Are you one of those people who scoff at those of us who wake up at the crack of dawn to get a workout in? You may call us “crazy,” or “early birds,” or perhaps even on a more positive note, “dedicated.” You may be right with all of those names and references. We may be crazy; we are definitely dedicated. As the summer winds on, and the thermostat rises, I’m here to give you seven glorious reasons why running in the morning is not as crazy as you think!
7 Reasons to Love Running in the Morning
1. No traffic
If you’re a road runner, there’s no need to dodge cars, bikes, or motorcycles early in the morning. Except for the occasional driver or cyclist, the road is largely occupied by — you guessed it — other runners! Forget about sidewalks. You can run in the middle of the road if you’d like. Safety tip: if you run with earbuds, keep the volume low so you can hear your surroundings, especially if a car approaches.
2. Quiet.
What’s the best sound on an early morning run? The birds chirping and the wind in your hair.
3. Getting to watch the sunrise.
Who doesn’t love an epic sunrise? If you snooze late in the morning, and run in the afternoon, you will miss the opportunity to see nature’s beauty unfold before your eyes. Set your alarm for a sunrise run. You’ll thank me later.
4. No better way to get your body going and kick start your day than with a brisk run.
After an early morning run, you will have accomplished more in the 30 minutes before 7:00 am than most people will accomplish all day.
5. Greet the day fresh from sleep.
No baggage, no arguments, no yelling or crying kids. Just a quiet, sleeping house, and a quiet run. Plus, you’re more likely to wake up and run first thing in the morning than to come home from work and go for a run after a long day.
6. Set your intentions for the day/week/month in the solitude of a morning run.
Channel your inner yogi and take it out on the road. Breathe in the fresh air, take in the sights and sounds of the world waking up, and think of how you will make a positive impact today.
7. Avoid harmful UVA/UVB rays.
The sun reaches it’s peak temperatures and damaging rays are most abundant from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. By adjusting your running schedule to run before or after peak times, you will avoid harmful sun rays. We all need our Vitamin D, so running in the sunshine is glorious, but save your skin and your health. Run in the morning. 🙂
Call us morning runners crazy, call us whatever name in the book you’d like. But let’s face it, we may be on to something here. Give it a try — you may surprise yourself and enjoy it!
xo
Let’s talk!
Are you a morning runner? Tell me why you LOVE running in the morning in the comments section!
Are you an afternoon/evening runner? Why do you love running in the evening?
Linking up with My No-Guilt Life, Marcia’s Healthy Slice, and MCM Mama Runs for Tuesdays on the Run.
