RISE AND DEFINE
Here’s some news worth getting out of bed for: embracing early mornings puts your body in the right rhythm for faster fat loss
The Hollywood stars who grace our covers may differ in their approaches to fitness – but if there’s one point on which they all agree, it’s the benefits of rising early. The Rock rarely hits snooze past 4am. And Mark Wahlberg runs through a round of golf long before the rest of us have opened our bleary eyes. But while you may aspire to their wages more than their wake-up calls, a new study in the journal Obesity suggests this could be your simplest route to a dream body come true.
In their research, Finnish scientists found that (smugly) self-identifying ‘morning people’ naturally select healthier foods throughout the day, making their weightloss efforts more profitable. Late-starters, on the other hand, are predisposed to eating more sugar and less protein, and have a higher risk of heart disease. But making the change needn’t exhaust your willpower. Simply by sleeping with the curtains open, you’ll be exposed to more early morning light, which lowers levels of the sleep hormone melatonin in your blood. This hormonal change shifts your circadian rhythm forward, helping you to wake earlier, naturally.
Combine this with Appalachian State Uni research, which found archetypal ‘rise and grinders’ – those hitting PBS at 7am – power down easier and produce more growth hormone, and it’s clear this is a very bright idea. Might we suggest a venti americano on day one?