Achieving your health goals, whether it's losing or gaining weight, becoming stronger, faster, or simply healthier, starts with having a routine that fits your lifestyle—and most importantly, fits you.
One Size Doesn't Fit All
We are all different, so it’s only logical that our routines should be different too. It all depends on your goals, whether you're a morning or evening person, how much time you're willing to dedicate, and of course, your priorities in life. When you manage to combine all of these factors with a healthy routine you can follow, the results will come.
In the following series, we will help you create your own healthy routine. We'll go step by step, explaining why certain tasks are recommended and how some habits can affect your results positively or negatively. The end goal is a healthy routine that you can follow without making significant sacrifices and within your available time.
Are You a Morning or an Evening Person?
Understanding whether you're a morning or an evening person can be the difference between success and giving up on your routine entirely. Here’s a simple way to determine which one you are:
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Morning Person: More productive and clear-headed in the morning? You probably wake up easily and feel ready to start the day.
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Evening Person: Struggle to wake up early and feel more energetic and focused later in the day? Then, you’re likely an evening person.
How to Tailor Your Routine
Once you identify your natural rhythm, you can set your priorities to align with it:
For Morning People:
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Wake up early and start hydrating immediately.
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Engage in physical exercises early in the morning.
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Hydrate with something you enjoy, like Yerba Mate, which has a moderate amount of caffeine and plenty of antioxidants.
For Evening People:
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Wake up one hour before you need to get ready.
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Spend that hour hydrating, reading, meditating, or simply breathing deeply.
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Avoid hitting the snooze button—make waking up a challenge you can conquer.
Personal Experience
I’m a morning person. I usually wake up without an alarm around 6 am. If I open my eyes and see that it’s after 5 am, I get out of bed. I go to bed early, by 10 pm, to ensure I'm well-rested. I start my day by hydrating with Yerba Mate, which gives me a moderate caffeine boost and loads of antioxidants. Typically, I then read, meditate, or check my email.
If you can’t handle caffeine, that’s okay. Simply hydrate with water until your urine runs clear. Once hydrated, it’s time to exercise. We’ll discuss specific exercises in Part 2 of this series.
If coffee is a must for you, make sure to drink a glass of water before and after your first coffee. For morning people, start your physical exercise as soon as you're done hydrating. Evening people should jump in the shower to start their day and plan to exercise in the afternoon when they’re at their best.
Timing Your Routine
The way you schedule your routine depends on when you start work. For example:
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Morning Person: Hydrate between 5-6 am, exercise from 7-8 am, have breakfast, shower, and head to work by 9 am.
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Evening Person: Hydrate around 7 am while meditating, breathing, or reading, then have breakfast, shower, and head to work on time.