Build Your Healthy Morning Routine: The Essential Guide
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Build Your Healthy Morning Routine: The Essential Guide
Are you looking to create a morning routine that supports your health and fitness goals? The right morning routine can help you to make healthier food choices, stay active and feel great all day long.
But how can you build a routine that suits your needs, your goals and your lifestyle? Here are 8 ideas for healthy morning habits to incorporate.
Make time for your routine
You can make the best routine plan in the world – but if you don’t put aside time for it, it won’t happen!
Take a look at what time you have available in the morning. Do you need to make some more time by getting up 30 minutes earlier? Or are there morning habits that suck up your time (e.g. scrolling Instagram in bed when you wake up) that need to go so you have the free space?
This can also help you to create a realistic morning routine. If you set yourself a 90-minute workout each morning but you’ve only got 60 minutes between waking up and leaving for work, you’re setting yourself up for failure. You’d be much better off getting in a 15-30 minute workout.
Start with hydration
Most of us don’t drink enough water throughout the day. So start your day off with a simple, healthy habit of 500ml water. If it’s cold, you might prefer to make a big cup of herbal tea.
Why 500ml? Research has found that drinking 500ml in the morning can boost cognition, memory, mood and energy levels. It helps to rehydrate the body after sleep, which is naturally dehydrating.
If you forget to drink water for a few hours afterwards, the boost of hydration will keep symptoms at bay. But for many, starting with water helps you to remember to keep drinking water throughout the day.
Do something you love
An important trick for a healthy mindset for the day ahead? Include something you genuinely enjoy doing first thing.
This will be different for everyone – it could be a form of movement, time with your partner or pets, or even slowly sipping your coffee before going to work.
If you begin your day with something enjoyable, you’ll feel more positive going into the rest of the day’s events.
Move your body
When you’re still sleepy, it might seem illogical to hit the gym or go for a jog. But morning exercise can help to wake you up, fill you with energy and boost your mood. Many people also find that physical activity first thing encourages them to move more throughout the day.
If you don’t have heaps of time in the morning, you can keep it simple. Keep your 6pm gym plans, and add in a morning walk or a short yoga routine.
Add some mindfulness
Another easy way to set yourself up for a day of mental wellbeing? Practising some form of mindfulness.
When you start your day with a million to-dos and worries, your brain gets stuck on the mental treadmill through til bedtime. But if you take a few minutes to reset that and be aware of your thoughts, you’re better able to manage what the day throws at you.
You could do a short meditation (3-5 minutes can still be beneficial!) or go for a short walk without technology. My personal favourite is ‘morning pages’ – a stream-of-consciousness journalling technique, where I write down whatever is going through my mind at the time.
Get a dose of nature
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of nature and the outdoors – and that’s for good reason. Exposure to fresh air, sunshine and nature has countless health benefits (both physical and mental).
By getting some daylight first thing, you also help to regulate your body’s internal clock or circadian rhythm. This will keep you energised and alert for the morning, but also support a healthy sleep onset when it comes to bedtime.
Eat your breakfast!
Want to eat a healthier diet overall? Start with a good breakfast – one that has plenty of protein and some fibre.
I’ve worked with countless clients who come to me, saying they skip breakfast but aren’t seeing the results they want. And that’s for good reason!
When you skip a meal, your hunger hormone, ghrelin, will turn up your hunger signals that go to the brain. The longer you push your meals back, the more intense your desire for food becomes – especially calorie-dense foods. By the time dinner rolls around, you’re eating everything in sight to satiate your hunger.
Need some brekkie inspiration? Make sure you check out my top 10 High Protein Breakfast Recipes here.
Not a fan of structured mornings?
You can still reap the benefits of a morning routine – but the routine can change based on your day.
For example, one of my clients has a ‘pool’ of routine ideas to choose from. You can choose one option for mindfulness, one option for movement, one option of something you love… and so on.
What if your routine falls off?
Well for one thing, that means you’re completely normal! Once the initial flush of excitement fades, sticking with new routines is hard work. Just look at the vast majority of people who fail to keep their well-intentioned New Year’s resolution!
Everyone will miss a day from time to time (yes, even I do on occasion!)
But it’s important to not let skipping your routine become the routine. If life gets in the way, don’t overthink it -just continue where you left off the next day.
Want to build a healthy routines & habits so you can achieve your goals?
If you’re sick of feeling overwhelmed, unmotivated and unsure where to start, now is the time to take action.
Together, we can overhaul not only your nutrition and exercise, but also boost your motivation and master your mindset – learn more about my 1:1 coaching here.
Hey there, I’m Rachel!
NUTRITIONIST, PERSONAL TRAINER, WELLNESS COACH
Here I share healthy recipe ideas, training plans, and nutrition & wellness advice you need to know.
Check out my free guide to healthy eating to design your own version of a healthy lifestyle so that you can feel energised and vibrant, or hire me to work my magic on your health through mindset, nutrition, and movement.
While we make every effort to make sure the information in this website is accurate and informative, the information does not take the place of medical advice.