How To Start Running in the Morning? Morning VS Night Running

If you want to transition from evening to running in the morning, our article provides you with some early morning running tips for beginners. In this case, you may be wondering how to start running in the morning or whether you can run on an empty stomach. Both of these are answered below and can help you make the transition to morning running workouts that can benefit your health.

Early Morning Running Tips For Beginners

There are many reasons to start running in the morning. It’s not only a great way to start the day but allows you to free up your evening.
Running in the morning provides a much-needed energy boost to the day. It makes you think like you have achieved something even before the day has begun. You may even discover that running in the morning fits better into your everyday schedule. Particularly if you’re working full time and preparing for an event.

If your not a morning person, running in the early hours isn’t an easy habit to start, especially if your not a morning person. There are steps though that can help you ease into the morning run routine which may help you enjoy it more.

Starting running in the morning requires a good and uninterrupted night’s sleep. This may be difficult if your use to staying up to all hours of the morning. So it will require you to slowly adjust to going to bed earlier than usual.

Focus on Good Sleep Habits

To begin preparing for morning runs make sure you practice solid sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene is described by the American Sleep Association as healthy sleeping patterns.

To form a healthy sleep pattern make sure you follow these early mornings running tips for beginners:

– Stay away from caffeine or alcohol in the hours before bedtime.
– Stay away from midday naps.
– Unwind in the evening by having a warm bath, meditating, or listening to relaxing music.
– Focus on sleeping at the same time each night.
– Set up a quiet and comfortable bedroom. Stay away from watching TV, reading, or electronic devices in the hours before bedtime.

This may feel unnatural at first, but after a few weeks following this routine, it will begin to feel easy.

 

Focus on Hydration First Thing in the Morning

After sleeping for 6-8 hours, your body is in a dehydrated state. So replenishing fluids is a must first thing in the morning. You don’t want fluid sloshing throughout your stomach. So start by drinking 6-8 cups (1.89 l) of water to help hydration levels without causing any discomfort on your run.

For harder workouts try drinking electrolyte sports drink. It will help provide some much-needed energy when starting the day. Doing so can even help add fuel to the body if you struggle to eat breakfast in the morning.

While caffeine is for most people are a must first thing in the morning, remember coffee is a diuretic. So try to limit this to one cup of coffee before running, as this will prevent any much-needed stops to the restroom.

Wear Reflective Running Clothing

When running in the morning it is important to remain safe, especially during the winter months when the sun rises later in the morning. By wearing reflective running clothing it can help you to be seen by traffic and other people exercising in the morning. Thus using reflective running clothes such as jacks, vests, and tights provide a safer morning run environment to you and others.

The best reflective running clothes have neon sections throughout the clothing that glows in the dark. There are even running clothes the have lights sewn into the fabric that can be turned on and off.

Use emergency Running Apps

Emergency running apps like Kitestring track your GPS location and can help you if something happens when running in the morning. These apps can automatically contact any or all of your contacts stored in your phone if something unexpected happens. So for if your someone that runs alone in the morning, it provides extra safety.

How To Start Running in the Morning

If your not a morning person, knowing how to start running in the morning for the first time can be a tedious process. While you don’t have to travel to the gym, it still is sometimes difficult for people to start.
To start running in the morning try beginning with short runs. Starting with short runs can help you eliminate added stress to the available time you have. Then as you get more comfortable running in the morning you can slowly increase the length of the session.

It is important to also vary the runs, in the beginning, change the terrain, pace, and location of the runs. This can help provide some variety and enjoyment to an otherwise dark lonely workout.

Once you start getting into a rhythm of running in the morning, look to implement your usual running training. No matter if this is a long run, intervals, or tempo session.

In the beginning, it is also wise to start with only a few days a week. Then slowly increase the number of days as you get use to exercising in the morning.

So start by increase the number of days you exercise in the morning. Doing so will keep the motivation high and allow your body to adjust to the change in routine.

Running in the Morning Empty Stomach

Running in the morning on an empty stomach is an approach many runners use. We call this “fasted running” since you begin your training in a fasted state.

Fasted running is known for the fact it increases fat burning. The idea is by running fasted your body uses more fat as an energy source. This is because of the lack of carbohydrates stored in the body and the lack of carbohydrates stimulates the genes that control fat oxidation.

Although the research is conflicting, many runners swear by fasting and the benefits of weight loss it brings.

If you’re trying to lose weight from running, doing fasted runs may help control energy intake. Some studies have also shown that exercising on an empty stomach may improve aerobic endurance.

One study found that running fasted in the morning increased maximum oxygen (V02 max). However, the study was relatively small, and more research is required if this is true on a wider scale.

If you are planning to run in the morning on an empty stomach, trial it by starting with shorter runs. You first need to understand how the body responds to a fasted state before increasing the distance or intensity of the workout.

Benefits of Running in the Morning VS Night

There are both benefits of running in the morning vs night, but it depends on a few factors. Evening runs have been shown to lower blood pressure during the evening while building muscles and increasing form. Running in the morning on the other hand helps to speed up weight loss and reduce depression symptoms.

While there are both pros and cons to running in the morning vs night. The reality is, time is the major factor for most people. There is no point in running in the morning if it creates stress and limits the amount of sleep you get.

Everyone is different, and if you are used to running at a certain time of the day, it’s probably best to stick with that.

 

Is it Better to Run in the Evening or Morning?

A common question newbie runners often ask is – Is it better to run in the evening or morning? While everyone is different and what may benefit one person may not work the same way for another.

There are some benefits to starting your day with a run, though. One of those benefits is improved productivity for the day. Starting early in the morning can help free up time for other things during the day.

Productivity is not the only thing that makes running in the morning better. It also has a positive impact on your mental health. Everyone wants to be happy and content with life, so adding some jogging into your morning routine is a step in the right direction.

So to answer whether it is better to run in the evening or morning. Well, that depends on your goals, time available, and weather conditions. But doing so can end up having a positive influence on your training and daily life.