Spring will come and so will happiness.
Hold on.
Life will get warmer.
– Anita Krizzan –
Why should we have a routine in the morning?
Simply because, for the majority of us, by the time we arrive home from a busy day, we’re too exhausted or have other activities going on to put much of an effort into trying to make a serious change toward a healthier lifestyle. Truly, you’ll have greater success by adopting new weight loss lifestyle habits as part of your morning routine rather than any time later in the day.
Getting Started
There are several ways to work toward creating your weight loss lifestyle. Adding a couple of new activities every morning will begin to show a positive change within just a few weeks. And, if you stay committed to your new morning routine, you can feel confident knowing you’re doing something that not only brings you joy, but will have positive effects on those around you too.
1. Morning Meditation
Meditating first thing in the morning can help you mentally prepare for the day ahead by releasing all of the negative thoughts and feelings from the day before and visualizing how you want your day to proceed.
Stay Committed
Let’s face it, life can get quite stressful. Making time to meditate every morning will help you be more in control and focused early in your day . Sometimes it may feel like your schedule is too hectic, or you’re too rushed in the morning to meditate, But the truth is, being committed to meditating as the first part of your morning routine will bring positive results in no time. You’ll wonder why you never tried it before.
Adopt a Technique
Most everyone has a different way of meditating, and discovering what works best for you is key to making this habit last. Everyone is different and what works for one person may not necessarily work well for another person. One good way to start is by sitting in a quiet room with your feet touching the floor while your hands are turned upward toward the ceiling. This relaxing posture will allow you to focus more easily.
How to Start Meditating?
One thing to remember here is that this is not about being lethargic. It’s all about obtaining a level of focus and a relaxed state of mind. While sitting in this upright position, you can control the rate of your breathing. Make sure to inhale deeply enough to completely, but comfortably, fill your lungs. Keep your eyes closed and try to remain still throughout the session. Begin by first spending a few minutes decluttering your mind of all the negative thoughts you have from the day and evening before. During this time you can also try to forgive anyone who made you angry or unhappy. This helps to clear your mind, allowing you to focus on the positive aspects of the day ahead. Try to spend the next few minutes focusing on the potential of blessings and good vibes this day has to offer. You can then start to think about the tasks and activities you have planned for the day. Visualize yourself doing those tasks and activities, and going about your day, easily and effortlessly. Then as the final step, focus deeply on what you need to do to create a new healthier lifestyle while you go about those tasks and activities. For example, what healthy snacks will you bring with you in the car, will you put a slice of lemon in your water bottle today etc.
Focus on the Health Benefits
The health benefits of regular meditation are seemingly endless. Studies have proven time and time again that regular meditation decreases stress, lowers blood pressure, and delivers a feeling of being more connected. It also:
- improves brain function,
- reduces the effects of aging,
- increases attention span,
- improves immunity against diseases,
- improves overall health,
- and a host of other mental and physical benefits.
Skip the Perfect Session
Another thing to remember is that meditation is not about achieving a perfect session. It’s about learning to focus through the stress and distractions of this life. The ultimate goal is to be a source of positive energy in this busy world while allowing our mind and body to remain calm and in complete control regardless of outside circumstances.
Plan out your new Morning Routine by downloading this A.M. Routine Daily Plan Journal Page HERE
2. A Morning Drink
Drink less Coffee
Adopting a healthy drink in place of that morning coffee ritual can significantly turn your mornings in a positive direction. For many of us, our coffee is what has long been the fuel we used to get ourselves up and moving in the morning.
While the jury is still out on whether coffee is actually “good” or “bad” for you, we do know that caffeine can cause negative stimulation, increase anxiety levels and interrupt sleep patterns.
Choose a Better Alternative
There are a number of healthy drinks available in the marketplace like apple cider, protein shakes and green juice to name a few. All of these not only provide necessary vitamins and minerals but also the basic benefit of keeping the body hydrated.
Create Your own Healthy Drink
The type of healthy drink you make and what you choose to include in it are a personal preference. Here are a few different healthy drink ideas that can help you to start your morning in the right way:
- Smoothie – Not only does making a smoothie in the morning help you to get more nutrients into your diet, but it can also be a healthy breakfast.
- Green juice – Green juice is made when you juice a variety of fruits and vegetables, giving you a concentrated boost of vitamins and minerals to start your day.
- Herbal Tea – Having a warm beverage in the morning can be soothing on your stomach, which is what makes a morning cup of herbal tea a great option.
- Water with Lemon – Why not try some water with lemon? This is one of the best ways to start your morning. It will give your body much needed hydration and a whole host of other benefits. For more information about the benefits of drinking lemon water, check out the link below for an article from Dr. Josh Axe.
3. Morning Exercise
Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic type exercise is great for increasing the health of your heart and lungs, boosting metabolism, energy levels, and endurance. A thirty-minute aerobic exercise routine performed every morning outdoors like jogging, bicycling, power walking or playing basketball will increase the overall health of your cardiovascular system. Not only that, but it can also help with regulating blood pressure, reducing the symptoms of asthma, reducing weight and strengthening the immune system to name a few. Including aerobic exercise as part of your daily routine will bring lasting results that you will feel throughout the day and well into the night.
Strength Training
Staying in shape by working a variety of different muscles in a short amount of time as possible is ideal. However, you only have to do a few quick sets for each muscle group to see some great benefits.
Flexibility and Balance
Flexibility and balance exercises are great for boosting confidence and performance output. Whether it’s standing on one leg with your arms in the air or bending backward over a giant exercise ball, flexibility and balance exercises have their own unique benefits to overall health. A morning workout of flexibility and balance exercises is a valuable tool for increasing strength, stamina and overall wellbeing for the entire day.
So…now you may be saying “that’s great info Kim, but how do I start this new morning routine!”. No worries – here is an example of what your new and improved morning plan could look like:
1- Wake up
2- Drink a cool glass of water
3- Spend 10 minutes in meditation
4- Drink a glass of warm water with lemon while you plan your morning exercise
5- Go outside for a walk around the block (or longer if you have time)
6- Do some other form of exercise (weights, flexibility, and/or aerobic) based on how much time you have – whatever you don’t get to this morning, commit to doing tomorrow.
7- Stay outside while you do some quick stretches and/or yoga poses
8- Schedule your new morning routine into your daily planner.
9- Done! 🙂
Accomplish your mission to create a happy and healthy weight loss lifestyle and a happier and healthier you, by adopting a new morning routine. The payback to your body, mind and spiritual health is immeasurable.
