Having to fit in even a light workout after a long day at the office or chasing after the kids isn’t always possible, let alone an attractive prospect.
Finding the motivation to get even ten minutes of exercise done at the end of the day is almost impossible.
Thankfully a few easy morning exercises can kick start your day and help you avoid the stress and hassle of trying to find time to work up a light sweat.
The below morning exercises will help you lose weight whether you’re at the start of your health journey or already making progress.
Follow the tips that work for you and you’ll soon be more energized, on your way to losing weight, and have your daily exercise over and done with so that at 5 o’clock you can just switch off.
Why exercise in the morning?
It’s been found that exercise on an empty stomach is more effective for burning fat and weight loss.
If you exercise first thing in the morning, you’ll be burning extra calories and feeling energized and ready to tackle your day (and knowing that breakfast is just around the corner is a fantastic motivator).
Some research shows moderate exercise in the morning can actually reduce your appetite throughout the day – meaning it’s that much easier to avoid tempting food choices and stick to your weight loss plan.
And if you’re looking to make morning exercises a habit to help speed up your weight loss, then great news, sports scientists think that morning exercises are the best way to make exercise a permanent part of your life, and help you start making consistent progress.
The best thing about exercising in the morning is that it gets it out of the way early, giving you the time to focus on other tasks later on.
So whether you want a morning workout or something that doesn’t feel like exercise, look no further. Check out these ways to get in your morning exercise perfect for weight loss.
What are the best morning exercises for weight loss?
We’ve hit the books and done the hard work so you don’t have to.
Let’s take a look at some of the best morning exercises to help with weight loss, from low impact to stuff that will really get your blood pumping in the morning!
1. Morning walks help you lose weight
It may seem simple, obvious even, but simple can be effective.
And in this case, it is.
Walking is easy and free.
And it also is a great tool for weight loss.
It’s been shown that walking at 4mph for just half an hour can burn 159 calories in a 185 lb person.
There are so many ways to slip this simple technique into your morning without even going out of your way!
If you’re lucky enough to live close enough to work, ditch the car and start walking for an easy way to burn off some calories first thing in the morning.
Walking also gives you a chance to plan out your day and get your priorities straight.
It gets you out of those frustrating traffic jams (which normally lead to road rage-induced stress) and into the fresh air.
We understand that not everyone lives close enough to walk all the way to work. That doesn’t mean you can’t include walking in your routine.
If you get the bus or train in, try walking to the next bus stop along or taking the scenic route to the station.
This is something you can do little by little at your own pace, finding out what distance works for you.
You might also have a dog that would be super grateful for a longer morning walk rather than waiting all day for you to get home.
Walking is so versatile you can fit it around your life in almost any way.
Be it dropping the kids off at school and letting them blow off a little steam on the walk, or grabbing the groceries from the local supermarket.
There are thousands of ways to use this low impact, calorie-busting exercise to get your morning exercise in and keep your weight loss journey on track.
2. Cycling is a great low-impact morning exercise
You don’t need to go out of your way to get your morning exercise in or rush before work to lose weight.
You can swap out your mode of transport in the morning to burn more calories, feel energized and ready for the day.
Cycling is a fantastic strengthening and cardio exercise burning up to a whopping 336 calories per half an hour.
Cycling has many health benefits, such as:
- Increases your strength and stamina
- Uses all major muscle groups
- Low impact – so avoids injuries
- Great for fat burning and weight loss.
- Protects against cardiovascular disease – by strengthening your lungs and heart.
The great thing about cycling is that it’s even faster than walking, so you don’t need to set off super early to stay on time.
Especially in cities, it can be a quicker commuting method than rush hour traffic.
You can ditch the stress of navigating roads full of anxious commuters with the added benefit of boosting your mood by releasing endorphins (or happy hormones) through exercise.
This means you’ll turn up to work relaxed, ready to go, and knowing that you’ve done your bit for the day.
Bikes are also cheaper to maintain and run than cars and some companies offer “cycle to work” schemes – so what are you waiting for?
Give cycling to work a go to kill two birds with one stone.
Take it at your own pace and intensity and find out what works for you.
One step at a time is better than no steps at all.
3. Early morning jogging can kickstart your day
Another amazing weight loss ally that can be done in the morning is jogging.
It can seem daunting at first, but jogging is great for all-around health and weight loss.
We’re not suggesting that you go straight into running a marathon or even spending hours each morning running.
Jogging is versatile because you can do it anywhere outdoors, for free, and all at your own pace.
As well as burning 336 calories per half hour, jogging also provides tonnes of perks:
- It tones your muscles.
- It strengthens your bones.
- It’s one of the best cardio activities for the heart.
- It lowers your resting heart rate.
- It improves your sleep.
Another point for jogging is that it’s sure to leave you feeling great and ready to tackle whatever may come your way.
Studies have shown that jogging releases feel-good chemicals in the brain causing a “runner’s high”.
This means not only will jogging help you shed any unwanted pounds, but it’s the perfect exercise to set you up for the morning and supercharge your brain for a more focused day.
Despite what you might think you don’t need to be superfit to enjoy the benefits of jogging.
Even 10 minutes is enough to have an impact on your cardiovascular health and lower the risk of disease.
You can start off slow, try jogging for a minute and walking for two minutes, and build it up from there, at your own pace.
Once you get going, you won’t want to stop!
And for 10-15 minutes in the morning, it’s worth a try, right?
4. Circuits are a great, easy morning exercise
There’s no doubt that circuits are a great tool for weight loss, and who says you need to pay expensive gym fees to take part in them?
Not us. Turns out there are so many exercises you can do straight after rolling out of bed.
All of them are perfect to get you going in the morning, boost your energy levels, and help shift that weight.
They say variety is the spice of life, so we’ve compiled a few exercises for you to browse through and see what works for you.
Put together a mini circuit for the morning and mix it up to keep your routine fresh and even add in more of your own.
If you need inspiration, check out our post on 5 great weight loss exercises to do at home.
Have a look and try out the ones you like for 5-10 minutes each morning, doing a few sets of each exercise, and you’ll be losing weight in no time.
We recommend you add one exercise from each category to your morning circuit to have some variety and work your full body.
Let’s look at some great exercises to add to your morning circuit:
Squats
The great thing about squatting is that you don’t need any equipment, and you can do your squats anywhere.
You can always add some extra weight (a milk jug or some books will help) or some resistance bands, but there’s no need to add anything if you’re starting out!
Squats are really good to tone and strengthen most muscles in your lower body as well as some in your upper body (i.e. core muscles).
Because squatting helps strengthen your core, your balance and posture also improve.
This squat workout requires no equipment beyond a bottle of water to keep you hydrated and a towel (optional).
Feel free to add any extra weights or resistance bands if you feel confident, and feel free to readjust any point during your workout:
Complete this circuit 3 times. Go straight from one exercise to the next when you finish a set, and take a 1-minute rest between a whole sequence.
- Bodyweight squats x20 – These are just your regular squats. Keep your back straight during the exercise and don’t rush. Developing good form is more important than completing the round quickly.
Before you know it, you’ll have completed a great early morning exercise routine of 60 squats – and all before work!
This is an achievement in itself, and if you feel like this is enough for your morning routine, for now, it’s fine.
Keep going at it, you’ll notice you’re getting stronger and feeling more energized every time!
Sit-ups
Sit-ups are great for toning and strengthening your core muscles, and they help you burn fat and improve your overall resistance.
Sit-ups target mostly your core, but they also impact other muscle groups.
And the best thing?
Same as with squats, you can do sit-ups anywhere, with no equipment.
You can always add some weight if you feel comfortable, and you can also complete some more repetitions if you feel like it.
The following exercise requires no equipment other than a bottle of water to keep you hydrated.
Extra points for beasting it out and adding any extra weight you can lay your hands on!
Complete this circuit 3 times. Go straight from one exercise to the next when you finish a set, and take a 1-minute rest between a whole sequence.
- Sit-ups x20 – Laying down on the floor/mat, put your feet on the floor, and engage your core to move your upper body as close to your knees as possible. Try to control this exercise on the way down, keeping a slow pace to build that burn and engage your core.
And just like that, you’ll have done 60 sit-ups before setting off for work!
If you’ve completed the squats before this, then you’ll have done 120 repetitions of morning exercises targeting several key muscle groups.
Your ability will only improve with time and consistency, and you totally got this.
Push-ups
To finish off this circuit, we bring you some push-ups!
They’re great to improve your strength, and they help you burn body fat too.
There are different alternatives for push-ups depending on your fitness level.
If you’re a complete beginner, you can do push-ups against a wall.
If you’re halfway there, you can drop to your knees to keep strengthening arms and chest, until you’re ready to go full body.
If you’re already able, full-body push-ups are the best option for you to tone your chest and arms while increasing your resistance.
Just like squats and sit-ups, they require no equipment and can be done anywhere.
- Whether wall, knee, or full floor push-up, complete 15. Then, rest for a minute, and complete another 15. Repeat this exercise 3 times.
Once you complete this, you’ll have done 45 push-ups in the morning.
And if you’ve completed the previous exercises, you’ll have completed 165 repetitions of different exercises in a circuit designed to work every part of your body.
All of this before clocking in, and in between 10-15 minutes.
Give it a try and see for yourself how you feel after!
Adding this into your routine will help you manage your weight better, feel more energized, and set you for an amazing start to your day!
Is exercising in the morning good for weight loss?
Absolutely.
You don’t need to go mad to get the benefits of exercising in the morning.
Most morning exercise routines are free and easy for anyone to follow.
You don’t even need to go out of your way or make huge changes to your schedule.
Try out a few of our morning exercises for weight loss, discover which ones suit you and you’ll be well on your way to feeling better, losing weight, and living your healthiest life.
Every step counts on your weight loss journey, so don’t feel worried if you don’t have time for a half-hour workout – just five or ten minutes a day is enough to get the ball rolling.
Soon they’ll be part of your morning routine and you’ll be off to work safe in the knowledge that you’ve done your bit to burn calories and ready to face whatever the day throws at you.
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