Three Morning Habits for a Healthy Lifestyle

Each morning, as the alarm clock rings, you are offered a choice. How will you begin the day? This is the moment that sets your speed, rhythm, attitude, and focus.There is much clarity and vision to be found in the early winter mornings. The first twenty minutes of waking can influence the productivity of the rest of your day.

Let there be light.

The early morning hours can be a time of preparation. The best way to end your natural melatonin cycle is to be stimulated by light. However, many of us turn to our phones during waking minutes. This can interrupt our body’s innate ability to “rise and shine”. The blue light from a screen is not the same as turning on an overhead light. Wake up with the light and find that it awakens your other senses, too.

Hydration is essential.

Hydrating is also important. It aids your metabolism, prompts your body for activity, and assists digestion. As your body restores overnight, water is essential to supporting all bodily functions. Drinking enough water is a habit that must be built into your daily routine. Your intake should be between 60-80 oz. a day or about half your body weight in ounces. It can be a difficult habit to incorporate. For that reason, starting in the morning is the best way to try to drink as much water as possible.

Make movement a habit.

Last, but not least, beginning the day with movement can reinforce positive habits. You might enjoy walking, running, cycling, dancing, Yoga, Pilates, boxing, or a group fitness class. It is important to make this a daily habit. As you increase your heart rate, blood flow, and endorphins, you are creating for yourself a place for creativity, inspiration, and motivation for dealing with the dynamics of your day. Movement creates a place to develop endurance, strengthen mental acuity, find inner peace, and build character. It is more than just movement. It’s setting your priorities to self-care and self-awareness to work on your health and well-being.

How do you spend your first twenty minutes of the day? Light, water, and movement are my favorite ways to get my body and brain to work at its potential. The start of the day can be a struggle. Consider what you do in the first twenty minutes and how it will shape your day and your lifestyle. Each day that begins with positive habits is a successful day of choosing a healthy lifestyle.

“Well begun is half done.” —Aristotle

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