Here's a wake-up call: What you do in the hour after you get up can help you look and feel your best for the rest of the day.
The right moves and foods will give you the focus, stamina, and positive outlook you need to plow through your busy schedule. Plus, you'll kick-start your metabolism, helping you torch extra calories and melt more fat.
Our get-up-and-go routine outlines the latest research-based tips guaranteed to make your morning a true power hour.
WAKE UP REFRESHED
Even early birds can find it difficult to slip out from under their warm, cozy covers on dark winter mornings. Here's how to make it easy:
Note good things to come
Before going to bed, put a sticky note on your alarm clock reminding you of something fun or exciting that's happening the next day.
"Because of hormonal shifts that occur while we're asleep, the majority of us wake up feeling a bit down or in a so-so mood," says Dana Lightman, PhD, a behavioural psychologist in Pennsylvania. "Remembering that you're having lunch with a friend or that your favorite TV show will be on that night gives you a quick lift."
Keep a cool bedroom
A toasty room temperature makes it easier to nod off, but you may wake up groggy. Lowering your thermostat right before turning out the lights maintains the warmth you need to fall asleep and will cool the room overnight - allowing you to rise and shine.
Don't make it too chilly, though. Experts say the ideal temperature is between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius.
Surround yourself with colour
"Seeing a bright, vibrant hue when you open your eyes gets your adrenaline going - and that sudden surge of energy helps clear the cobwebs and kicks you into gear," says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.
Put a red, orange, yellow, or fuchsia throw pillow, blanket, or piece of art in the area you first see in the morning, or slip on a robe in one of these shades. You can even make breakfast visually stimulating - and get a nutritional boost - by pouring yourself a glass of antioxidant-rich pomegranate or cranberry juice with a sweet slice of orange.
Put flowers by your bedside
Seeing a bouquet of blooms when they first woke up gave women in a new study a mood lift and energy boost that lasted all day, reports Nancy Etcoff, PhD, a faculty member at Harvard Medical School.
Don't hit the snooze button
There's truth in the adage "You snooze, you lose." When you hit snooze, your brain knows it will go off again in a few minutes - so you won't go into the deeper, more restful stages of slumber. That means you'll be more tired than if you'd gotten up when it first sounded.
A better strategy: "Set your alarm for when you really need to get up," says Jodi Mindell, PhD, associate director of the Sleep Disorders Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
"That extra, uninterrupted sleep makes you feel more rested and refreshed when you get out of bed."
Visualise your day
Once you're awake, close your eyes and picture yourself alert and energetic. "Imagining an activity fires up the same parts of your brain that are used when you actually experience it," says Lightman. "Thinking positively about the day ahead energises you."
Drink a big glass of water
This is a good way to replenish the fluid your body loses overnight, and it provides instant energy.
"Everything that happens in your body requires water," says Holly Andersen, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical Center.
"Without enough of it, your systems have to work harder in every respect - which can cause fatigue," she said.
Indeed, even a two percent drop in water stores can tire you physically and mentally. Starting to sip early also gives you a head start on the 11 cups of water the Institute of Medicine now recommends women consume throughout the day to stay hydrated.
Let the light in
A splash of sunlight makes you feel more awake, so read the paper by a sunny window or step outside for a few minutes while having your coffee.
"Daylight signals your biological clock to stop the secretion of melatonin, a hormone that makes you sleepy, and promotes wakefulness," says James B. Maas, PhD, a professor and past chairman of the department of psychology at Cornell University.
It also increases the brain's level of serotonin, a chemical that boosts mood. If it's still dark when you get up, consider purchasing a dawn stimulator (from US$80 - website), a device that gradually brightens a light source at a preprogrammed time.
Set it to create a dawn that breaks a half hour before your usual wake-up time and grows to maximum brightness when your alarm goes off - even when your eyes are closed, the light that passes through your lids signals your internal clock to trigger waking neurons in your brain.
Rub yourself awake
"Massaging your face boosts circulation, making it a surefire way to wake up," says Maggy Dunphy, general manager of the Aria Spa and Club in Colorado.
Starting at your forehead and working down to your chin, lightly flutter-tap or drum your fingertips, varying the velocity, intensity, and location until you've touched your entire face.
Bonus - these moves give you a quick healthy glow.
Have sex
Physical activity is one of the best ways to shake off grogginess - and having sex boosts your body's levels of chemicals associated with stamina (testosterone), energy (dopamine), and calmness (oxytocin), says Helen E. Fisher, PhD, a research professor in the department of anthropology at Rutgers University.
Get all-day energy
Nothing gives you a natural energy boost like exercise, which pumps fatigue-fighting oxygen to your cells and releases mood-boosting endorphins.
Even a short session does the trick. In one study, workouts as brief as 10 minutes sparked energy levels for up to two hours.
The 20-minute interval program below - which alternates brief bursts of high-intensity exercise with longer, slower segments - is ideal for morning exercisers.
"The intervals are invigorating and will get your heart rate up much quicker than walking at a slower, steady pace," says Tracey Mallett, a certified personal trainer in Los Angeles who designed the workout.
Another plus, walking at a brisk pace burns more calories. Now that's something worth getting out of bed for.
YOUR WORKOUT AT A GLANCE
Do the Walking Program, followed by the Start-the-Day Stretches, three to five times a week for a month; then increase the high-intensity intervals to one minute - this will add an extra 2 1/2 minutes to the workout. To make the program harder and boost your fitness, increase the high-intensity intervals to 1 1/2 minutes.
Walking Program
0:00-5:00 minutes Warm up at a slow, even pace, working up to a light, leisurely stroll with an RPE of 4 to 5.
5:01-8:00 Quicken your pace slightly to an RPE of 6 - you should be able to converse.
8:01-8:30 Walk as fast as you can. This pace should be challenging - an RPE of 7 to 8 - you'll find it harder to speak.
8:31-10:30 Decrease to an easy pace - an RPE of 5 to 6.
10:31-11:00 Walk as fast as you can - an RPE of 7 to 8.
11:01-13:00 Decrease to an easy pace - an RPE of 5 to 6.
13:01-13:30 Walk as fast as you can - an RPE of 7 to 8.
13:31-15:30 Decrease to an easy pace - an RPE of 5 to 6.
15:31-16:00 Walk as fast as you can - an RPE of 7 to 8.
16:01-18:00 Decrease to an easy pace - an RPE of 5 to 6.
18:01-18:30 Walk as fast as you can - an RPE of 7 to 8.
18:31-20:30 Cool down; decrease to an easier pace, similar to the warm up.
Pace Yourself
Use the Rate of Perceived Exhaustion (RPE) to gauge how hard you feel you're working on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the hardest.
Start-the-Day Stretches
Make time after your workout for these five standing stretches, which help keep your circulation revved, increasing your energy boost. As a bonus, most of the moves target the hardest working muscles in your body, including your thighs, hamstrings, and calves - which tend to be tightest in the morning.
Overhead Reach - targets shoulders and chest
Stand tall, holding a rolled-up towel in front of you at shoulder height with hands shoulder-width apart. Keeping arms slightly bent, exhale and lift them up and overhead until you feel a gentle pull in chest and shoulders. Hold for two to three seconds, then return to starting position. Do five times.
Hip Opener - targets hip flexors and hamstrings
Stand with right foot about two feet in front of left foot. Bend right knee, bring hands down to floor on either side of right foot, and slide left foot back so leg is extended, left heel off floor.
Hips should be level, right thigh parallel to floor, and right knee directly over right ankle. Hold for 30 seconds.
Lower back knee to floor and shift hips back, extending right leg and raising right toes off floor. Hold for 30 seconds. Switch legs and repeat both parts of stretch.
Figure-Four Stretch - targets hips, glutes, and inner thighs
Holding onto a chair or wall, cross right leg on top of left thigh (just above knee). Bend left leg and press hips back as if you were going to sit down. Hold for 30 seconds; repeat with opposite leg.
Calf Release - targets calves
Holding onto a chair or wall, stand tall with right foot 1 to 2 feet in front of left, feet flat on floor and toes pointing forward. Bend right knee slightly until you feel a stretch in calf.
Don't roll onto the inside of feet. Hold for 30 seconds; switch legs and repeat. To increase the stretch, lean body slightly forward in a diagonal line from crown of head to heel.
Stork Pose - targets thighs
Holding onto a chair or wall, bend right leg behind you and grasp right foot with right hand. Pull heel toward butt.
Keep hips facing forward, abs pulled in, and pelvis still. Hold for 30 seconds; repeat with opposite leg.
Boost your fat burn
You'll reap benefits all day from eating breakfast: A morning meal shifts your body from an energy-conserving state into calorie-burning gear without effort.
Studies show that breakfast eaters concentrate better and are more productive - as well as less likely to be obese - than breakfast skippers.
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