Exercising First Thing in the Morning
Getting exercise done for the day is a big win.
For several months now, I've been starting my day with exercise (a mix of cardio-vascular workouts and strength training). Regular exercise is a way for me to take care of my body so that I can serve God with it well. Exercise is the first thing I do when I wake up. In the past, I tried starting my day off with prayer, Scripture, and contemplation. It may sound ideal to start the day with these. But this didn't work very well for me (but it may for you). I always felt very sleepy and groggy doing my devotions first thing in the morning. Honestly, I wasn't alert enough to get much out of these spiritual practices. Exercising, on the other hand, helps me wake up and combat grogginess. I end up being more alert when I go into my times with God afterwards.
I've observed a number of additional benefits to starting my day with exercise:
I've always had the goal of exercising on a daily basis. However, I've been really bad at actually doing it. As the day wears on, I become less and less inclined to exercise. It's helpful to put exercise at the beginning of my day so that I can already get this task out of the way. Placing my exercise routine at the end of the day is very "hit or miss" for me. In fact, it's probably more miss than hit to be honest. I've discovered that putting my exercise routine at the beginning of the day greatly increases my chances of actually doing it. And it's nice to have it done early so I'm no longer thinking about it for the rest of the day. It's no longer something that continues to linger in my mind throughout the day, sapping precious motivation and brain space.
Getting exercise done for the day is a big win. For someone who's not that much into exercising, completing this task right off the bat is a genuine win. I'm starting my day on the right foot. It's a huge inspiration for me that will last for the rest of the day. I become motivated to keep pursuing even more wins throughout the day.
Doing other physical activities throughout the day becomes a bonus. I'm not using physical activities like household chores, gardening, or yard work to replace a proper exercise session. I can easily find excuses to engage in a real workout by doing these other tasks. Instead, these chores become bonuses to the physical exercise that I've already completed. I'm doing more each day to take care of my body.
A peripheral benefit is that I get to develop my mind too while exercising. When I exercise, I like to listen to educational or inspirational podcasts to learn and grow. In the same amount of time as I'm exercising, I'm developing myself intellectually, emotionally, and motivationally.
Exercising first thing in the morning is probably not for everybody. Others might feel invigorated to do something else with their early hours. But I think more than a few will find a real benefit to exercising at the beginning of the day. Give it an honest shot and see if you will experience some of these benefits too.
Barnabas the Monastic
Servant of Christ. Husband. Dad. Modern Monastic. I have a wild ambition in life: get as close to the Lord Jesus Christ as I can while on earth. I explore and integrate ancient Christian monk wisdom in modern everyday life. Lives in Canada.
