Extreme morning rituals are becoming popular among fitness enthusiasts all over the world. Specific activities are proven to boost your health, even if they seem a bit too extreme at first. From improved focus and productivity, to increased awareness, here are some benefits.
Better Morning Awareness
Integrating methods such as contrast therapy, cold exposure and biohacking into morning routines can help set you up for the rest of the day. While hard at first, gradual exposure to extreme temperatures has been shown to provide multiple benefits, including better awareness and a happiness boost from serotonin. Products like the Nurecover ice bath can become a welcome part of your morning routine and are being used by fitness experts worldwide.
Improved Focus and Productivity
Extreme temperature exposure, such as taking an ice bath, will definitely kickstart your senses and wake you up. However, it isn’t all about putting yourself through risky activities. Early morning might not seem like the best time to read, but it can kickstart the brain into gear as you go through each paragraph. It can also help your mind become clearer so you can begin planning the day ahead and prioritising the tasks you need to get done at home and at work.
Extreme Morning Rituals Help Wellbeing
Many successful CEOs often belong to the 5am club, people who get up at 5am every morning. However, only around 8% of people actually do this. Getting up earlier, though, means you can get the day off to a great start after eating porridge and oats with various extreme methods.You don’t have to engage in all of them, but just one of the following can have huge advantages:
- Sunrise yoga offers the benefits of serenity and light exposure for increased energy.
- Cold showers shock the body and give you an intense burst of serotonin.
- A large glass of lemon water will rehydrate you quickly and provide a zingy kickstart.
Better Self Awareness
Further to something like reading, writing can also engage your logical and creative sides of the brain for synergy that has stunning results. Journaling allows you to reflect on the previous day or your thoughts for the day to come. It can also help you understand where the day’s challenges will be coming from, helping prepare your brain for the tasks ahead. Awareness like this relieves tension and anxiety as the element of uncertainty disappears from your thoughts.
Immunity Against Diseases
One of the most cited benefits of extreme rituals such as cold exposure is immunity to diseases through antibody increases. Scientific reports have concluded that cold water exposure does indeed increase immunity. Studies have shown that cold water exposure enhances humoral and cell-mediated immunity by increasing antibodies such as interleukin-2 and interleukin-4. Salt and lemon water will also help fight against bacteria, at least inside your mouth!
Summary
Increased morning awareness is one of the benefits of extreme morning rituals such as cold water exposure. Certain rituals such as sunrise yoga are also beneficial for wellbeing. However, there is also evidence that ice baths can also increase your immunity to some diseases.