5 Reasons To Run at 5 AM
Marcus Aurelius, author of, Meditations, and, of course, the famous stoic Roman Emperor, was a notorious early riser, often attributing his clarity, ease of mind, and productive days to rising up before dawn. In his book - Meditations - he writes:
“At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: “I have to go to work — as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for — the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?”
He continues and argues with impulses to stay in bed:
“So you were born to feel “nice”? Instead of doing things and experiencing them? Don’t you see the plants, the birds, the ants and spiders and bees going about their individual tasks, putting the world in order, as best they can? And you’re not willing to do your job as a human being? Why aren’t you running to do what your nature demands?”
Followed by:
“You don’t love yourself enough. Or you’d love your nature too, and what it demands of you.”
Some of my favorite parts of his book are where he is clearly struggling with his inner most reptilian brain to get up and go, and to remain in comfort. Meditations is more often appealing to me because it appears to be Marcus Aurelius wrestling with his own limbic brain, but instead choosing to follow the more stoic path, the path of righteousness, awareness, and growth, as opposed to giving into impulse, desire, and greed. Perhaps that is what made him such an incredibly well-respected Emperor.
Either way, Meditations proves to us all that no matter who we are, what position we hold, or how we conduct ourselves on the outside, each one of us wrestles with our daily human struggles. It is our innate nature to go back and forth against our logic and our impulses. What you choose - is what matters most.
Vatican City in Rome, Italy.
Either way, the above section is my favorite part in Meditations, and something I think we can all learn and agree from. But, in modern times, getting up early is not only the key to victory and becoming proactive in your day, it sets the intention for the rest of it and keeps your mind, body and soul cruising through obstacles in a way you may not have perceived beforehand.
Let’s take a look at 5 key examples of why getting up and getting after it can be extremely beneficial for you.
1) It sets you up for a calmer day
Running first thing in the morning sets you up for a nice buzz for the rest of the day. Yes, unsheathing yourself from the warm blankets with crusty eyes can feel like a chore, but the effects of the workout don’t occur until after your run. Aim for at east 30-minutes and you’ll notice lasting effects of calmness throughout the entirety of your day. I promise. The results come after the workout, not during!
2) It gives you the gift of time
Waking up early gives you the gift of time - which is our most valuable resource. If you can give someone, or something your time - that is the greatest gift of all. So, why wouldn’t you give it to yourself? Going to be earlier may feel difficult at first, but if you can wake up without feeling reactive to your day, that is the greatest gift of all. Give yourself time to feel that stillness, that morning pause.
3) It kickstarts your brain and metabolism
When you run, especially outside, your brain is activated by all of the various stimuli around you, causing all five senses to be engaged at the same time with your limbic brain, the part of your brain responsible for emotion, creativity, and a central part of your nervous system. By engaging your body, you not only kickstart your brain, all five senses, but also kickstart your metabolism to immediately begin burning fat from the moment you wake up, throughout the rest of your day. Trust me, you’ll feel the effects of it, too. This will make you crave healthier foods, as well.
4) You become proactive instead of reactive
Most people wake up, immediately reach for their phone, and begin reacting to missed notifications, calls, updates, alerts and everything else. This is the wrong way to go. In order to be your best self, you need to give yourself a certain element of quiet time. You need to give yourself the stillness that happens first thing in the morning. Learn how to become proactive by doing the biggest tasks earlier on in your day. Take them on headfirst, get up and go. You’ll feel a noticeable difference in your day.
5) You release endorphins that make you feel incredible
The best part of running in the morning is that you not only release endorphins (the feel good chemical) after the first 15-20 minutes, but you will also feel a high from the effects of it for the rest of the day as a result. The impending effects will be seen and felt by others around you. You’ll have a certain glow to you in all of your interactions through the day. You’ll feel more focused, powerful, productive, and alert.
Feeling motivated, yet? Get out there tomorrow morning and go for a run. Whether it’s 2 miles, or 20, you’ll feel some powerful effects for the rest of your day. Go ahead, set that alarm for 5 AM and leave me a comment on how you feel. You’ll feel better, less cluttered, more focused, and will crave good food and great interactions. Doesn’t matter how fast you are, whether or not you listen to music, but trust me - running in the morning will get you to where you want to be in your day.
Also, go and purchase Meditations on Amazon here.
Drop me an email anytime: info@ckcollective.co
See you tomorrow!
~ Cam