Morning musts for optimum toning

With our lives becoming increasingly faster paced, we can often overlook the most important things. For most people the morning routine involves falling out of bed, into a bowl of cereal or toast, and then either taking the kids to school or heading for work. There’s not much time to anything else, but this is where you have to make some time. You only need about 10 mins to carry out these few simple things and they will have a dramatic effect on your day.

Hydration is always important but it has been shown by a study carried out in Berlin, that drinking a cold glass of water first thing in the morning has been shown to increase your metabolic rate by around 30%

Cardio is beneficial at almost any time, but especially before eating after a good nights sleep. It has been shown to burn 20% more body fat, but before you break out your Insanity dvd, be aware that moderate, steady cardio will work better than HIIT or high intensity cardio training.

I have been doing this myself for many years, but wasn’t aware of the figures until recently, so if you are aiming to lose weight, burn fat, tone up or just maintain a healthy body, applying these two things each morning will be very helpful.

In contrast to the things you should do, here are a couple of things you should avoid:

Drinking coffee or highly caffeinated drinks first thing in the morning will work alongside your already increased production of stress hormones, which are at their most active at around 8 – 9 am, inducing a feeling of anxiety, not ideal for that presentation or start to the day!

Also sugary cereals have been shown to increase your chances of diabetes, heart disease and strokes, so perhaps opt for a fruitier alternative, or cereals with a drizzle of honey, both options are far more aligned with a healthier heart and body.