Motivate yourself to exercise in the morning
- Trick yourself into action- Should you drink coffee before a workout
- Can coffee before a workout help with weight loss?
Thanks (no thanks) to a second lockdown across England the gyms are once again closed, meaning the comfort of an indoor treadmill is off limits. The only way to get your running fix is to get up and get out there under the grey and unwelcoming autumnal skies and get yourself some of the action - and personally I find the most productive time to do this is very early in the morning.
Not only will the body trick the brain into doing some exercise before it really knows what is going on – but you’ll also feel great for having done something positive for yourself so early in the day. Exercise (much like a good cup of Cannonball coffee) releases feel good chemicals into our system – boosting our mental wellbeing and self-esteem among many other factors that physical activity can contribute towards improving in the body and brain synergy.
Getting up early during the colder months can take a little practice, however. So here are a few tips to get you into the routine:
Lay Out Your Clothes the Night Before
Before bed get some warm but functional clothing ready and lay it out somewhere easy to grab in the morning. This prevents having to dig out your finest gilet and leggings from underneath all your summer garb last minute. Recommendations would include a lightweight waterproof visibility jacket, long trousers/leggings, a hat and a head torch. Don’t forget to get your trainers unlaced and ready in front of the door too!
You Snooze, You Lose
Don’t lose valuable time by snoozing your alarm over and over again – Get up and get it! Rest is best when it’s earned so catch up on the Zees later. When you set the alarm the night before put that phone on a high shelf or the other side of the room. This way you’ve got no choice but to get out of the comfy bed to turn it off in the morning. And look – you’ve done one productive thing already!
Also – Ditch the early morning social media scrolling, and switch onto a good podcast instead. Unless you want thumb gains it’s a total time waster and before you know it you’ve missed your window of opportunity to get some morning glory! (So to speak.)
Brew Dares Wins
We know that caffeine acts as a stimulant - that’s part of why we love it so much, but studies have proven that coffee before a workout acts as well as any supplement as it’s quickly absorbed, improving focus and performance, getting you heated up and firing on all cylinders - which is certainly helpful before facing a cold morning run.
If your reason to run is weight loss, it’s worth noting that coffee is also cited as a great metaboliser and mobilizer for stored fat, and that the chemical response produced by a good cup of the dark stuff actually tells the body to break down fat cells for use as fuel. This fat burning effect continues long after the workout ends and well into rest.
Of course, caffeine’s speedy delivery into the body (particularly the bowel) has been known to cause certain urges to arise, so do start with a low dosage and experimenting with different strengths to see how much works for your workout, you may find it’s less than your average cup.
We recommend trying the Cannonball Coffee Full Bore Bundle which will give you a great opportunity to try a range of strengths and flavours – or add in the Exceed Nootropic Complex to give you an elite performance buzz!
This blog was guest written by Jay from No Cape Required Fitness