How Long Does It Take for the Body to Be Ready for Exercise in the Morning?

Exercise in the morning and increase the chances that you will get a workout that day, says Barbara Brehm in her book "Successful Fitness Motivation Strategies." When you work out first thing, you don't have to overcome the natural hurdles that arise during the day with work, family, friends, stress and fatigue. Literally rolling out of bed may not get you the best results, however. How much time your body needs before you start exercising in the morning depends on your personal biorhythms, your fueling habits and your bedtime.

  1. Body Temperature

    • When you sleep, your body temperature drops. You need to bring it up before hitting a hard workout, recommends chief science officer for the American Council on Exercise, Cedric X. Bryant. A warm body can better execute and sustain explosive exercises, protecting you from injury and giving you the best results. You can, technically, roll out of bed and hit the ground running, but that run should stay at a very slow jog at first so your muscles, ligaments and tendons warm up. The average warm-up should last five to 10 minutes, according to ACE, but Bryant says a morning warm-up should last even longer -- so plan on 10 to 20 minutes before you are ready to give all-out effort.

    Fueling

    • Eating before you exercise, especially first thing in the morning, helps provide you with energy so you can get the most out of your workout. A light snack, such as a banana or half of an energy bar, can get you through a short 30- to 45-minute session first thing. These foods digest quickly and can have you up and running or lifting within 30 to 60 minutes of waking. Longer workouts may require more substantial fuel, such as a full breakfast of a whole-wheat bagel with peanut butter, a bowl of oatmeal or a yogurt with granola. You should wait at least two and maybe three hours after eating these substantial meals to exercise.

    Bedtime

    • Exercising early does increase adherence, but that exercise doesn't do you a lot of good if you are skimping on sleep. Too little sleep affects your cognitive ability and your health. Not sleeping enough can cause you to make poor food choices and even raise levels of hormones that make you feel more hungry throughout the day. A few of the main reasons you may have for exercising are increased daily energy, improved stamina and weight management -- shortening your sleep to exercise undermines these goals. You may prefer an hour or two after waking before you hit the gym, but if it makes you cut short a full seven- to nine-hour night, give yourself just 30 minutes after waking so you can maximize your shuteye.

    Personal Preferences

    • Ultimately, how much time your body needs to get ready to work out first thing in the morning depends on your preferences. Some people are ready to go exercise within 30 minutes of waking while others need an hour or more to have time to sip their coffee and prepare themselves mentally. You may need some trial and error to learn your body and what maximizes your routine. Whatever routine you settle on, make sure it is pleasant for you. If you dread your early-morning workouts because you feel tired, slow and ill-prepared, you may easily lose your drive to wake up and hit the gym. Create a sustainable routine so you stick with it for the long haul.