3 (science-backed) reasons yoga should be part of your morning routine

Morning, lunchtime, evening, middle of the night - we’ll flow whenever we get the chance.

But if you’re looking to build healthy habits and strong, reliable routines, there’s nothing better than starting your day with morning yoga!

Not only does it force you to get out of bed in the morning (let’s face it, we all need a bit of motivation to leave the cosiness of the duvet sometimes) but it also sets you up for a bloomin’ fantastic day.

So, we dived into the research to bring you 3 science-backed reasons why your morning routine should include yoga.

Reason #1: start your day with positive intentions

We’ve all had those mornings where nothing goes right. You get out of the wrong side of bed, you burn your toast, your avocados aren’t ripe, you’ve run out of oat milk - everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.

And then it doesn’t stop. A bad start to the day usually spirals into a full-on bad day - not because of some mystic karmic fate, but because your view on your day has been irrevocably skewed to the negative right from the get go.

So, how can yoga help?

Morning yoga almost guarantees that you set yourself up for a positive day. Even if your carton of oat milk is empty or your toast is fifty shades of charcoal, having done a few minutes of yoga first thing in the morning you’ll realise that there’s more to life than toast and coffee (we were shocked too - but there is!) and actually be able to rescue your day from being the worst in history.

Yoga in the morning helps you to set positive intentions for the day by giving your brain the space it desperately craves. You’re treating yourself to a moment of peace before the day begins, you’re reminding yourself that life is for living and you’re calming the rush of thoughts that enter your mind the moment you open your eyes.

Instead of focusing on the negatives and worrying about the stress of the oncoming day, you’re focusing on your body, your breathing and your movement - and you can take a slice of that focus with you throughout the day.
Reason #2: support your body’s digestive processes

Peace, fulfilment and contentment begins in the belly. Our guts are our second brains and what happens in our digestive system determines almost everything else that happens in our bodies - including our mental health too.

We’re not going to start lecturing you on what you should or shouldn’t be eating (you do you), but there’s no denying that keeping your digestive system healthy is really really important.

So what does this have to do with yoga?

Because movement, particularly the conscious, focused qPeace, fulfilment and contentment begins in the belly. Our guts are our second brains and what happens in our digestive system determines almost everything else that happens in our bodies - including our mental health too.

We’re not going to start lecturing you on what you should or shouldn’t be eating (you do you), but there’s no denying that keeping your digestive system healthy is really really important.

So what does this have to do with yoga?

While intense exercise like strength training or HIIT can actually have a negative impact on your digestive system first thing in the morning, the gentle stretching and breathing of yoga, particularly after a glass of water to kickstart your system, has been proven to keep your bowels moving, improve gut microbiome diversity and help your body to get rid of any toxins you’ve ingested too. 

It also means what you eat that day stands a better chance of being digested properly, because you’re helping to clear your digestive system and get it primed for absorbing all the good nutrients you’re going to feed it.

If you really want to boost your gut health and digestive system, focus on yoga practice that involves twisting and stretching around your abdomen area.

Reason #3: get your breathing on track

Guess what matters more than anything else to having a healthy, positive day?

OXYGEN.

Not only because you literally couldn’t survive without it, but because getting a good injection of oxygen into your body first thing in the morning is the natural power-up your busy life needs.

When we sleep, our subconscious takes over our breathing for us - but if you’re even slightly congested or your bedroom is stuffy or you’re a snorer, overnight breathing doesn’t give you the maximum oxygen you need as a foundation for your day.

The solution? Yoga. 

One of yoga’s core focuses is breathing - bringing awareness to your breath, breathing rhythmically and slowing your breathing down for maximum mind-body connection.

By practicing yoga in the morning, you’re giving your body the gift of oxygen AND reinforcing regular breathing patterns that stick with you throughout your day. And yoga has also been shown to increase your lung capacity over time too, meaning that including it in your daily morning routine might actually help you live longer!

Practicing yoga allows you to bring that breath-awareness to the stressful moments of your day - and in those moments, the more oxygen your brain and body receive, the less stressful those moments feel. The more oxygen your body’s able to breathe in, the more oxygen can be supplied to your brain, which means increased concentration, focus, energy and all the vital things you need to have a positive day!

So, are you ready to add yoga to your morning routine?

Hurray, our work here is done!

Almost… All that’s left to do is tell you that, in our humble opinion, there’s no better way to flow than with FOLD. Whether it’s in our North London yoga studio or at home through your FOLD At Home membership, our classes are the perfect way to wake up, start your day off on the right foot and meet some lovely fellow yoga-lovers at the same time.

Go forth and flow, friends!