I recently heard a story about a woman who complained that she did not have enough hours in the day until her husband, a marathon runner, asked what she was doing at 5:30 a.m. each morning? Her annoyed response was, “Sleeping”! Her husband was a firm believer in the saying that the early bird gets the first worm. I decided to put it to the test.

Before I went to bed one night, I set the alarm to go off at 6:15 am. As usual, morning came too quickly so I hit the snooze button. I resisted the urge to hit the snooze button, a second time and reluctantly pulled myself out of bed when the alarm went off again.

 I headed down stairs to stretch and get ready for my first five km bike ride. To my surprise when I came back upstairs, my wife was changed and ready to take me on her regular bike route. At first I was doing fine keeping up with her, then I noticed the distance between us started to widen. As the sweat trickled down my forehead into my eyes and my leg muscles began to burn, I realized that I needed to get into better shape! Finally we reached the lake, the midway point of our ride. What a beautiful view it was! We saw seniors walking, people jogging and even a few men fishing. It was the kind of scene you see in a Hollywood movie.

When we got home I was completely drenched in sweat. (What my wife hadn’t told me was that her route was almost 10 km, not five!)  I didn’t complain as I actually felt more alive and invigorated, which allowed me to have a fantastic day.

Here are three things I took away from the experience of getting up earlier:

 1)    It Gives You More Energy Throughout The Day. I did not feel as tired and drained as I normally do. It filled me with positive energy. Early morning exercise not only feeds your muscles but it improves your blood flow, which is great for your heart and your brain.

2)    It Allows You To Think More Clearly. When you get the blood pumping and more oxygen to the brain early in the morning, obstacles you encounter throughout the day do not appear to be as big, as you are able to think with a clearer head.

3)    It Gives You Extra Time To Plan Your Day. I was not running late. I had more time to enjoy my coffee and strategize about what I needed to accomplish for the day. And I got them all done.

Well I didn’t get the first worm, but that’s okay as I’m not a bird or a fisherman in need of bait! However, I learned that getting up earlier will give you more energy throughout the day; allow you to think clearer and it will give you extra time to plan your day.