It is a fact that 90% of  people who exercise regularly, do so in the morning.  Working out first thing in the morning is a great way to get in shape, lose weight and boost your energy all day long.  It has been shown to rev up the metabolism and burn more calories.  This is also known as EPOC (excess post exercise oxygen consumption) which integrates the idea that the more challenging the workout – the more calories burned.  If you have to hit yourself over the head with a baseball bat to get out of bed in the morning then you need to start taking notes. 

It might be extremely difficult for you to incorporate an exercise routine into your morning because you may be a night owl addicted to late night TV or just in the habit of going to bed late.  In that case, you need to force yourself into a strict bedtime schedule and over time your body will get accustomed to waking up early without even needing an annoying alarm clock.  It would also be beneficial to get a TV recording device so you don’t have to miss your favorite shows. 

Another bonus of a morning exercise program is missing that dreaded am rush hour traffic.  I don’t want to hear the excuse that you don’t have enough time before work or school.  If you set your alarm for a half hour earlier and leave earlier you won’t have to sit in traffic.  This is a trend that seems to be catching on rather quickly so don’t be surprised if you’re not the only one on the road. 

Don’t worry about having to wake up super early, though.  Even just 10 minutes of exercise in the morning combined with a good nights rest and a healthy breakfast should give you enough oomph to start a productive day.  If you don’t have the time or money to go to the gym, start by doing as many push ups as possible, wait thirty seconds, then repeat two more times.  This will get the oxygen flowing to your brain and the rest of your blood vessels.  Exercise first thing in the morning has been a proven weight loss tool.

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