What would it be like to wake up in the morning and immediately go for an hour-long walk outside? While it's quiet and peaceful? Or a run, a bike ride to the office, and only then eat your breakfast? Exercising on an empty stomach has many health benefits and is definitely worth trying! Think of increased fat burning and higher energy levels.
Hunters and Gatherers
In modern society, we no longer face seasons of scarcity. We no longer need to hunt for our food, and the supermarket is often within a 10-minute reach. Whereas in primeval times we had to work hard for food, now we just open the refrigerator. Consequences can be that we consume many sugars throughout the day, a lot of processed food, and we are becoming increasingly fatter and unhealthier. More diseases are also emerging, such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and so on.
In primeval times, we as humans had to hunt for our food. We were hunters and gatherers and had to work before we could eat. Over time, our genes have hardly changed, so eating in continuous abundance is not at all good for our biological system.
Increased Fat Burning
When you exercise on an empty stomach, you stimulate your body to tap into your body's fat reserves for energy. After a night's sleep, your body demands energy, and you can activate this by exercising instead of eating. We are talking about exercising after 10 hours without food. Of course, you cannot expect yourself and your body to be able to apply this immediately. Therefore, build this up slowly in terms of intensity and time.
Sample Routine
To start with this, we often advise reducing your meal frequency to 3 meals a day first. Continuous snacking was not done in primeval times and only leads to a higher burden on your immune system. Once you have managed to reduce your meal frequency to 3 meals a day, you will soon notice that you only start to crave food when you are hungry. Only do this when you are truly hungry!
If you get up at 6:00 AM, you can spend an hour exercising. Are you just starting to exercise in the morning? Then start with 20 minutes and build up by 10 minutes each week. Can't you do this in the morning? For example, because you have a family to take care of, children to drop off, or because you have other concerns in the morning? Get up a little earlier, or plan a moment to exercise after taking care of your children/loved ones. We are happy to give you 2 examples that our therapists apply in their daily lives:
Routine 1:
Dinner: 6:00 PM
Sleep: around 9:30/10:00 PM
Morning routine:
5:30 AM wake up: yoga and meditation + drink 2 glasses of water
6:30 AM: children wake up, get dressed together, children eat breakfast and are dropped off
8:00 AM: 30-minute bike ride to the office
8:30 AM: start workday
9:00 AM: breakfast
Routine 2:
Dinner: 7:00 PM
Sleep: 9:30 PM
Morning routine:
5:30 AM: wake up and walk for an hour (or start with 20 minutes and get up later)
6:45 AM: get dressed, pack belongings and drive to the office
8:30 AM: start workday
9:30 AM: breakfast
Benefits of Exercising on an Empty Stomach
As mentioned earlier, there are many health benefits to exercising on an empty stomach. We would like to list them for you:
- Fat Burning: By exercising on an empty stomach, your body uses your fat reserves instead of drawing the necessary energy from the food you just ate. This can help with weight loss and increase your fat burning.
- Improved Insulin Sensitivity: Exercising on an empty stomach can help improve insulin sensitivity. This, in turn, contributes to regulating your blood sugar levels and can therefore support the prevention of type 2 diabetes.
- Increased Energy: It may sound strange, but because your body adapts, your body starts to see fat as fuel instead of the carbohydrates you ate.
- Mental Clarity: For some of us, exercising on an empty stomach leads to more focus. This may be due to the increased production of certain neurotransmitters stimulated by physical exertion on an empty stomach.
- Other positive effects: In addition to the benefits mentioned above, exercising on an empty stomach also has positive effects on depression and acts as an anti-inflammatory.
When is it not recommended?
If you are under 23 years old, we advise against exercising on an empty stomach, as your body is still developing. The same applies to pregnant and breastfeeding women. Also, if you are struggling with eating disorders, burnout symptoms, or a disturbed hormone balance, we advise against it. If you still want to proceed with this? Always do this in consultation with one of our therapists.
In short, do you want to live healthier and with more energy? Perhaps a new routine can help you achieve higher fat burning, more energy, and more focus throughout the day. Like all new habits, it won't be easy at first. Always listen to your body and what it truly needs. After reading this blog, will you start your new routine tomorrow morning? Good luck!
