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

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 stars gruelling training sessionsRecently the 46yearold star broke the internet with his morning routine which sees him waking up at 230 am and packing in two substantial meals and a 90minute workout even before the rest of the world goes to war with the snooze button on their alarm clocks Wahlberg isnt the only advocate of this aggressivelyearly 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 beMaana PatelEarly workouts are more effectiveYour body is biologically primed to extract maximum benefits from predawn workouts says Dr Vaishali Lokhande consultant internal medicine at Apollo Hospitals Your body is wellrested 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 mindbody 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 workoutSangeeta ChackoYou burn more fatSwitching to an early morning routine played a major role in actor Ajaz Khans 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 CrossFit session soon after waking up he saysMark WahlbergCelebrity 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 postexercise 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 earlyrisers 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 outdoorsVinay Bhambwani kneeling downYou become more focusedWaking 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 wellbeing 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 saysDr Vaishali LokhandeYour workouts are more punctualA 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 saysIt 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 byproduct of exercise which can keep your mood buoyed long after your workouts have endedDont try this ifYouve never worked out before Taking on the added challenge of waking up at 4 am could make you irregularYour work or social life requires you to stay up late Working out in a sleepdeprived state could make you more prone to injury and reduce the effectiveness of your workoutYou are not a morning person and cannot focus when you wake up earlyYour blood pressure rises early in the morning This is sometimes the case with individuals diagnosed with hypertension cardiac disorders and strokeYou 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 visionCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on 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