Regular exercise is crucial to both fitness and overall, long-term health. However, while simply getting exercise may be what’s most important, when you work out can also matter. In particular, the morning can be an especially good time to engage in exercise. Here are the six big advantages of doing so:

1. You get it done. In today’s busy world, many people bear a huge number of responsibilities. Important though these tasks may be, they can easily take up someone’s entire day. If you wait to exercise until you have finished everything else, you are likely never to work out at all. Better to do it first thing.
2. It is energizing. While individuals vary, many people feel much more energized following a good night’s sleep than later in the day. For these folks, it’s better to strike while the iron is hot and work out early, rather than delaying. It just makes sense to exercise when you are at your physical best, rather than to try to push through fatigue.
3. It motivates you. Willpower and motivation are not infinite, and both typically diminish as the day goes on. That’s what makes tackling something as challenging as a workout such a good idea. If you wait until late in the day, you are more likely to feel too drained — mentally as well as physically — to get moving.
4. It will improve the rest of your day. Exercise is a fantastic way to start the day off right. By releasing endorphins (the brain chemicals connected with happiness), movement raises mood and relieves stress naturally. Doing something healthy for yourself also encourages feelings of accomplishment, satisfaction, and self-confidence. Energized and inspired, your productivity will improve for the whole day.
5. You maintain a healthier weight. Researchers have discovered that working out in the morning jump-starts metabolism, raising it through the rest of the day. With a higher metabolism, the body burns more calories, even when it is at rest. Apparently, this means early-morning exercise can help a person stay at (or reach) a healthy size.
6. You sleep better. By burning off excess energy, reducing stress, and improving basic health, exercise can significantly improve sleep. However, since exercise also stimulates the body and encourages alertness in the short term, working out too late in the day can make it harder to fall asleep. Morning exercise, in contrast, poses no such problems.

At first, exercising in the morning may feel like a huge challenge. Exercise is the last thing many people feel like doing when they first wake up. However, as a routine becomes a regular habit, it becomes easier and easier to follow. If you remain resolute, working out in the morning will soon feel natural and normal, and you’ll be glad you’ve cultivated such a healthy, valuable

National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

3 Easy Ways to Relieve Insomnia Starting Tonight