This book was my second read of 2024. When I got it I had just finished Atomic Habits and still mooning over how amazing it was. I wasn’t expecting to be blown away again.

The 5 am Club is a self-help book written by Robin Sharma. It tells an amusing, relatable, educative, and inspiring story of two struggling strangers ( the artist and entrepreneur) who meet a strange billionaire (Mr. Riley) at a conference.  

Mr Riley invites them to his beach house, where they would spend a few mornings learning from him the benefits of waking up and exercising at the crack of dawn (5 am.). 

Hence the title, The 5 A.m. Club, Own Your Morning Elevate Your Life.

In the 13th chapter of the book, the billionaire goes deeper and teaches a powerful morning routine that he calls the 20-20-20 formula. The routine has three pockets, 20 minutes each, that must be practiced during the first hour of waking up. 

The three pockets are Move, Reflect, and Grow. We’ll focus on the first pocket, which is moving.

The billionaire says that for the 20-20-20 formula to work, you must indulge in intense exercise right after getting out of bed. 

Here are 6 reasons why:

1. Your brain generates an alchemy that fully wakes you up, electrifies your focus, and amplifies your self-discipline.

2. Cortisol is the hormone of fear; its levels are highest in the morning. So, starting your day with an intense run significantly lowers your cortisol levels and helps you be more confident in yourself, and your abilities.

Related: 7 Amazing Ways My Confidence Has Increased Since I Began Running in 2019

3. Sweat from an intense morning workout activates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supercharges your brain for an active day. According to the book, BDNF repairs cells damaged by stress and promotes neurogenesis, which is the growth of new brain cells.

The National Institutes of Health adds that BDNF is helpful in the prevention and management of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s disease, Multiple sclerosis, and lifestyle diseases like Diabetes.

4. Exercising as soon as you wake up helps your brain release wonderful neurotransmitters/chemicals, dopamine, and serotonin. Dopamine increases your drive, while serotonin regulates happiness. 

5. When practiced over time, running in the morning transforms your psychology. This is how;

• If you previously hated waking up early, you will love being a morning person.
• You will feel the confidence every leader without a title needs. (Robin’s words. Love it!)
• You’ll have the focus to stay longer on tasks.
• You’ll feel calmer and start responding to challenging situations more gracefully.

6. An early morning run boosts your metabolism, which fuels your body’s fat-burning engine. As a result, you burn excess fat more efficiently and lean out more quickly.

Conclusion

“Your life will feel and work a hundred times better when you’re in the finest physical condition you’ve ever been in. The sweaty running routine as your first move after rising is a life changer.” Says the billionaire.

Now I’d like to hear from you. 

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Do you have any more tips on the advantages of exercising daily in the morning? 

Kindly comment below to encourage other runners.

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