Your morning routine can make or break your entire week. People who start the day making healthy choices tend to stay on a healthy streak for the rest of the day. Not to mention, a great morning routine can lead to more energy and help you avoid that afternoon spell of fatigue. You can try these habits tomorrow morning to reap the benefits. We promise you won’t have to wake up one second earlier to add these to your day.
Rise and Drink
First things first, you should get hydrated as soon as you wake up. You can keep a glass of water next to your bed and drink it all once you’re up. Water rehydrates you after hours (hopefully at least 7-8 hours) without liquid and it helps to start up your metabolism and bodily functions. You’ll also get a head start on drinking at least 64 ounces of water a day by starting first thing in the morning.
Move for 5
Once you’re hydrated, you should get moving for at least 5 minutes. You can start off light with a few stretches, or short round of yoga. Or you can try something more challenging like a 5 minute abs or legs workout. While 5 minutes isn’t a lot, once you hit 5 minutes, you’ll most likely want to do even more. But even if you only get 5 minutes in, that’s 35 minutes of extra exercise every week!
The Morning Is the Right Time for Carbs
Carbs have gotten a bad rep lately for those who want to keep weight off. The key to eating carbs and maintaining a healthy weight is to only eat as much as you can burn off. Carbs are an energy source, but if you don’t use that energy, your body stores it as fat. This means, the earlier you get your carbs in, the more time you have during the day to burn them off! Have your fruits with breakfast, or have your toast or oatmeal. The earlier the better! Stick to high protein meals for the rest of the day.
Decide On All Your Meals
Ok, this step might lead you to wake up a little earlier, but it doesn’t have to be a time suck. Do what you can to bring your lunch and snacks with you for day. You can do this at home, or stop at the grocery store on your way to work. You want to be as prepared as possible, even if you don’t have all your meals prepped for the week. Have healthy snacks high in protein ready to go so when hunger strikes you won’t be tempted into less healthy options.
Plan Out Your Sweat Session
If you normally check your calendar in the morning to get ready for your day, pencil in a time to be active, even if it’s in the middle of the day, between meetings. Just like with any other appointment, you should add some active time to your calendar so that you have it blocked off before anything else pops up. Your future self will absolutely thank you for it!
You don’t have to be a super morning person to start your day off with the healthiest intentions. Make these changes part of your daily morning routine and watch your day get that much healthier!
Sharita Jennings is a health policy attorney, ACE certified group fitness instructor and nutrition specialist. She leads fitness classes in Washington, DC and provides online coaching and tips on her site, GetFitLikeThat.com.
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