Why a lie-in might be stressing you out.

Photo by Acharaporn Kamornboonyarush from Pexels

As discussed in our previous articles, exercise and movement are a brilliant way to battle stress — they fill your body with endorphins and take your mind away from unhelpful thoughts or behaviours. Unless you fall into extremes, whereby you start over-exercising and damaging your body (putting it under distress), there’s no real downside to exercise.

However, something that came as a surprise to me, was that actually the time of the day when you exercise can significantly increase its stress-relieving impact long term. In his book, The 5 Am Club, Robin Sharma suggests that exercising first thing in the morning — even for 20 minutes — can significantly improve the quality of your day.

A sense that you’ve accomplished something before the day has officially started, is likely to put you in a better mood; but the benefits of morning exercise go far beyond that and can change your physiological response to stress later on during the day. Endorphins and dopamine produced during vigorous activities naturally prevent an excessive release of cortisol — infamously known as the ‘stress’ hormone — that fills our bodies in a stressful situation.

Therefore, exercising in the morning can be viewed as a preventive antidote against the very hormone that make us feel stressed.

Now, not everyone is a morning person and forcing yourself out of bed to go for a run at 5 am, as per Sharma’s advice, may be completely unappealing or even unfeasible for many of us. Moreover, for some us too much exercise in the morning can actually deprive us of the energy needed to face a full day at work. I’ve certainly experienced moments when that morning gym session or a hard morning run left me spaced out and “hangry” for hours.

Many experienced trainers and coaches argue that with time and practice our body and mind can adapt to an early-morning exercise regime, but the process of getting used to it can be so unpleasant at first, that many of us might give up before reaching that sweet spot where exercise-induced dopamine and endorphins become our best buddies in beating the stress of the everyday life.

But there’s a way to slowly adapt to exercising in the morning and turning it into a stable, nurturing — and pleasant — habit!

1. Robin Sharma argues that high-intensity exercise is most effective in preventing stress, but the prospect of a 20-minute sprint or HIIT class first thing in the morning might seem daunting at first. I suggest starting easy, with a short yoga practice (which can be practiced at home, following one of the million YouTube videos available on-line), an energetic walk, or a series or stretches. With time when your body adapts to waking up early and kick-starting the day with movement, incorporating more vigorous exercise into your morning routine will become much more feasible. For some inspiration, you can check out TeamGB youtube Workout Wednesday’s free 20-min HIIT or 20-min yoga sessions.
2. If the idea of exercising in the morning completely does not appeal to you, try to incorporate movement on your way to work, university etc.. Instead of getting on the bus or train at the nearest stop, walk for half an hour, or get off a few stops before your final destination. You could also cycle to work/uni or even jog.
3. Lastly, shape your lifestyle and environment in a way that supports you in your endeavour, rather than derails you from it. Going to bed a little bit earlier than usually, avoiding alcohol or heavy food just before bed, and turning off electronic devices at least an hour before bedtime will improve your sleep. As a result, you’re bound to wake up fresher and more motivated in the morning. Keep yourself accountable by signing up to gym classes a few days before or, better still, by doing so with a friend. I find that it always gives me that extra push to lift myself out of bed! Preparing your gym gear the night before and putting it right next to your bed can also help with overriding the inner morning sloth (a friend of mine goes as far as sleeping in his jogging gear…).

Now, I’m not saying that this is the right and only way to go about it, but making it as easy as possible to start exercising after you wake up is definitely the way to go. Habit change is tough especially when it involves getting up early. Make it frictionless by creating the setting and circumstances that create momentum, accountability and motivation.

How to deal with stress is a publication packed with tips and techniques for dealing with stress and anxiety in everyday settings — brought to you by Agnieszka (Aggie) Zbieranska & Leon Taylor.

Check out the Youtube channel & sign up for the free mental wellness newsletter.