Working out before sunrise? Here's what you need to know

Illustration/Uday Mohite

As a successful actor, father to four young children and entrepreneur, Mark Wahlberg is a busy man. He is also an inspirational figure to millions of fitness enthusiasts around the world, who throng to his social media channels for inside peeks into the star's gruelling training sessions.

Recently, the 46-year-old star "broke" the internet with his morning routine, which sees him waking up at 2.30 am and packing in two substantial meals and a 90-minute workout even before the rest of the world goes to war with the snooze button on their alarm clocks. Wahlberg isn't the only advocate of this aggressively-early routine, though. From Apple CEO Tim Cook to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, the 4 am club has more than its share of wildly successful (and fit) advocates. But is the 4 am club really as effective as its proponents make it out to be?

Maana Patel

Early workouts are more effective
Your body is biologically primed to extract maximum benefits from pre-dawn workouts, says Dr Vaishali Lokhande, consultant, internal medicine at Apollo Hospitals. "Your body is well-rested and is able to perform physically taxing tasks much better than later in the day. You also enjoy the benefits of elevated cortisol levels," she says. Cortisol is a hormone produced in the adrenal gland, and is responsible for the metabolism of fat, protein and carbohydrates in the body. Your body produces most cortisol early in the morning, and these levels peak between 3 am and 6 am. Scheduling your workouts within this window, therefore, makes your exercise more impactful as your body is able to extract the energising effects of cortisol and burn maximum calories. Dr Lokhande also points out that your mind-body coordination is at its peak in the morning. Further, exercising when your bowels are empty allows your body to focus all your energy on your workout.

Sangeeta Chacko

You burn more fat
Switching to an early morning routine played a major role in actor Ajaz Khan's fitness transformation. "I was never a morning person, but I changed my routine once I became serious about working out. I now make sure to get in an hour or two of cardio at 4 am, every morning," he says. This, he adds, has yielded visible results in terms of fat loss and endurance levels. "I usually hit the jogging track, go cycling or engage in a Cross-Fit session soon after waking up," he says.

Mark Wahlberg

Celebrity coach and sports nutritionist Vinay Bhambwani concurs that training early in the morning on an empty stomach has been shown to boost metabolism and burn more fat, but he also emphasises on the importance of the right diet. "Eating too few or the wrong kind of calories when you are pushing your body can lead you to burn muscle instead of fat, or to deplete your energy levels more quickly," he cautions. Packing in an early workout also means that your body burns calories more effectively for the rest of the day. This, Bhambwani says, is because of a phenomenon called increased post-exercise oxygen consumption, as your body focuses on recovering from the exercise and breaks down fat stores to accommodate the added demand for fuel. Another plus for early-risers in a city like Mumbai is reduced vehicular traffic, which can make a world of difference if you like to jog, run, walk or train outdoors.

Vinay Bhambwani (kneeling down)

You become more focused
"Waking up at 4 am to work out is, by no means, an easy feat, but it definitely has its share of rewards. Following a strict routine gives you the mental fortitude to accomplish much more challenging feats through the day, whether at the gym, in the office or at home," says Bhambwani. Sangeeta Chacko, a communications professional, concurs that working out early had a dramatic impact on her physical and emotional well-being. "While I credit my 5 am workouts for shedding nearly 30 kg, I also noticed my personality transforming as I began to include yoga and meditation in my morning routine. Today, I am able to handle stress more effectively and no longer dwell too deeply on little things. I can compartmentalise my work better and enjoy far more focus," she says.

Dr Vaishali Lokhande

Your workouts are more punctual
A professional swimmer with Team Speedo India, Maana Patel says that athletes like her view morning training sessions as an integral component of their regular routines. "For us, training in the morning means that we have the rest of the day to pursue our other professional and academic undertakings. In addition to the boost in our performance, early morning workouts are also more practical as we no longer have to worry about other commitments eating into our training time," she says.

It also helps that distractions are minimal and are less likely to throw you off course. Fitness blogger Shifa Merchant explains, "My blogging work typically starts around 9 am, beyond which I am torn between shoots, meetings, events and travelling. Squeezing in my workouts while the rest of the world is still asleep allows me to focus solely on my exercise, without being bogged down by pending calls or emails." Importantly, this routine has had a dramatic impact on her outlook towards life, which, she says, has become more positive. Experts credit this to elevated endorphin levels, a helpful by-product of exercise, which can keep your mood buoyed long after your workouts have ended.

Don't try this if...

• You've never worked out before. Taking on the added challenge of waking up at 4 am could make you irregular.
• Your work or social life requires you to stay up late. Working out in a sleep-deprived state could make you more prone to injury and reduce the effectiveness of your workout
• You are not a "morning person" and cannot focus when you wake up early
• Your blood pressure rises early in the morning. This is sometimes the case with individuals diagnosed with hypertension, cardiac disorders and stroke
• You are above the age of 60. At this age, your reflexes are slower and you may be suffering from presbyopia, which affects the clarity of your vision

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