Morning habits to keep you healthy all day

There are morning activities that can energize you for the rest of the day.

Morning habits to keep you healthy all day

Do not use your phone as an alarm clock.

More than half of us use our smartphones as alarm clocks, then start our day by checking emails and messages. This may seem harmless, but it actually increases our stress levels, with cortisol and adrenaline peaking. This can sap our energy throughout the day. Leave your phone in another room to get quality sleep, and use a traditional alarm clock to reduce morning stress.

Do not use toothpaste

Research shows that people who brush with a dry toothbrush (followed by toothpaste) have 63% less plaque and 55% less gum bleeding. The bristles tend to be stiffer when dry, so they clean plaque better. You’re also more likely to brush longer with a dry toothbrush because you can feel the cleanness of your teeth and tongue. When you use toothpaste, the smell of the toothpaste can cause you to stop brushing before the plaque is removed. And with a dry toothbrush, you can brush your teeth while doing other things.

Stretching in the shower

Don’t just stand still in the shower, stretch. This improves circulation and gets your lymphatic system moving to remove toxins. The warm water will help your muscles become more flexible. First, bend over and try to touch your toes, hold for 30 seconds. Raise your arms up to the sky, this will stretch your spine and improve your posture.

No sleep in

Do you set your alarm clock half an hour early and then fall back asleep before you are fully awake? This is a bad habit. You are losing 30 minutes of good sleep, instead getting fitful, poor quality sleep, which will ultimately leave you feeling tired during the day. Set your alarm for the time you need to wake up and keep it far away from your bed, so you have to get out of bed to turn it off.

Drink warm water

Drinking coffee on an empty stomach can cause heartburn, indigestion, and blood sugar fluctuations that can make you irritable. Also, morning coffee doesn't help you feel more alert. Between 8 and 9 am, cortisol levels (the hormone that makes us alert) peak. Scientists have found that drinking coffee during this peak cortisol phase reduces the effects of caffeine and also creates a greater tolerance to it (meaning you'll need more to stay awake later). Make it a habit to drink a cup of warm water with a little lemon first thing in the morning, which can help stimulate digestive secretions, help you eat a better breakfast, and only enjoy coffee after you've eaten, ideally after 9 am.

Check weight

Weighing yourself after using the bathroom and before breakfast will give you the most accurate reading. Do it every day. A study at Brown University in the US found that 61% of dieters who did this maintained their weight for 18 months, largely because it helped them spot weight gain early.

Light exposure

Open the curtains and eat breakfast near a window. According to a US study, people who were exposed to even moderate levels of morning light had lower body mass indexes (BMIs) than those exposed to light later in the day. The study said that insufficient light exposure in the morning can disrupt the body's internal clock, affecting metabolism and leading to weight gain. Going outside in the morning, ideally for light exercise, can help reduce stress, move muscles and stop snacking.

According to SKDS/Timesofindia