Fitness and Weight Loss

Work commitments are the most common excuse or reason for people not being able to create a routine. Long or inconsistent work hours can make getting to the gym or having time to cook healthy meals very hard for most people.

The best way to overcome this is to plan your workout sessions in the gym in the morning. It doesn’t necessarily make exercise a priority over work, but it will ensure that your workout is done for the day and you can then focus on your work and not have that little voice in the back of your reminding you to get to the gym after work. How many times have you planned to go to the gym after work but never got there because you had a hectic day at work and didn’t finish till late? Or simply didn’t feel like you had enough energy at the end of the day to do a workout?

Its 6am...beep beep beep! The sound of your alarm wakes you and you reach for the snooze button! But wait...don’t press it! Once you can get past the initial shock of waking up earlier and hitting the snooze button, you’ll find that your body responds extremely well to exercise in the morning because your body has an internal clock that loves routine. It’s called your Circadian Clock and it regulates your body on a 24-hour cycle. This clock is the mechanism behind why you wake up around the same time each day, feel hungry around the same time every day, feel tired around the same time each night, and get jet-lagged when you cross time zones. So by creating a consistent routine your body will reward you for your efforts.

Studies have shown that exercise in the morning can increase your mental sharpness for 4-10 hours after your workout. It also ‘jump starts’ your metabolism for the day and keeps it elevated for hours, sometimes up to 24 hours. So that means you're burning more calories all day long because you got to the gym and exercised in the morning!

Key Points to Creating a Consistent Routine:

• Create consistency in your sleeping patterns by going to sleep and waking up at the same times each day.
  
• Ensure your routine and exercise complements your other commitments (work, family, etc).
  
• Have specific workouts planned by a personal trainer focussed on your goals to maximise your workout and exercise time.
  
• Plan your meals and meal times for the week and always have a protein shake (powder and shaker) in your bag ready to go if you get hungry throughout the day.
  

And Remember that 90% of people who exercise consistently, exercise in the morning. So make exercise a part of your everyday life, which is the key to a healthy lifestyle!

Ricky Kildea
Personal Trainer
Fitness First -South Yarra
Yarli Personal Training
Ph: 0431 117 088