I worked out every morning before work for three weeks - here's what happened

Early joggers and gym goers have become a bit of a trend but is waking up and exercising at the crack of dawn really all it’s cracked up to be?

Irish Examiner journalist Maeve Lee. Picture: David Keane.

I’m the first one to admit that I am not a morning person. I love my sleep and it’s not something I willingly lose out on.

That being said, I had been struggling with getting into a routine, especially when it came to exercise and movement and so I started (with mixed results) getting up earlier.

Some nights, I would get a small, fleeting rush of energy just before bed and decide: tomorrow is the day for a dawn start. I set an early morning alarm, prepared my gym clothes, and slept. But when that ear-splitting iPhone alarm awoke me, I was tempted to stay put, telling myself I’ll work out after work — sure, I had all evening.

Fast forward to said evening and, feeling tired, I subconsciously but also kind of consciously, procrastinated — until it was too late. “I’ll try again tomorrow,” I said aloud, only to repeat the scenario all over again during the days that followed.

I eventually got sick of this cycle and decided it was time to take control. So I found myself in the gym at 6.30am, feeling like I was in some sort of fever dream.

We hear a lot about the benefits of being an early riser and getting in a morning workout, walk, run — or general movement — but I wanted to find out what all the fuss was about and how it impacted my motivation, productivity, and overall mood.

As much as we may loathe the workout, walk, run, or yoga session, if you are stressed or in a bad mood when you start, chances are you will come out feeling much better.

Why does exercise make us feel so good?

Donagh Ward is a psychotherapist and lecturer who specialises in educating people on the benefits of physical activity for mental health.

He is currently completing a doctorate in the subject at the University of Bath and explains that while most people are familiar with the physical benefits of physical activity, there are also proven psychological benefits.

Psychological benefits

Irish Examiner journalist Maeve Lee: "moving your body in whatever way works for you, wherever works for you, is best"

Any sort of physical activity can help to lower stress levels, reducing feelings of anxiety and depression — or even loneliness and isolation if we exercise as part of a group, he says. “We’re hard-wired for movement, which tends to increase natural chemicals in our brains and hormones like endorphins, adrenaline, dopamine.”

I was noticeably chirpier after a consistent four-day stint of physical activity before work. That walk back from the gym every morning was nothing less than euphoric. Each day, I felt much more motivated, particularly when I logged on for work, and this pattern continued in the weeks that followed.

Other notable changes included being much hungrier in the morning following said workout and inevitably, more tired in the evening, especially around 9pm.

There is lots of research to back up why moving is good for us at all levels. A 2019 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that exercising in the morning can help improve attention and decision-making. A study by the University of Colorado, MIT and Harvard found that waking up an hour earlier reduces your risk of depression by 23%.

“Physical activity and exercise can also help to boost our confidence, and how we feel about ourselves because we’re challenging ourselves to do something and then we accomplish it,” says Ward.

Exercising early in the day can help us in other ways too.

“In general, getting exercise in the morning may help improve our sleep cycle because we’re naturally more alert in the morning and more tired in the evening,” says Ward, adding that research also suggests it boosts deep sleep more than evening exercise.

The lift physical activity gives us can lead to a more productive day because of the endorphins and other feel-good chemicals released, which I also found.

While there are pros and cons to morning, afternoon and evening exercise, morning seems to be the best time for most people, Ward explains.

“The research shows that people who get their exercise in pretty early in the day are often more consistent [with their exercise regimen], which is important because — and this is very true for me — we have less room for excuses then.”

Also, he says, we are less likely to put off exercise in the morning — something I have also found to be beneficial. However, Ward stresses that exercise at any time, if it is the time that works for you, is most important, as well as consistency.

The right reasons

Irish Examiner journalist Maeve Lee gets a stretch in. Picture: David Keane.

"A primary reason a lot of people will initially get into exercise is for maybe weight loss or the physical side of it… but we believe more in exercising for what it does to your mood, for how it makes you feel, [lowering] stress levels,” says personal trainer Cian O’Flynn.

O’Flynn, who co-owns ATP Fitness Cork, says if you’re exercising because of how it makes you feel, “you’re going to have a more positive relationship with exercise”.

Of course, not everyone is in a position to leave their house and go to a gym before work, so moving your body in whatever way works for you, wherever works for you, is best.

But after a three-week trial, I can confirm that the early mornings get easier.

For the first few days, I felt like I was still asleep and would get home from the gym wondering if I had left the house. But after a week, getting out of bed wasn’t as torturous because I knew how good I would feel afterwards.

And of course, I am not the only one in the gym at 6.30am, or even 6am — when earlier work shifts meant I had to adjust my routine — it’s quite busy first thing in the morning and I felt as though I may be late to the party.

Since the pandemic, O’Flynn has noticed a shift in their booking times, with their 6.30am slots filling up within minutes of going live.

However, he also stresses the importance of exercising no matter the time of day.

“There are massive benefits to exercising in the morning but once it’s not becoming a stress factor. If it suits you better personally to exercise in the evening, then exercise in the evening as opposed to not exercising at all.”

And exercise doesn’t have to mean an intense workout or a 5km run; it can be a short walk in the morning or whatever you prefer.

After three weeks of training between three and four days a week before work, I don’t think I will ever go back. I feel more motivated and upbeat — that 6am alarm isn’t half as horrible as it used to be.

This article was first published in August 2023