As I live like a Diabetic, I have found that doing research to understand my condition, can have a dramatic effect. Whether it’s measuring your glucose levels or counting your carbohydrates, I take my Diabetes management seriously and I like to understand why different things work.
Recently I have been very focused on moving (exercise). As my moving has increased, I have begun to notice more and more benefits to getting up, out and moving. I have especially noticed how I feel when I get up early in the morning to do my exercising. As the benefits have become more and more dramatic, I have wondered why is it that I feel so good when I exercise in the morning? So I set out to find new answers and as always I want to share with you what I have found.
Have you ever heard of the word “Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumptions (EPOC)”? This is a common term in the fitness world. The basic concept is that once you are done with your exercise, there are a number of activities that occur in your body to return your body to a “resting” state. As I researched more and more, I found several studies that showed the various activities that benefit the body:
- Your body will use energy stores. Your body burns calories as it’s source of energy. When you exercise, you burn calories. After your workout, your body needs to restore the calories that have been burned during the workout. Your body will either use your carbohydrates or fat stores to replenish the energy in your body.
- Your body increases its metabolism. Your metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories. When you exercise, you burn calories faster. Even after your workout, your body continues to burn calories as it returns to a resting state.
- Your oxygen levels are increased. During a workout, you are consuming more oxygen than you would when you are just sitting still. When you are done with your workout, your body needs to restore the amount of oxygen it was missing. There are several very clinical (above my head) activities occurring, but what I do understand is that oxygen levels are increased, hormones and the energy systems in the body are increased and you feel more awake and have more energy.
There are just a few of the benefits that I have been able to find thus far. Personally, I have to create a morning exercise routine as the best way to take advantage of these benefits. Exercising the morning gets all of these activities going first thing and helps to carry me through the day of tasks.
What are the other benefits of morning exercise that you have researched or discovered? Share in the comments below!
