A few weeks ago I discovered the Huberman Lab Podcast. To be honest, my dad has been recommending the podcast to me for ages.
When you combine light, exercise, and cold water exposure early in the morning, you are creating summer in your body.
Prof. Andrew Huberman
Until now, the two to three hour episodes have put me off. But now I finally gave it a try. Besides, you can consume the episodes in bites, depending on your taste.
And what can I say: This guy’s got it! He is certainly an absolute expert in his field, but he manages – and this is the art – to make the sometimes very complex topics understandable even for the “normal person”.
It’s a mystery to me where he finds the time to create these podcast episodes on top of his professorship and his private life. Hats off!
Huberman’s Morning Routine
Today I’d like to share Huberman’s recommendations for a short & healthy morning routine.
In a nutshell:
- ☀️ go outside for 5-15 minutes (depending on cloud cover) right after waking up and soak up some sunlight
- 🏃♂️ get your body sweating
- 🚿 take a cold shower
- ☕️ consume caffeine at least 90-120 minutes after getting up
In the following, I would like to briefly explain each point.
☀️ Sunlight
Sunlight in the early morning creates a cortisol peak in the body, which provides alertness but is also an important part of the sleep-wake cycle. About 16 hours after the cortisol peak, the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin is released into the bloodstream to help you fall asleep.
When it comes to sunlight, it’s important to actually be outside. The sun through a window or car windshield does not count because the light intensity is not sufficient to produce the cortisol peak. The cloudier it is, the longer you need to stay in the sun. If the sky is clear and the sun is shining, 5 minutes is enough, says Huberman. At least 15 to 30 minutes if it’s very cloudy or gray.
If you get up before sunrise, such as in the winter or if you work shifts, artificial lighting can help, but make sure you catch up on your sun exposure as soon as the sun rises.
🏃♂️ Exercise
Working up a sweat early in the morning will raise your body temperature. A higher body temperature makes you more awake and alert.
You have probably also heard that the body cools down during sleep by about 1-3 °C and that it is advisable to sleep with the window open or otherwise ensure a cool sleeping environment. Exercise follows the same logic, only in the opposite direction.
A pro tip: The exercise and sun points can be combined if you want to save time. Andrew Huberman, for example, combines sun and exercise by jumping rope on his balcony in the morning.
🚿 Cold Shower
Like exercise, a cold shower in the morning is designed to bring the body up to temperature: By cooling down from the outside, the body turns on the heat. Once you’re dry, you can really feel the energy.
Another plus: After a cold shower, dopamine is released for about 2 hours, which can lead to a noticeable boost in motivation.
Andrew Huberman recommends paying attention to your breathing during the cold experience. It’s important to breathe rhythmically, inhale followed by exhale followed by inhale… Don’t hold your breath or gasp in panick (my first reaction).
And in the evening, take a warm shower, not a cold one, to cool the body down.
☕️ Caffeine consumption
Andrew Huberman recommends delaying caffeine consumption until 90-120 minutes after getting up.
This is how long it takes for adenosine residues to disappear from the blood. Adenosine promotes sleep. If you drink coffee during this time, the caffeine occupies the same receptors and you feel more alert. But the adenosine remains in the blood. As soon as the caffeine wears off, the “afternoon crash” hits harder.
So drink your coffee a little later. But not too late, or the caffeine will interfere with sleep. Huberman recommends avoiding coffee after 4 p.m., or even better, after 2 p.m.
My Experience
The beauty of behavioral self-help is that it’s free and non-consumption-based – you don’t have to buy anything.
And the customizability: Depending on time, physical limitations & mood, everyone can make it their own routine.
True to the motto “the proof of the pudding is in the eating”, I’ve been testing the routine for a few days myself now. Even after such a short time, I feel much fresher and more energetic than usual. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think. I am curious!