I Exercised at 5 AM for 66 Days and This is What Happened
Not your typical ‘before and after photo’ story.
In the last 4 years, I’ve put on 30 pounds, and every year, I vow to lose weight. Until March of this year, you could scroll through my photos and find countless ‘before’ shots and no ‘after’ ones.
The longest I had gone to a gym was for a month.
Calling it quits was easy because the number on the weighing scale wouldn’t budge and I’d break a sweat just pulling the jeans up my behind. But, this year, with no intentions of joining a gym, I wasn’t looking to build an exercise routine.
The 5 AM Club
In late March, I was hooked to Robin Sharma’s podcast and decided to pick his book The 5 AM Club up.
Among many of the lessons, Sharma’s book suggests exercising for 20 minutes at 5 AM every day and that forming this habit would take 66 days. With unexpected, newfound motivation, I decided to give it a go.
And as I continue to follow this routine, I don’t see an approaching expiry date of my motivation. Here’s why:
Progress drives motivation. I stuck to this exercise routine because I changed the metrics I used to measure my progress.
It was not the decreasing number on the scale or clothes that fit me better, but the following 3 factors fueled my habit formation.
Renewed Confidence
The day I decided to start waking up at 5 AM, I made a self-promise to exercise. Every day that I keep this promise, I respect and love myself more. I take pride in my discipline, and this gives me a sense of accomplishment. This newly developed confidence has trickled down into other areas of my life as well.
Now that I’ve realized that I can stick to a plan diligently, I can apply the same discipline to achieve other personal and professional goals.
Somewhere in these 66 days, exercising led to the formation of another habit — eating well. While I indulge in cheat meals and occasionally binge on dessert, for the majority of the time, I subconsciously make healthy choices when it comes to food.
I’ve also started appreciating the potential of my body. From not finishing a 30-minute workout to enjoying an hour-long cardio session, my body has evolved and continues to do so.
Improved Work Quality
Before joining the 5 AM club, I had a hard time striking a work-life balance. There were days when the long hours would drain me out. I’d watch binge watch TV shows in my leisure time instead of talking to my friends, family or investing time developing my passions and interests.
Ever since I started working out, my entire routine changed. My energy levels are amplified. Instead of plopping on my bed post-work, I spend an hour studying for an online course and an hour building my personal brand on LinkedIn.
Also, studies have proven that exercising results in cognitive enhancement. This means that your performance at work will peak because you can process information more quickly and respond effectively to challenges. I can confirm these results as I’ve started seeing positive changes in my professional life.
Elevated Mood
Stress is your worst enemy. It can kill brain cells and even reduce the size of your brain. Additionally, cortisol, known as the ‘stress hormone,’ increases your heart rate and blood pressure.
It’s a fact that cortisol levels for most people are the highest in the morning. So, since exercising reduces stress levels, doing it first in the morning ensures that your day is off to a great start.
Don’t forget, exercising also releases dopamine and serotonin, which promote happy moods and feelings. With the release of these happy brain chemicals, you can focus clearly on achieving your goals — personal or professional. So why wouldn’t you want to experience a burst of feel-good hormones at the start of your day that remains throughout the rest of the day as well?
Final Words
Initially, waking up early and doing the work instead of scrolling through Instagram is tough. But if you take it a day at a time, even if it means waking up at 6 AM or 9 AM, but promising yourself to get that workout in, first thing in the morning, you’ll be healthier faster than you know it.
If you’ve reached this far, then use this as a reminder to get started or keep going in your journey. Measure your success along the way not by the inches lost but by the confidence gained, transformed mood, and increased vitality. They are the true measures of your progress.
