Savannah Guthrie Reveals Why She's Setting Her Morning Alarm 'Even Earlier': 'You're Going to Be Shocked!' (Exclusive)

The 'Today' show host told PEOPLE about her new early morning commitment and why it's a vital part of her daily routine

Savannah Guthrie is used to waking up at the crack of dawn to host the Today show, but now she’s pushing herself to get up even earlier.

At the Project Healthy Minds World Mental Health Day Gala on Thursday, Oct. 10, Guthrie discussed the importance of starting the day right.

“How you start your day really matters,” she told PEOPLE. “I mean, I read somewhere it was like, make your first choice of the day a really good choice. So I try to drink a glass of water. Start with the prayer. I actually, you're going to be shocked by this. Are you ready? I've started setting my alarm even earlier to do just a little bit of exercise.”

The morning show host, 52, explained her morning fitness routine was less about keeping up appearances and more about nurturing a positive state of mind.

Related: Savannah Guthrie Had ‘Given Up Hope’ of Becoming a Mom Before Having Kids in Her 40s (Exclusive)

“The idea is whereas all my life I was looking to exercise with a mission, to want to look a certain way, it's not about that,” she continued. “It's just move a little every day. Sweat [a] little every day. It's really good for your mental health.”

Guthrie hasn’t been shy about her affinity for cardiovascular activities, telling PEOPLE in June 2021 about her love for step aerobics, to the point that in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s she actually worked as an aerobics instructor.

"The big trend in aerobics was step aerobics," said Guthrie of the time period. "And I still love step aerobics. I do step aerobics routines all the time. It's a great workout. And it's really fun."

At the Tokyo Olympics in July and August 2021,  she posted a video on Instagram showing her energetically performing step aerobics and praising fitness instructor Christina Dorner.

Related: Savannah Guthrie on Her 'Deep and Complicated' Dad She Lost at 16: 'I Think About Him All the Time' (Exclusive)

“As far as I'm concerned step aerobics never went out of style," Guthrie wrote in the caption. "Hotel room workout in Tokyo since we can't go outside or use the gym…. Big thank you @cdornerfitness for making me laugh AND sweat! #whathappened."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

During her interview with PEOPLE in June 2021, Guthrie also admitted she’s not much of a dancer, but step aerobics comes close to dancing in a way.

"I kind of like it cause I can't really dance, but this is dance-y,” she added. “So I feel it's a good workout for my brain as well. She's [Christina] really good. She does these routines with all this fancy footwork and it's fun. And the next thing you know, you worked out for 45 minutes."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.