The 5AM Myth: Do You Really Need to Wake Up Early to Be Fit?

Hello Ziddis! How many of you have “wake up early” in your vision board or resolution list? How many of you set an alarm for early morning and keep snoozing it as you dive into the guilt of indiscipline? Have you heard of the 5 am Club? 5 am club theory believes that successful and fit people wake up at 5 am to start their day. But is it really necessary for your fitness? Let us address this myth.

Wake Up Early: Is It a Must for Fitness?

The fitness world often puts the early riser on a pedestal and others end up thinking that it is the only way to get fit. Waking up at 5 am and hitting the gym before the world wakes up sounds amazing, but is it really necessary? The truth is that waking up early does have its own benefits, but it is not a ground rule for becoming fit.

Many successful people in the fitness world, like athletes and sports personalities, swear by their morning workout routine not because there is no other way to do it but because exercising first thing in the morning builds discipline, boosts productivity, improves your focus and ensures you stay on track with your day.

However, everyone has a different body and different needs. While some people thrive when they are early risers, others like to take things at their own time and pace. The reality is that fitness is not about the timing but your consistency, efforts and dedication.

Some people experience sluggish and exhausted feelings throughout the day when they wake up at 5 am. That is not worth the hassle. Sleep is crucial, too.

Wake Up Early Benefits: Why Some Prefer Morning Workouts

Waking up early and starting the day with a morning workout has its own set of benefits, which are extremely tempting. Such as:

• Your metabolism revs up
• You can burn more calories throughout the day
• Your mood and productivity show a visible boost
• The release of endorphins sets a positive tone for the day.
• You experience lesser distraction during morning workouts
• Lesser rush in the gym
• Building block for consistency
• You won’t skip it even if you have a busy day.

Those who are early risers and love to work out in the morning can relate to this. But these benefits may not apply to all those who would need to force themselves to follow this schedule and end up feeling exhausted and sleepy throughout the day. That would never be helpful. In such cases, these benefits would not outweigh the negatives of poor sleep.

Wake Up Workouts: Finding What Works for You

Rather than blindly hopping onto the 5 am bandwagon, try channeling your energy into a morning workout routine. Your body’s circadian rhythm, aka the natural rhythm, plays a huge role in determining when you perform best. Whether you wake up at 5 am, 7 am or 10 am, working out when you wake up has its perks. Such as:

• You start the day energized
• You burn more fat
• You feel more in control of your day
• Your muscles get a 1much-needed stretch

Here are some workouts you can do after waking up:

Dynamic Stretching

Arm circles, leg swings, Torso twists, Neck rolls, Shoulder rolls. These need to be done for 5 to 10 minutes. It helps wake up your muscles, increase the blood flow and reduce stiffness after you wake up from a long sleep.

Body Weight Circuits

These include squats, push-ups, jumping jacks, plank holds and lunges. You must do it for 10 to 15 minutes and repeat it twice to see your desired result. A quick bodyweight workout is great for raising your heart rate and activating major muscle groups.

Yoga

These exercises are great for mobility flow. Try downward dog, cat and cow stretch, cobra pose, child pose, and seated spinal twists for 10 to 15 minutes each day. You will see noticeable improvement in your flexibility and relief from tension.

Low-intensity Cardio

15 to 20 minutes of low intensity cardio like brisk walking, light jogging, jump rope or shadowboxing would be great to improve endurance, boost circulation and improve mental alertness.

Strength Training

Using props like resistance bands, kettlebells or dumbbells in your strength training workout can help build muscles, improve metabolism and keep your body strong and functional.

Breathwork and Meditation

This can do wonders if only you spare 5 to 10 mins each day. You can try deep belly breathwork, box breathing to help with anxiety issues or guided meditation.

Read Also: Is Working Out Twice a Day Better?

Takeaway: Fitness Is About Consistency, Not Timing

The show and simple takeaway is that the 5 am club may sound great for the hype, but the real luxury is a slow life. Get enough sleep, do some morning workouts, eat well, and try having protein powder as your pre-workout. Having food like peanut butter in your breakfast meals can keep you fuller.

At the end of the day, it is showing up that matters, no matter the time.