‘You’ll be shocked!’ (Exclusive)

The ‘Today’ show host tells PEOPLE about her new morning appointment and why it’s a vital part of her daily routine

Savannah Guthrie is used to waking up at dawn to receive the Today show, but now she’s making an effort to wake up even earlier.

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

“How you start your day is really important,” she told People. “I mean, I read somewhere that it was like, make your first pick of the day a really good pick. Then I try to drink a glass of water. Start with prayer. In fact, you will be shocked by this. Are you ready? I started setting my alarm even earlier to get some exercise.”

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

Related: Savannah Guthrie ‘Given Up Hope’ Of Becoming A Mom Before Having Kids In Her 40s (Exclusive)

“The idea is that, although my whole life I’ve tried to have a mission, to want to look a certain way, it’s not about that,” she continued. “It’s just a matter of moving a little bit every day. Sweat a little every day. It’s really good for your mental health.”

Guthrie isn’t shy about her affinity for cardiovascular activities, telling PEOPLE in June 2021 about her love for 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,” Guthrie said of the time. “And I still love step aerobics. I do step aerobics routines all the time. It’s a great workout. And it’s a lot of fun.”

At the Tokyo Olympics in July and August 2021, she posted an Instagram video showing her energetic aerobics performance and praising fitness instructor Christina Dorner.

Related: Savannah Guthrie On Her ‘Deep, Complicated’ Father She Lost At 16: ‘I Think About Him All The Time’ (Exclusive)

“As far as I’m concerned, aerobics has never gone out of style,” Guthrie wrote in the caption. “I train in a hotel room in Tokyo, since we can’t leave the house or use the gym…. Thank you so much @cdornerfitness for making me laugh AND sweat! #what happened.”

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During her interview with PEOPLE in June 2021, Guthrie also admitted that she doesn’t dance much, but step aerobics comes close to dancing, in some ways.

“I kind of like it because I can’t really dance, but this is dancing,” she added. “So I feel like it’s a good workout for my brain as well. with all this fancy footwork and it’s fun. And the next thing you know, you’ve trained for 45 minutes.

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Read the original article in People.