to lift your hips back up into full plank position.
Step 4: Hold for 1 count and then slowly walk your hands back to your feet and roll up through your spine to return to standing. Repeat as many times in a row as you can for 1 minute.
Benefits Of Morning Workout Routine
- Boosts energy all throughout the day. Doing a morning workout routine is said to be an energy booster more than a cup of coffee. After exercising, you’ll feel an instant mental clarity and energy to be productive the whole day.
- Better mood. Doing exercises activates your neurotransmitters such as serotonin, endorphins, and dopamine. These are good chemicals that will give ley you feel happy and optimistic.
- Improved sleep. There are studies to support that an exercise routine in the morning promotes better sleeping habits. However, exercising in the evening makes it harder for you to sleep because it boosts your energy senses.
- Lower blood pressure. Regular exercises improve blood circulation in the body. Early morning exercises are said to regulate blood pressure to prevent hypertension. With regular exercise, your heart pumps blood with less effort.
- Less stress. You can easily relieve the stress that you are feeling through a morning routine exercise since it also relieves the tension on the muscles. As you sweat, the cortisol level or the stress hormone is decreased.
- You’ll build muscle more efficiently. Your testosterone levels are at peak in the morning that is why it is the ideal time to do strength-training workouts if you want muscle-building to be more efficient. Keep in mind that muscle building by doing a simple workout routine will only be effective if you do it properly.
Tips In Doing Workout Routine In Tthe Morning
- To have an efficient exercise morning routine, it is ideal to do it immediately upon waking up. If you are a beginner, it may be difficult to move early in the morning but when you are used to it it will no longer be a hard task. You can drink water before your exercise routine to prevent dehydration.
- You can do one kind of exercise but your goal is to have an explosive moment. You can execute the exercise faster or in repetition. Make sure that you are comfortable doing your chosen exercise. You can also do
- Your exercise should be short and sweet. Your goal in exercising in the morning is to energize you and not to exhaust you as you start your day. A 10-15 minute exercise with lots of repetition is ideal.
- Be consistent in following the morning routine if you are aiming for a fitness goal. If you do it regularly, the more natural you are in doing it every day without feeling lazy to get up and move your body.
Final Thoughts
No matter how simple your morning exercises are, the most important thing is to execute it in the proper form to make it efficient and to avoid injuries. You can maximize the benefits that you can get from the morning workout routine if you will do it consistently. Keep in mind not to overdo it so your body will not suffer.