Get Out! (The Best Thing You Can Do for Your Strength This Season)

It's finally here! The season when Alexandria comes alive. When the waterfront fills up, neighbors are outside, and the days stretch long into the evening.

And while this change in weather is a natural motivator to get us moving, I want to talk about something most people completely overlook in their wellness routine. It’s something that costs nothing, requires no equipment, and delivers benefits that some might find surprising.

Morning sunlight.

This isn't just about getting a tan or boosting your mood (though it does that, too). This connects directly to how well you sleep, how strong you feel in your workouts, and how your entire body functions, from the inside out.

Your Sunlight Alarm

Every one of us has an internal clock called a circadian rhythm. It governs when we feel awake, when we feel sleepy, when we're hungry, when our hormones release, and so much more. And the single most powerful signal that calibrates that clock? Morning sunlight.

When natural light hits your eyes within the first hour or so of waking, it triggers a cascade of activity in your brain and body. Your cortisol (a stress hormone, yes, but in the right amount, at the right time, is one of the hormones that help get us through our days) gets its morning spike, which sharpens your focus and energy for the day. 

A little nerdy explanation about what is really going on…The morning light is sensed by your retina. Then the light travels to your suprachiasmatic nucleus in your brain’s hypothalamus, which is your body’s central circadian clock. From here our pineal gland shuts off production of melatonin, a hormone that is higher at night when we sleep and lower during the day when we aren’t. Thus promoting wakefulness. 

Your serotonin (calming hormone) rises, supporting mood, and motivation. And most importantly, your brain even starts the countdown to your melatonin release that night, so believe it or not, your morning ritual will actually set you up for deep, restorative sleep roughly 12 to 16 hours later.

Rolling into Strength Benefits

Here's where it gets really interesting for those of you who are strength training or trying to build a consistent fitness routine!

Sleep is where your body physically gets stronger. It's during deep sleep that your body repairs and builds new muscle and releases growth hormone. Shortchange your sleep, and you're shortchanging every single workout.

When I say morning sunlight supports your strength training, I mean it, literally. Getting outside in the morning helps regulate the sleep cycle, which in turn will make your hard work in the gym actually pay off.

I've been saying for years that sleep is my number one wellness strategy, my favorite "vitamin." Morning sunlight is one of the most powerful, most underused tools for protecting it.

Dopamine & Motivation, aka Why You Actually Want to Work Out

Here's another piece of this that I find endlessly fascinating.

Morning light exposure also stimulates dopamine production: the neurotransmitter associated with motivation, drive, and reward. This is one reason why people who get outside in the morning tend to feel more energized, more focused, and maybe even more motivated to exercise later in the day.

If you've ever struggled with consistency in your workouts, your dopamine levels and circadian rhythm may be part of the story. It might not be a willpower problem, it might just be a biology problem with a very simple solution. So, try getting a bit of extra outside time in the morning, and see what that will do for your routines.

A Note for Women in Perimenopause and Menopause

For those of you navigating the hormonal shifts of midlife, morning sunlight deserves extra attention.

Declining estrogen affects sleep architecture, mood regulation, and energy levels — the same systems that morning light helps support. The overlap is significant. Many of the symptoms my clients describe — fatigue, irritability, disrupted sleep, low motivation — are exacerbated by insufficient light exposure, especially in the morning.

Getting outside first thing isn't a cure-all, but it is a genuinely powerful, free, and completely accessible tool. And in my world, those are the habits worth building.

How to Actually Do This (It's Simpler Than You Think)

So, that was a lot of information about how morning sunlight can affect your strength, mood, sleep, and so much more. It might seem overwhelming, but the solution is quite simple. In fact, you don't even need a long walk, extra equipment, or even the perfect sunrise. 

My suggestion is to build the very basic habit of getting outside within 30 to 60 minutes of waking. 

Even on overcast days, outdoor light is significantly more powerful than indoor light for setting your circadian rhythm. Aim for 10 to 15 minutes minimum. More is better, and if you can pair it with a short walk, even better, because then you're stacking two habits, movement and light, that compound each other's benefits.

The Big Picture

It’s all connected. Sleep, movement, light, stress, and food all talk to each other. When one is off, the others feel it. When one is dialed in, the others get easier.

Morning sunlight is such a high-leverage habit that can be forgotten. Yet it's free, it takes minutes, and it starts a chain reaction that supports everything from your mood to your muscle gains.

So going into this summer, while you're enjoying all that Alexandria has to offer (the trails, the waterfront, the beautiful long evenings) I want you to add this one small thing to your routine. Step outside in the morning (bring your coffee if you want!) and let the light do its work.

SEE ALSO: Dumbbells, Kettlebells, or Barbells: What’s Best for Your Body?