I love the mornings. Maybe itʻs my obsession with musicals like Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Oklahoma, or the Friendʻs Episode with Joey singing, “Morning’s here, the morning’s here, sunshine is here…”
Can you tell I love mornings?
But mornings can be tough, even if you are a person who’s up with the roosters. And you also know how great the rest of your day is when you have an awesome morning. You feel more productive at work and are focused during your training sessions.
Regardless if you are someone who trains consistently or someone who just wants to live a healthier and active life, we all want to start the mornings on a good note.
This morning routine will take anywhere from 30-45 minutes. If you are someone who finds themselves rushing out of the doors, then you may have to set your ʻopportunityʻ clock a bit earlier.
1. Bed Stretch
Lions, tigers, and bears do this naturally. By the way, how many of you said, “Oh my” in your head?
Laying in your bed, extend your arms above your head and press your heels towards the wall in front of you. Last thing let out a big ROAR.
Don’t think I do it? You can ask my wife.
If I was to channel my inner yogi-ness, I would call it ‘The Bed Hastasana”. Yea, I went there.
2. Drink up
No, I’m not talking about popping a bottle of Heineken open and sucking ‘em up. But after your mighty ROAR and getting out of bed to of course use the bathroom. Drink a glass of water.
People forget how important hydration is when it comes to proper body and brain function. Remember it’s been hopefully 6-8 hours since you went to sleep, and more than likely your body has a need for water.
3. Awake the Kū Within
This is when we prime the body for the day, get your blood flowing, and wake up the nervous system. This can be as quick as you want to make it but to give you an idea of what Iʻm talking about give this short mini circuit a try. Remember, this isnʻt meant for you to get all nuts.
Take it easy tigah!
You are waking up up your body and opening your Mana Account for the day:
Perform 2 rounds:
Body weight Squats w. Arms Extended Above Head – 10 reps
Push Ups – 10-15 reps
Jumping Jacks – 20 reps
Now if you have a bit more time and want to work on overall mobility and activating your Mana then try this warm-up routine a put together during my time at the University of Redlands.Perform 10 of each exercise.
4. A Kū Breakfast
I know in the past, I talked about Intermittent Fasting (IF) and gave up on breakfast. It was a great experiment and I had results, but I love waking up and eating breakfast.
So unless you are following a specialized diet such as IF, then you should be eating breakfast.
My family calls me a mongoose because every morning I must have my eggs. You donʻt have to eat eggs, but I do recommend that you have some sort of protein source of at least 10-30 grams. Of course, healthy fats and carbs are important but many times people grab for bagel or pastry rather than taking time to cook something up.
Aipaʻs Typical Breakfast:
3 Whole Eggs
1 Clove Garlic Chopped
1/4 an Avocado if any
Handful of Spinach
*Omelet cooked in 1Tbsp of coconut oil
1/3 cup of Coachʻs Oats
Now if you are in a rush and need something fast you can mix up a Morning Smoothie. I give solid recipes in an earlier post called, Morning Muscle.
5. Coffee
There has been a few people I’ve talked to who are trying to lessen their Coffee drinking. Yes, I’m a coffee addict but starting the morning with a cup of coffee will help bring energy and clarity. Yes, too much caffeine can be bad. But, too much of anything can be bad.
If you don’t want coffee, then green tea will also do the job.
6. KŪ!
Now that you opened your Mana Account, had your breakfast and jolt of energy, it is now time to be Kū! Go out an make a difference.
Enjoy a day of productivity, positivity, and dominate any obstacle. Starting off the morning right creates a catalyst for success.
Give this routine a try and let me know how it worked for you.
Be Kū,
AIPA