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RISE AND GRIND: HOW TO MAKEMORNINGS YOUR WORKOUT TIME

By: Carrie Anton, Health & Fitness Writer

There's long been debate about what time of day is best towork out: mornings, midday or evenings.

Researchers repeatedly present studies touting benefits to all three, suchas decreased cravings all day after working out early, and increasedenergy when saving workouts for midday or nighttime. While the successand consistency of any fitness routine depends heavily on your ownlifestyle, there's something to be said for sweating right after (or evenbefore) the sun comes up.

The Benefits of Working Out in the MorningAvoid the crowd: The earlier you start your day, the fewer people will likelybe out of bed. That means a sunrise run can be spent picking up your pacerather than navigating your way around walkers and cyclists. And if groupfitness like CrossFit or studio classes is your thing, get ready for morecoaching attention; fewer classgoers means more corrections on your form.

Less sabotage: Plan your sweat session for the midday or evening, and yourisk missing it due to long-running meetings, last-minute work assignments,social opportunities and so forth. Make morning your time to shine, and theonly thing standing between you and fitness is oversleeping.

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Less stress: When your body feels better, so does your mind. Physicalactivity produces feel-good endorphins and has been proved to reduce thestress hormone cortisol. Be active in the mornings, and you'll be better ableto keep stress low all day long.

More brain power: By starting the day being active, you'll amp up your brainpower and cognition, allowing you to work smarter and more efficiently allday. Work out at night, and that brain boost may be wasted once you headto bed.

How to Prepare the Night Before Your WorkoutIf doing the math on when you'd have to wake up to work out scares you,you might already be hitting the snooze button on the idea. But before youburrow back into bed, try easing into an earlier routine the night before.

Plan and pack: Set out your workout clothes, refrigerate your water bottleand pack your gym bag with the clothes and toiletries you'll need to getready post-workout. On the nutrition front, make sure to consider the fuelyou'll need, even tacking breakfast prep on to your normal dinner routinebefore cleaning up the kitchen.

Push up bedtime: Your body needs sleep to prepare for and recover frombeing active, so scoot up your bedtime. Instead of doing it all at once—which can lead to lying wide awake not being able to sleep—slowly push upbedtime in increments throughout the week. Plus, don't forget to switch offyour screen. Overuse of gadgets right before bedtime can confuse yourbrain into thinking it's not yet time to sleep.

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Stretch out: If your body is used to being active in the evening, try musclemobility work instead. Nighttime stretching has been shown to improvequality of sleep afterwards, which is great given you might need all the helpyou can get with your new bedtime.

Things to Consider During a Morning WorkoutWhen you work out doesn't always alter how you work out, but there are afew things to keep in mind that differ about morning workouts.

Safety first: If you like to sweat outside, remember there may be less light inthe a.m. depending on the time of year or hour of the day. Whether running,biking or doing sunrise yoga at the park, be visible to others with bright,reflective clothing and gear. Stick to safe, well-lit paths and always have asmartphone handy or a buddy alongside you.

Fueling vs. fasting: Midday or nighttime workouts are fueled by energy fromthe protein, carbs and fats eaten that day, but in the morning your body willbe running on empty. Depending on your own goals, you can exercisewithout eating before, which can help with fat loss. To build muscle, try aprotein shake before your workout. If endurance is your game, eat a bananaand a tablespoon of natural nut butter 30 minutes before you begin workingout.

Layer up: Without the heat of the sun, the air can be cooler first thing in themorning. Dress in layers so that you can unzip vents or take off clothingwhen you or the weather warm up.

Carrie Anton, Health & FitnessWriter

Carrie Anton is a health and fitness freelance writer. Her occupationhas led to many trials and errors with exercise, but it was her firstCrossFit class where she finally found something she loved. She’s nowCFL1 and Olympic-Lifting certified and enjoys helping others reachtheir fitness goals, be it through training or her published work. Seemore at carrieanton.com.