Last but not least – exercise

Some days I just don’t want to move. I am a great one for the sofa, and even better, the bed, and I am very happy lounging around all day. I would definitely describe myself as enjoying peace and quiet in my home reading a book, watching a movie etc. and that has never been more true than during lockdown. During this time it feels harder and harder to get out of the chair and out of the house and I hear that some of us are now even working from our beds! I am a great advocate for relaxing and lounging around whenever possible after meeting a nun during my teens who asked me this question and I have lived by this ever since. She said, ‘Why stand when you can sit and why sit when you can lie?’ but it is vital that we ask ourselves whether this really contributes to our lives because our bodies are made for moving – I was recently reading about shoulder pain which can actually be caused by sitting at your desk all day. NOT moving seems to cause as many structural problems as moving, if not more.

I have been talking about my morning routine and the exercise part of it, the last part of the four parts of it is, for me, the hardest. After sitting quietly, meditating for fifteen minutes, I am happy to pull out a notebook and write about all the lovely things about my life starting with my comfy bed and puffy pillow, my warm bedroom and my fluffy bed socks. I am happy to read something inspiring, I love the way it motivates and sustains me, reconfirms the right mindset for my life. Not so that I can build and run a million pound business, but so that I can feel happy and satisfied with my day, every day. Whatever we want to do, including building and running a million pound business, the morning routine sustains us and I am, after much practice, pretty good at sustaining it. I know that you can hear the BUT coming… but I cannot stand the idea of exercising and getting sweaty this early in the day. Truth be known, I’m not a fan of it at any time of day. This is where I have to remind myself of the following things that exercising, and remember that it’s only for fifteen minutes, first thing in the day will do for me:

Increase energy

Exercising in the morning will energise the body and the mind by releasing endorphins and, as a result, make everything else we do much easier. Remember that this is only fifteen minutes. I did try longer workouts and I just exhausted myself – this is not what we are trying to do. This is not the moment for body sculpting and exercise for the body beautiful, this is to get the heart going, the blood pumping around your body to set you up for an energetic and fruitful day ahead.

Prevent me from flaking out

Exercising in the morning prevents me from flaking out on myself, and from flaking out on exercise. After work, at the end of a long day, I am just not going to do it. Nor will I do it at lunch time, I have to have time to eat plus I am not one of those people who wants to shower and then continue to sweat in the office as I have seen some people do. Yuck... It has been proven that people who exercise in the morning stick to exercise programmes much better than those who do so later in the day..

Better sleep

Working the body, no matter what time, will help you sleep better but exercising in the morning prevents you from getting the boost in energy just as you should be winding down for the evening to go to sleep. Strangely, exercising in the evening also encourages weight gain. I joined a gym and went every evening. I got heavier and heavier and was really confused, until I found this out.

Boosts brain power

Exercise increases mental focus and doing it in the morning means that whatever you have planned for your day will be super-charged by the exercise that you put in in the morning. It’s a real investment in both now and the hours ahead. After exercising, you have ten hours of real focus and energy for what’s ahead – make good use of it.

Increased heart health

We exercise to improve out heart health don’t we… and doing this in the morning is proven to be better because doing so increases your level of adrenaline which causes your heart to beat faster. So you get a more effective workout.

Helps to maintain your weight

Excellent news for those of us who want to lose weight or even to maintain their weight, an exercise regime implemented early in the day dampens our cravings and ensures that our body will burn any calories in our food faster and more efficiently.

So many reasons to exercise, and to exercise first thing in the morning.

As I said last week, day by day, like any practice, as we invest in ourselves, we can improve our lives and exercising is part of that. All four blocks of the routine are important but after this one, we are truly energised and ready for the day… via the shower, of course. I’m not yet at the point where I have a cold one, but never say never…

There is no better way to start the day, with a quiet, inspired mind and heart, feeling appreciative of all that you have with an eagerness for more and a strong and energised body to carry you easily through the day.

If you have any questions of this routine, do not hesitate to be in touch with me via email or DM me on Instagram.

Remember, you are not alone.

hillybarker@gmail.com