A fitness company CEO who wakes up at 5 a.m. breaks down his morning routine

Crunch

Ben Midgley, CEO of Crunch Fitness Franchise, has a packed schedule, but he always makes time for a workout.

"First thing in the morning, after you get up early, you get the kids to school, you work out, and then you go to work," he told Business Insider.

If the workout doesn't happen in the morning, it doesn't happen at all, he said. So he wakes up at 5 a.m. every day to fit it all in.

Along with a few cups of coffee, he eats "a quick breakfast, some non-fat yogurt, some fresh fruit, some granola," he said. "You got your protein, your low fat, your carbs, and you're good."

"Eating is so boring for me — I almost eat the same thing everyday," he continued. "I purely look at food as nutritional value."

After that, the 47-year-old gets his three kids ready for school before starting his workout.

Midgley has a 2,500-square-foot gym in his basement, and a 300-pound tire in the front yard that he and his kids lift "for fun." He tries to keep the kids active, he said. "I do all of my routines at or around the house."

Why is the morning workout so important? "It's a natural stress reliever," he said, that boosts endorphins and has benefits for many aspects of your body and health. Midgley also associated working out with increased productivity and cultivating a positive perspective.

"The more you can attribute to a positive frame of mind, whether that's good work-life balance or just exercising and feeling good, it's all invoking your outlook, and it all affects your productivity," he said.

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