Why Morning Running Is Better For You

Rise to the occasion and turn yourself into the energetic morning runner you’ve always dreamed of being – or an even better one

An early start can fire you up for the day (and then help you sleep better!)

LISTEN, WE KNOW YOU’VE HEARD THAT MORNING RUNNING IS GOOD FOR YOU – EARLY BIRD GETS THE WORM AND ALL THAT.

But there is so much more to it. Researchers are discovering that, in ways big and small, exercising first thing is significantly better for the mind and body. For example, running in the morning, as opposed to any other time of day, is more effective at lowering your blood pressure and inducing longer, more beneficial sleep cycles the next night, according to a study published in Vascular health and risk

Management. Run first thing on an empty stomach, and you could burn 20 per cent more fat than exercising later in the day without eating, and reduce afternoon food cravings while you’re at it. Researchers have also found that morning runners finish their day with more total physical activity, regardless of their weight. As Newton put it, a body in motion remains in motion (we paraphrase, but you get the point).

If nothing else, being a morning runner puts you on a schedule. ‘Consistency is the most important thing in running, and morning running is consistent running,’ says trail-running coach David Roche, who encourages many of his athletes to transition to early training. ‘Mornings are much more predictable; there are fewer obstacles.’ What’s more, a 2012 review from Tunisian researchers found that exercise performed at the same time of day produced greater physiological adaptations – in other words, sticking to a morning schedule can make you fitter.

We get that all of these selling points won’t make the actual crack- of- dawn wake-up any easier. Getting up early requires Herculean willpower, and that ungodly alarm never quite loses its sting. But there has never been a better time to develop (or improve) your morning running routine than right now, with the early sunrises making a first-light session a little more palatable.

Use the advice that follows, and you’ll build an efficient, productive, fulfilling morning routine that will help you generate genuine excitement for the best part of waking up early – getting to run. And perhaps that’s all that’s kept you from making the morning habit stick.