What does a plant based morning routine look like?

In this one you move first with about 45 minutes of steady aerobic work, sit for 15 minutes while the body is warm, make a green smoothie of greens, fruit, seeds and nut milk (or oats, fruit and seeds instead), then eat a whole-food breakfast sitting down without your phone. The plant based meal is offered as an invitation, so you can keep it as strict or as loose as suits you.

How long does it take, and do I need to be an athlete?

About 116 minutes in full, most of it the cardio block. Keep your heart rate up but not pinned, at your own level, and shorten the session if you are building back, since consistency matters more than volume here.

Who inspired this Burst?

Rich Roll, the plant-based ultra-endurance athlete, author of Finding Ultra and host of The Rich Roll Podcast. The sequence is Bearmore's own, built from what he has shared publicly, and is not a record of his actual routine.

Cardio and Plant-Based Morning

Quality: Very good· 92.7%Effort: Manageable· 02h 2m

·Inspired by Rich Roll

For when too many mornings start on a caffeine spike.

Begin the day with a long endurance base rather than a short caffeine spike. This Burst for any morning consists of a run, a meditation, plant-based cooking, and a mindful breakfast.

The runsheet

1
Run, swim or ride
Cardio training
A daily anchor: forty-five minutes of sustained aerobic work, run, swim, or cycle. Heart rate up but not pinned. For Roll (who this Burst was inspired by), the principle is consistency more than volume.
45 min activitySetup 8 min · Reset 11 min · 64 min all-in
Bearmore’s thoughts on doing cardio training before open awareness
This works well because post-cardio clarity lets you rest in spacious attention without fidgeting or nodding off.
2
Meditate
Open awareness
Fifteen minutes of meditation after the cardio. Use this as integration time rather than wake-up. Sit comfortably, eyes closed, no agenda. The body is warm and the mind is naturally clearer post-effort.
15 min activitySetup 1 min · Reset 1 min · 17 min all-in
Bearmore’s thoughts on doing open awareness before cooking (mindful)
This can be a good pairing because any spacious awareness can help you cook with relaxed attention, noticing without forcing concentration.
3
The Daily Green smoothie
Cooking (mindful)
A green smoothie (greens, fruit, hemp seeds, nut milk, sometimes chia). Make it slowly, blend, and pour. Substitute oats, fruit, and seeds if smoothies aren't your thing.
10 min activitySetup 5 min · Reset 5 min · 20 min all-in
Bearmore’s thoughts on doing cooking (mindful) before eating (mindful)
This is an excellent pairing because eating what you've just cooked mindfully completes the full cycle from preparation to nourishment with intention.
4
Plant-based breakfast
Eating (mindful)
Sit down to eat. Fifteen minutes, no phone. Keep it consistent rather than restrictive, with plant-based whole food you can repeat.
15 min activitySetup 3 min · Reset 3 min · 21 min all-in
Time well spent.
2h 2m spent doing something good for yourself.

The breakdown

Burst evaluation

QualityVery good· 92.7%

Sequencing100%

Logistics85.3%

DifficultyManageable· 0

Total activity122m / 149mManageable

Physical activity45m / 59mManageable

Mental focus40m / 119mManageable

Introspection25m / 29mGentle

Creativity10m / 59mGentle

+ 4 more conditionsHow we assess →

Wellbeing focus

The relative wellbeing focus of this Burst.

HighEmotional

MedPhysical

MedSelf

MedSocial

HighIntellectual

About this Burst

We've taken four practices (endurance cardio, meditation, plant-based meal preparation, slow eating) and arranged them in a morning Burst. It sits in the unhurried-but-disciplined corner.

A few hours Ageing well Athletes & active Authors & thinkers Burn some energy Morning Off the podcasts A new morning routine Bearmore picks

Common questions

Cardio and Plant-Based Morning2h 2m · free in the app2h 2m · free in the app