A healthy morning routine is key. 5 habits chof360 readers swear by first thing. - chof 360 news

Did you start the day with herbal tea and a stretch? Or was it more like a few smashes of the snooze button and a panicked dash to work after a breakfast of cold pizza? While we’re all for “You do you,” health experts say that how you start the day can lay the groundwork for practicing healthy habits. (For the record, they recommend morning movement, clean skin, thorough dental care and lemon water.)

As it happens, a lot of our readers agree. Many of them shared their own tried-and-true morning routines, and we couldn’t help but notice a few common themes — not to mention a preference for simple habits over fancy wellness trends. “Exercise, diet, water and a positive and happy outlook will keep you healthy,” says Gordon, one commenter. “I am 74 and can sprint much faster than most 35-year-olds.”

Here’s what’s helping the chof360 Life community rise and shine. (Note: Responses have been edited for clarity and length, and commenters are identified by their chof360 usernames only.)

Exercise

“I'm up by 5 a.m. every morning,” writes Jack. “After a cup of coffee, I head to the gym for a one-hour, maybe longer, exercise routine. Four to five days a week of upper body strength training, lower body and cardio. It's a wonderful group of people you see every morning, and the gym is a laboratory for fitness, movement and staying functional. I've been an exercise addict all of my life but never really had the time to focus on it until now. I'm 65, fully retired and I am enjoying the wonderful health I have now.” His advice: “If you are not exercising, start by taking a 1-mile walk every morning, for starters. Try to complete this in 20 minutes or less. Build up from there.”

It works for Stacy. “I’m 84 and still walk almost four miles every morning, weather permitting.”

Stretching is also popular. One commenter, IMO, recommended “daily flexibility exercises,” while another, Lessthanaverage, wrote, “If you don't incorporate a full-body stretch into your daily routine, start doing so.”

A glass of water

Many wellness experts recommend starting the day with lemon water, and it’s what commenter Cheryl reaches for when she wakes up. “A former co-worker who has really bad stomach and GI issues swears by warm lemon water to help alleviate his problems,” she adds. “I agree; it was great during my pregnancy eight years ago.”

While not everyone is a lemon water devotee, many commenters say their morning routine involves hydrating with a good ol’ glass of H2O. “I drink a glass of very hot water first thing,” says SMRS. AE also has a glass of water first thing, followed by an organic smoothie — featuring coconut milk, unsweetened chocolate almond milk, a scoop of cacao, cinnamon and moringa powder, raw ginger, various fruits, seeds and nuts — three or four times a week.

Cold water

For most of us, a hot shower in the morning is heaven. But some commenters say it’s worth turning the tap to cold. “Cold showers saved me from chronic back pain, and I'll never stop taking them,” writes Pedro AJ, who says he has a skeletal disorder and a bulging disc. “But they haven't bothered me in years since I started taking ice showers.”

AE also enjoys an icy blast after lathering up in the shower. “I rinse my head and body in cold water for 10 to 20 seconds, then finish washing the rest of my body.”

Meditation, prayer, gratitude practice

“Doing prayer and meditation are a healthy way to start one's day,” according to Sha. “Gratitude is the best way for a good attitude.” Daphne also starts the day with a gratitude practice along with devotional reading, as she works her way through the Bible in a year. “I finish with prayer. Then I do Wordle and Connections,” she writes.

Denise also has a gratitude practice. “I wake up happy and give gratitude … that I am awake, alive, able to hear, smell, feel and often in these waking moments I stretch in my bed, smell the aromas that surround me, give thanks some more and let my heart be happy.“

Spending time outside

And sometimes just taking in nature can help start the day on a positive note. Jason swears by spending “five to 15 minutes out in the morning sunrise.“