Exercise

Morning Cardio – Steps in Preparing For It

December 14, 2009
By Al M. Kind

A lot of people wanting to lose weight are familiar with doing cardio first thing in the morning. In fact when you think of cardiovascular exercise it is almost automatically assumed that you do it just before you go to work or school.

There are a lot of misconceptions on how to prepare for morning cardio sessions. This article aims outline the proper steps in going about it the right way.

The most important thing you will be doing is to prepare yourself mentally each morning. It is hard to perform any form of exercise when your mind is foggy and your limbs numb. You just came from a state of inactivity so it is best not to jump immediately on your cardio.

You must first visualize yourself doing your exercise. This conditioning of your mind will help you when your body resists pouring out effort by the time you exercise. Take a couple of minutes to close your eyes and visualize that you are going to do that cardio this morning.

Preparing something to drink before exercising is a good thing. Water is best but few people cannot take in water early in the morning. Diluted fruit juice is great too. Try to use half a serving though as it might carry too much sugar.

Some people may want to drink coffee if they have to drive to gym or their favorite running spot. Coffee is fine as long as you take it black. Sugar will interfere with your fat burning goals. If however you do not plan to lose weight or do not need to lose weight at all its fine to use a little sugar.

Next would be to stretch. It is vital that you make stretching as habit as it promotes flexibility in your tendons and joints which is especially vital to older individuals. A couple of minutes to five minutes of stretching will be good enough.

A lot of people ignore deep breathing before an exercise. The benefit of deep breathing is that the lungs and heart are able to prepare for the increased load your body is going through. This will prevent the shock of sudden oxygen deprivation from hitting you. This usually causes lightheadedness and sudden fatigue.

After your deep breathing sessions you can proceed to your cardiovascular exercise. Make sure to start out slow to prevent shocking your system. A lot of people have literally dropped dead from shocking their hearts in the morning. The heart is a strong organ but shocking it from a rested state is dangerous, if not fatal.

Avoiding a high carbohydrate drink right after exercising would enhance weight loss. If shedding pounds is your main goal for early morning cardio it is best to avoid them. Waiting at least half an hour for it would be optimal.

Preparing for that morning exercise regimen will greatly enhance your workout. Done correctly and consistently this will greatly enhance your consistency to accomplish your fitness goals. Try this preparation technique for your morning cardio and see its effects on your focus and consistency.

Al Kind loves to write about running and general fitness as a hobby. His latest reviews include motion control running shoes. Check out his selection of Motion Control Running Shoes for Women to check out what the hottest pairs are.

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