Morning workouts can boost weight loss if one key habit is followed, experts claim

Exercising first thing in the morning can be beneficial for mental and physical health.

In terms of weight loss, previous research suggests that early morning may be the best time to exercise, according to the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

The research, published in the journal Obesity, recorded the activity levels of 5,285 participants, taking into consideration the time of day they exercised.

Those who consistently engaged in morning activity, between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., were found to have a lower risk of obesity than those who were most active in the midday or evening.

The morning exercisers also had a lower average BMI (body mass index) and waist size.

Certified fitness trainer Alissa Mosca with Planet Fitness in New York agreed that morning workouts are a “great way” to start the day.

“When the day begins with a morning workout routine, the body releases multiple different chemicals, which aid in our overall functionality,” she told Fox News Digital.

“This includes chemicals like endorphins and dopamine, which are the chemicals that make us feel good and help us move forward with positive energy. Additionally, we wake up our muscles, stimulate the brain, and prepare to take on the day.”

The sleep-exercise balance

Sleep and wellness expert Todd Anderson, co-founder of Dream Performance & Recovery in Nashville, Tennessee, emphasized the importance of striking a healthy balance between exercise and rest.

The first couple of hours of exercise in a week are “insanely impactful,” Anderson said — and it doesn’t have to be a strenuous activity.

“Our bodies are meant to move,” he said. “Getting two hours of movement or exercise in a week should be very high on the priority list.”

While it might seem that morning exercise is cutting into sleep time, Anderson pointed out that regular exercise could actually result in a higher quality of slumber.

“The sleep you’re getting will be more impactful,” he said.

But for people who hit the gym daily and don’t get sufficient shuteye, Anderson said he considers it a “no-brainer” to opt for adequate sleep over an early-morning workout.

“When it comes down to body composition and weight loss or just fitness in general, you’ll probably have a better outcome from that hour of sleep when you’re already at a pretty decent level of activity,” he said. 

“When you sleep, it allows you to respond effectively to the stress from the workouts.”

Mosca agreed that proper rest and recovery require seven to eight hours of sleep, which allows the muscles to have the greatest amount of repair and growth.

“If someone is going to bed at 12 a.m. to 1 a.m. nightly and then trying to wake up for a 6 a.m. workout, the progress will stall and the effects of the hard work that is put in will take that much longer to come to light,” she told Fox News Digital.

“Getting on a regular sleep schedule, unwinding earlier, putting the electronics down, and focusing on calming the mind will allow someone to recover faster, have more energy in the morning, and release those happy brain chemicals that make us feel accomplished.”

The trainer stressed that morning workouts are not for everyone, and there are certain factors that can prevent success. 

For those considering a morning workout, Mosca recommends that they ask themselves the following questions.

“Did I get enough sleep the night before?” 

“How was my nutritional intake?” 

“Am I overly stressed?” 

“Do I keep hitting snooze when the alarm goes off?” 

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“If we find that the answers to those questions [aren’t] on the positive side, consider an afternoon mini-workout: 15 to 20 minutes after work or on break, to get the muscles moving and stimulated,” Mosca suggested as an alternative.

“The body adjusts the more that it moves and the more it is in a consistent routine. Taking the right steps to change the routine is crucial, so we don’t overload the body all at once.”

Mosca reiterated that sleep and recovery play a “crucial role” in fitness journey success.

“If we shorten the timeframe for our bodies to recover, they will constantly be trying to play catch-up, but never reaching that finish line,” she said. “We want to set clear goals and reasonable expectations.”