The thing about the Australian summer is that we bemoan its existence while living through it, but as soon as winter comes and demands anything more than a flannel to don over a singlet, we mourn its absence. Perhaps we’re just fickle creatures who don’t know what we’ve got ’til it’s gone (to quote a song or ten), but there’s only so much of that unrelenting heat, oppressive humidity and thunderous roar of cicadas one can take before you start wishing for cooler temperatures. But as those cool, frosty mornings begin to settle in, we also have to contend with a changing daylight schedule.
On Sunday April 4, our clocks will go backward. The hour of extra sleep is refreshing, we’re not going to lie. But suddenly we’re having to contend with dark mornings and, if you’re working a 9 to 5pm job with a considerable commute, you’re likely not going to see sun when you exit the building to return home. It might just be a factor of life, but if you’ve found yourself settling into a consistent rhythm of exercise it can be harrowing, threatening to derail everything you’ve been working so hard to achieve. If that’s a real possibility, here are some tips to ensure you don’t let daylight savings throw your workout schedule out of whack.
Recovery is fundamental to any training program and if you’re wanting to train consistently, you’re going to need to ensure you devote enough time to your recovery. As far as Daylight Savings Time (DST) goes, ensure you’re getting adequate rest. The clock might afford an extra hour of snooze, but if you’re not prepared for the change, it can be jarring and mess around your sleep schedule. Most importantly, don’t stay up later than usual just because you get an extra hour, instead go to bed at your usual time and fight the urge to stay up late.
Mornings will continue to darken long after the clock change, so if you really want to feel well-rested, consider a dawn simulator to wake you up and put you to bed. The light emitted will mimic sunrise, gradually waking you up and easing you into the day. It’s a particularly useful tool, even for those battling jet-lag or shift workers.
Again, you really want to focus on sleep as it’s the backbone of all recovery. Use this time to focus on creating great sleep hygiene. Keep the bedroom to the three Ss – sleep, sex and sickness – and don’t look at screens before bed. Basically, you want to create an ultra-comfortable environment for sleeping in your bedroom.
Initially, you might find yourself feeling sleepier earlier in the evening than usual. Listen to your body and allow that slumber to kick in naturally by avoiding caffeinated beverages after lunchtime. This will help you adjust quicker. Similarly, bring more snacks to work. Your stomach doesn’t listen to the clock and might be more affected by the hour’s change than you think.
Especially for runners, it can be quite liberating to have brighter mornings when daylight savings ends (even though it gets darker in the evenings). If you can, try to head out when the sun comes up for some early-mornings rays. When light hits the optic nerve, it tells your brain to stop producing melatonin, helping you feel more awake.
When it comes to training, listen to your body. To avoid injury, focus on feel and perceived effort during your workouts, as opposed to simply going out there and killing yourself to put in the work. The first few days or weeks of the new adjustment could see you feeling a little groggy, and these workouts may feel harder, particularly if you’re sleep schedule has been affected.
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