Wake The Hell Up

What time do you normally get your day started? If you are like most and work an 8-5 job you are probably rising between 6-7 a.m. You start your day sluggish, generally not speaking a word until that hot caffeinated beverage touches your lips. Even then, are you really awake? For most, the answer is no. I work in an office environment where you are encouraged to arrive at 8 a.m. sharp and begin working. But what I have observed this is generally not the case. People tend to drag their feet to the coffee pot and ever so slowly make their way back to their respected working space. That being said, it's generally 8:30 a.m. or later before people are awake and ready to tackle the day. If I have just described you I have one simple question;   Why are you limiting yourself?

Since I graduated college I have woken up around 5am during the week and hit the gym. I'm usually in the gym between 5:30 and 5:45 and are warming up for a workout. Now snorting nose tork and trying to lift "heavy" weights at 6 am isn't for everyone, but I haven't felt better. I am able to get my day started off by accomplishing small goals that I have set for myself and by the time 8:00 am rolls around I am ready to tackle the day. Now I'm not ready to tackle the day because I hit a hard workout, I was ready to tackle the day because I got out of bed and got moving. Movement is a critical part of human function. Without movement, people become stagnant and rather sluggish. In nature, this is very easy to see. For example, when a river or creek is blocked it becomes a stagnant pool of bacteria and algae. But if that water is allowed to freely move, it is a raging river that can't be stopped. There was a study conducted that measured the impact of morning exercise and its effects on appetite throughout the day. The study concluded that participants who completed some anaerobic exercise in the morning had a greater sense of satiation, or not feeling hungry, throughout the day. Another study that was completed examined fat oxidation over a 24 hour period when comparing morning exercise to evening exercise. The study showed that fat oxidation increased when exercise was completed before the first meal of the day was consumed. This factor coupled with a greater sense of satiation throughout the day could be greatly beneficial if an individual is attempting to lose a few pounds. With the evidence presented,  what would you rather be in life? The stagnant pool or the raging river? I think I know the answer. If you are a slow riser, it's amazing what a few minutes of stretching or even a quick 10-minute walk will do to start your day. It doesn't have to be some lengthy or intense workout, just enough activity to get your meat wagon moving. If you feel motivated to make a change I encourage you to simply start your day off a few minutes earlier with just a little bit of movement. Starting off small and seeing progress may encourage you to set that alarm even earlier and tackle the day with an intense jog or workout. Who knows, maybe in a few months you'll be reaping all the benefits from simply getting moving and waking the hell up! References:  Alizadeh, Z., Mostafaee, M., Mazaheri, R., & Younespour, S. (2015, June). Acute Effect of Morning and Afternoon Aerobic Exercise on Appetite of Overweight Women. Retrieved  February 25, 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4592764/ Iwayama, K., Kurihara, R., Nabekura, Y., Kawabuchi, R., Park, I., Kobayashi, M., . . . Tokuyama, K. (2015, December). Exercise Increases 24-h Fat Oxidation Only When It Is  Performed Before Breakfast. Retrieved February 25, 2018, from