THE ROOSTER RIDE : BENEFITS OF CYCLING EARLY IN THE MORNING
When the 5 AM alarm goes off it starts a familiar routine that involves hitting the snooze button 9 times, pulling the covers over our eyes, thinking about excuses to call in sick, cursing to the heavens, and ultimately flopping out of bed. To say that mornings are rough is an understatement. And if people can barely roll out of bed until literally the last possible minute, how on Earth would we expect them to get out and go for a sunrise bike ride? It's tough, but the benefits of an early morning pedal run are increasingly healthy in both body and mind… And it's a not a bad goal to start working towards.
Get Your Fitness Out of the Way Early
One of the biggest hindrances to those who aim to go for a bike ride after work is that 8-hours in the office have just beaten them down physically and mentally. Couple that with other nightly tasks and it's easy to see how a workout gets pushed to the back burner. Working out in the morning and getting it out of the way frees up the evening for a nice dinner and time to relax.
Wakes You Up For the Day
We've all had 7:30 morning meetings that we basically zombie through, kind of like when you're driving and realize you haven't looked at the road for 7 minutes. Your body might not truly wake up until a couple hours out of bed, but you can press that issue with a morning bike ride that gets you going. Who’s more impressive at those meetings – the quiet one who has done nothing but draw pictures of dogs for notes or the energetic one contributing ideas?
Temperatures and Wind are Optimal
In the perfect riding months (May – October) the conditions are truly the best the closer to cockcrow as possible. Temperatures haven't begun to warm up yet and the wind is generally pretty calm. You'll still work up a sweat but you'll be able to ride longer / more pleasurably.
Actually Has Benefits to Make You Sleep Better at Night
If your alarm goes off at 6:00 in the morning, sometimes the only thoughts starting at about 6:02 for the rest of the day are, “I can't wait to go to bed tonight.” In a weird (and kind of depressing) way everything we do during the day really does contribute to that night's sleep and for those that toss and turn the night before, a bike ride can exert energy that promotes healthy sleep the coming evening. Even better, an early morning ride forces you to get out of bed, which also starts your daily clock early – and thus shuts it off earlier that night.
The Sunrise Is Serene
The experts say the best way to start your day is with some morning meditation. But that's not always easy to do at home with the dog staring at you and the neighbors trying to coral their 5 boys to get ready for school. An early morning bike ride against the backdrop of the sunrise and maybe with some Kenny G turned on softly in your headphones is very peaceful and really calms the spirit.
It Forces Breakfast
It's easy to skip breakfast on a 'regular' day but a morning ride will make you hungry and basically force the first meal of the day early. Breakfast really is an important part of the day. It not only supplies energy that helps you perform better while avoiding being irritable, it also prevents you from overeating later in the day and becoming sluggish.
Go for the lasting reward instead of the instant pay off of a little extra sleep – you'll feel better later in the day.