How to walk in the morning, as soon as you wake up, improves health

LEAVING YOUR HOME ON WAKE UP, JUST TO GO FOR A WALK? THE MORNING WALKING WOULD BE THE WELL-BEING REFLEX TO ADOPT. WE MAKE THE POINT.

Praised by influencers, the 'morning walk' simply consists of going out for a walk, on foot, as soon as you wake up. Privileged time with yourself, regular physical activity... We tell you why you should get started too!

Why walking in the morning is good?

Do we still need to list the health benefits of walking? Burn calories, prevent cardiovascular disease, prevent cancer and recover better, clear your mind... But why indulge in it in the morning? Because bright light, in the early hours of the morning, would "immediately" reduce the production of melatonin, the hormone that makes us feel tired", according to Dr. Michael Mosley, doctor and host of the BBC 'Just One Thing' podcast. Concretely, as soon as the sensors located behind our eyes detect daylight, a signal is sent to the brain.

This acts on our production of melatonin, both by reducing its production and by activating a cycle which will program the resumption of melatonin production 12 to 14 hours later.

And walking in the morning doesn't just keep you awake. This walk will help to improve mood, the ability to concentrate1... but also to take advantage of the coolest moment of the day (a good idea in hot weather) and even improve the quality of your nights!

Exposure to morning light improves sleep

Several scientific studies agree: getting enough exposure to natural light every day has a significant impact on our mood and the quality of our sleep2. Indeed, natural light is a natural regulator of our sleep cycle: when it declines, our body deduces that it is time to sleep. And vice versa.

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But not all natural light is created equal. “The earlier you are exposed to daylight, the greater the impact on the quantity and quality of sleep,” argues Michael Mosley. An argument that tends to be confirmed by a study conducted in 20173 which observed that, among people having difficulty falling asleep at night, those who exercised in the morning had a better quality of sleep at night than those who exercised. exercise in the evening.

How to take advantage of the benefits of a morning walk?

The ideal? Couple your morning walk with the recommendations of the WHO, which recommends engaging in physical activity for 30 minutes, 5 times a week. To take advantage of all the benefits of a morning walk, take a look at your favorite app to find out what time the sun rises. The goal? Walk, at least 30 minutes, during the 2 hours following sunrise. No time for breakfast? You can very well go for a walk on an empty stomach, and have breakfast on the way or once back!

Finally, we take care of his safety! Walking in a group can improve the feeling of security. And if you prefer to transform the morning walk into an appointment with yourself, you try to remain attentive to your environment: to prevent your headphones from masking surrounding noise, consider reducing the volume!

1. A study showed that older people starting their day with a walk in the morning improve their cognitive function, compared to those who remained sedentary, PubMed.gov.

2. Time spent in outdoor light is associated with mood, sleep, and circadian rhythm-related outcomes: A cross-sectional and longitudinal study in over 400,000 UK Biobank participants, ScienceDirect.

3. Effects of acute morning and evening exercise on subjective and objective sleep quality in older individuals with insomnia, PubMed.gov.