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Why a Great Morning Routine Can Be Your Best Friend

Creating a morning routine that works for you is so helpful to living a healthy lifestyle and making the most out of each day. Each of us is made differently so we should customize our morning routines to suit us.

Mornings for me are the worst. I saw this meme that said, “Let’s just say ‘getting up before the sun’ is not a club I ever want to be a member of, ever!” I’ve never been a morning person and I know that my body requires more sleep than some people. Everybody is different and I encourage you to find the routine that works best for you.

When you find a routine and build the habit, it helps to not have to think about what to do next each morning. These tips will help you find the routine that gives you energy, makes you feel great physically and mentally, leaves you more productive, and gets you ready for whatever adventures the day brings. 

Listen to Your Body Clock

As I said, I’m not a morning person, and no matter how many books or podcasts on “success” tell me that I have to wake up before the sun, it’s not the best for my body. Each of us has an internal body clock that knows about how much sleep we need to feel our best and about what time we need to be awake and asleep to feel our best.

If your schedule allows you to, try to plan to work within these hours. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day getting the amount of sleep your body needs.

After Menopause, it can be frustrating to fall asleep and stay asleep. Give yourself a nice evening winding down routine that might include some deep breathing, a meditation, writing down 3 things you are grateful for, reading a book, no electronics, and sticking to the same time for bed each evening. 

Wake Up and Stretch

Many of us feel stiffness upon waking up, especially if we have some arthritis in our joints. Do some gentle morning stretches before you even get out of bed to ease your body into some gentle movement. Try these stretches:

Drink Your Morning Mojo

Coffee might be first on your mind in the morning but try hydrating your body first. I start my day with a “Morning Mojo.”

Pour a glass of room temperature water, add a squeeze of lemon juice, optionally grate some ginger and add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Enjoy this glass as you are getting ready in the morning before your coffee.

Hydrating your body after a long night of sleep will help to boost your metabolism, give you the energy you need, aid in your body’s digestion and also help to build the habit of staying hydrated all day. Hydration helps our skin, our joints, our brain, and boosts our energy levels.

Review Your To-Do List

Ideally, you will take a few minutes the evening before to write down the top To-Do’s for the following day. Start with the biggest task you need to complete and fill in from there. In the morning, review your list and make sure you have a plan to tackle the biggest task first. Don’t let all the little stuff add up and overwhelm you and block your productivity. 

Eat a Healthy Protein Packed Breakfast

Getting enough protein first thing in the morning will help to fuel your body for the day as well as reduce cravings by keeping you feeling full longer. Try a smoothie with protein, low sugar greek yogurt with granola and berries, overnight oats, make ahead egg cups or an omelette, or Ezekiel bread with nut butter, lox, or avocado. 

Exercise

Working out in the morning ensures that you get your workout in before the day derails your “self-care” time. It also helps to boost your endorphins giving you more energy and brain power to tackle your to-do list.

Working out in the morning also helps you to sleep better at night and helps you feel more confident and happier throughout the day. Who doesn’t want to feel stronger, more confident, and have more energy? 

Developing a healthy routine in the morning is a great way to start your day off on the right foot. I love this quote from John Maxwell, “You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Do you have a morning routine? How did you develop it? What works for you in the morning and what doesn’t? Can you say that your day depends on how your morning starts?

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Paula

Definitely a morning person after 40 years of early morning hospital shifts. Not fully retired (yet) but start every day by 5;30 with hour of yoga, prayer and meditation, big glass of water then coffee, OJ, vitamins and fruit and nut packed oatmeal. Sets me right and full of energy. Love to see the sun come up out my window into my garden.

Nina Traganas

I’m such a child when it comes to discipline I fight it all the way. Now being retired I’m out of control. Sleeping pattern is very erratic from insomnia and that I just don’t want to go to bed. I realize at my age now and for health a routine is important. Going to try to incorporate a few of the suggestion in my morning routine. I like the morning stretch and I should stop eating breakfast at 3PM! Thanks for the article.

Joyce

I was just reading abt lemon and cayenne pepper in water is a healthy way to start the day. Making changes or nothing happens. Trying to drink green tea and forgoing caffeine.

Linda

I have never been a morning person and function better later on in the evening. When I was a mature undergraduate 30 years ago I would study and write my essays during the night as I valued the peace and quiet.

A few years ago I read an interesting study on the body’s circadian rhythms. It suggested these are defined by the time of day you are born, in my case 2.45pm.
My husband on the other hand was born at 6.30am and if he wakes early has to get up, so I think there may be something in this theory.

I have no real routine, it depends on which days my husband works from home and these can change depending on where he is with the IT project he is on and whether there are problems he needs to fix.

So I really just go with the flow and no two days are the same!

Karen Jennings

Morning routine? Sort of. I am able to enjoy the quiet of the early morning with a cup of coffee, since I don’t have to be at work! Yes, water, juice, a little breakfast and I am ready for either the adventure of remote working, ( in a few weeks) or just leisure reading, some computer work while watching tv. I saw a meme about going to bed at nine as a child thought it was so bad. Nope, nine is great!

The Author

Aubrey Reinmiller is a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant, Certified Personal Trainer and Senior Fitness Specialist, and Functional Aging Specialist focused on helping those over 50 to reinvent aging! She offers online small group and private fitness solutions through https://aubreyreinmiller.com/. Aubrey authored Reinvent Aging: The Over 50 Fitness Guide to Improve Energy, Strength and Balance.

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