Many successful people have a routine that helps them start their day right, whether it's puttering around and reading the newspaper like Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, or taking some time for meditation like Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.
Star of ABC's "Shark Tank" and business mogul Kevin O'Leary is no exception. But for O'Leary, there's nothing leisurely about it — he hits the ground running, or rather biking.
"My morning routine is simple. I get up at 5 o'clock in the morning and I ride the bike — an elliptical bike — watching international business news from 5 to 6," O'Leary tells CNBC Make It.
"I try and burn 500 calories," he adds. "I also read some reports during that period."
O'Leary immerses himself in financial news at such an early hour for the European markets, where it's the middle of the day. "I need to know what's going on over there because it sets the trend, very often, for the North American markets," O'Leary explains.
"Then I do some stretches for another 20 minutes," he says.
At about 6:30 a.m., O'Leary heads back upstairs to get ready, puts on his signature suit and heads to work.
For O'Leary, it's enjoyable and sets the tone for his day. "I do that every day because that's a routine that I like," he says.
As for his diet, O'Leary strives to be healthy. He says that he aims to walk 10,000 steps per day, and tries to keep his meals light, limiting himself to around 1,700 calories per day.
"I know all this sounds crazy, but you're going to find routines really help, because if you overeat, you feel sluggish, and nobody wants to gain weight," O'Leary says. "So you have to know your body, you have to understand how you work."
O'Leary says he limits the amount of salt and butter he eats, but he does admit to indulging in one vice: wine.
"I don't smoke, I don't take drugs, but I drink wine..." O'Leary admits. "I'm in the wine business," — he owns Kevin O'Leary Fine Wines, an online wine shop — "and I spend a lot of time with other winemakers. Wine is 120 calories a glass, I have to remember that, so I always start with a crisp Chardonnay or Montrachet at the beginning of the evening, around 6 o'clock. Then I move into the reds.
"I try and drink no more than three glasses a night, because that's a lot of calories," O'Leary says. "I'm not always successful."
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Disclosure: CNBC owns the exclusive off-network cable rights to "Shark Tank."
