Win the morning, win the day right? It's mantra that has been thrown around for as long as I can remember! It's been used by the TikTok fitness crowd so much it feels like a slogan for a shady secondhand car yard!
If you can get past the gimmicky annoyance of it. there is some real wisdom and truth behind winning your mornings or in this case, having a strong morning routine that sets you up for the day.
Whether you are chasing health, performance or efficiency, getting it right in the morning real does set you on a great path for the day.
Now what is listed below is not world changing or earth shattering. Type Win the Morning, Win the Day into any search engine and you'll get thousands of answers ranging from absolute rubbish through to proven science backed and tested regimes.
As an early forties human that has a corporate job which requires a lot of domestic travel with a love of endurance sports and surfing, I use a framework which incorporates "must do's" & "Prefer to Do's" which are sometimes subject to my location and workload.
The "Must Do's" are things that if I don't do, it's generally going to make my day that little bit harder or less enjoyable
Start the night before Get organised and set yourself up for great nights sleep.
Hydrate If there is only one thing you do to improve your morning routine, this is it. A BIG glass (400-500ml) is the way to go. If you want to up the stakes a little further, add a pinch on Himalayan rock salt.
Move Exercise early and daily. Whether you preference is strength work, endurance, yoga, surfing, whatever. There's no bad choice here!
Eat I keep it simple with a break fast smoothie that covers the macros and also adds in nutrients to kick off the day. When I travel I aim for avocado and eggs on toast or I'll grab some greek yogurt with blue berries and raspberries
Get cold This is the newest part of the morning routine. A cold shower, whilst immediately a little unpleasant, makes you feel great and there is a lot of evidence appearing around the benefit of cold water exposure.
Coffee This is a little bit luxury and a little bit stimulation. Having a long black or expresso (no mils, sugars or sweeteners) has shown to positively impact gut biome too!
Supplements Yes the evidence swings in every direction when you start talking supplements and vitamins but for me it's Q10, Fish Oil, Krill Oil, Magnesium, Turmeric and a Pro-biotic.
There are plenty of other positive things to add to your mornings, but for me it's about keeping it simple and being flexible every day. There is a lot of noise and hype about what you should do, but I think the absolute key pieces and to hydrate, eat well and move. Just incorporating these three changes will dramatically improve your day and your health!