Early mornings are the best times to get work done, and those who wake up early will swear by the amount of work they can get done during the day. Waking up early is not only productive, but it also has a lot of physical and mental health benefits. But regardless of whether you wake up early or not, one thing is certain: that after a long night’s rest, you must follow certain practises every morning in order to keep yourself healthy. Your body's metabolic rate is the highest in the morning since your body is in a fasted state for a good 8 to 10 hours, depending on the number of hours that you can manage to get sleep. So what are the must-dos upon waking up? Here are the top five practises that you must follow every morning.
Re-hydrate yourself:
Believe it or not, you tend to lose a substantial amount of water while you are asleep, through breathing, sweating, and if you are a snorer or suffer from clogged sinuses, then chances are that you wake up with a dry mouth. Drinking a glass of water immediately after waking up not only helps restore the fluid levels in your body, but research has shown that it can help flush out the toxins that have built up in your body while you were asleep. If you are someone who wakes up in the night, then keeping a bottle of water by your bedside and taking a few sips whenever you wake up is highly advisable.
Get some sun:
It is a well-known fact that Vitamin D helps boost your body’s immunity and can also help treat flu-like symptoms. And before you go running to your nearest medical store to grab some vitamin D supplements, just look around and you’ll find a free and natural source of vitamin D, especially if you wake up early in the morning. That’s right! Sunlight is the most natural source of Vitamin D and, unlike supplements, it is not synthetically made; it is free and is also known to promote the release of dopamine levels in your body. Besides, watching the sun rise is one of the most satisfying sights for us humans.
Stretch your body:
While you are asleep, your body is pretty stiff, and this can cause muscles and joints to tighten up. Stretching your body every morning can help loosen your muscles and get the blood flowing efficiently to all the parts of your body. If you are someone who exercises regularly, then stretching in the morning can help reduce muscle soreness and can improve mobility to a great extent.
Have a healthy breakfast:
Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. It is extremely important as the name of the meal suggests that you are breaking your fast after a good night’s sleep. It is due to this fasted state that puts your body’s metabolism levels into overdrive, which is why feeding your body with the right nutrition such as oats, a protein shake or protein bar, milk, fruits, etc can all help your body get the nutrition it needs, and can fuel you for your gruelling day ahead.
Get to meal planning:
As mentioned in the beginning, waking up early helps you manage time more efficiently, and if you are a working individual, then you must use the time at hand to plan for the day ahead. If you find yourself munching on unhealthy snacks or meals throughout the day, then utilise this time to prepare healthy meals or snacks, and carry them along with you to work. Home-cooked meals are not just healthy, especially since you have control over the ingredients, but they are also cost-efficient. And while it may take you a little bit of time and a lot of effort to get a routine going, once you get the hang of it, there’s nothing more rewarding in life.
So there you have it, another important and least-spoken health blog that will help you stay healthy for a long time. Do keep following us for more on such interesting topics.