How to workout in the morning. Although I would have to categorize myself as a morning person (yes I’m one of those annoying people who is super ridiculously perky first thing in the am, so much so that sometimes I annoy myself) there are definitely days when getting out of bed it the hardest thing I can think of doing.
We already talked about some of the benefits of working out first thing in the morning and I gave you a workout you can easily do: Your At Home Quickstart Workout, but how do you actually motivate yourself to wake up first thing and jump out of bed?
HOW TO WORKOUT IN THE MORNING
HOW TO ACTUALLY DO IT
When I was still working as a Pilates instructor/personal trainer, I had some really brutal wake up times. At one point I was training an actress who had crazy hours and on more than one occasion I found myself standing in a high end hotel, outside her door, waking her up at 3 o’clock in the morning. Then because she was half asleep, I had to be the energetic one.
Never hit snooze. The snooze button is your enemy, but if you have to hit it once or twice then outsmart yourself by setting 2 or 3 wake up times so that you can gradually wake up instead of all at once. If I know that I’m going to have a hard time getting up, I might even set my alarm with the most annoying music or sound that I can find.
Prepare in advance. No matter how organized you might be it’s 10x harder to get anything done first thing in the morning, so give yourself a break and prepare everything the night before. That includes laying out all your clothes and putting together your playlist. On that note, you can find a great playlist here: Top 10 Songs For The Gym
Schedule your time. It has to become a habit, otherwise you’ll never go. Habits take time, so give yourself a bit of a break if you miss a day or two, but do your best to take it one day at a time. Right now, for example, I am trying to run 3-4 times a week. I know that I want to leave my house at 7:00am, so I plan ahead and wake up earlier to get myself together. I’ve managed to create a strict morning routine that I can accomplish even when I’m only half awake.
Start with a glass of mint water. The night before, place a glass of lemon or mint flavoured water on your nightstand and have a glass as soon as you wake up. Not only is it healthy for you, but a burst of citrus or mint will help wake your system.
Reward yourself. For many of us, a part of the benefit of working out is that you get to eat more of the foods you love. Use that as a bribe for yourself and plan a really great breakfast that you can luxuriate in after a workout. It will be something to look forward to when you wake up. Years and years ago, I was training for a major week-long hike and after each 20km walk, I would treat myself. Not only was it a great motivator, but I wound up losing weight in the process.
Visualize your workout. Athletes and artists have been using visualization techniques for years. Just as you are waking up, picture yourself being active (running, lifting weights, in a class), when you see yourself doing something, you’ll be more likely to actually do it. It’s an interesting mind trick that really works.
Don’t dread the day. All too often, we dread waking up and going to work. Just thinking about it makes us want to snuggle deeper under the covers and press the snooze button again. When waking up early, don’t think about all the other stuff that you have to do that day. The gym or a workout class is fun. It’s an enjoyable experience and you’ll feel so much better, so you’ll be better equipped to deal with whatever the day throws at you.
Don’t give yourself a choice. Decide that you are going to workout the next morning and don’t give yourself a choice. It’s a done deal you are getting up and that’s it, no excuses.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, at the end of the day, if you have a schedule that works for you then by all means stick to it, but if you are looking for a change then being a morning person isn’t so bad. You’ll get your workout out of the way first thing leaving you to enjoy the rest of your day with bragging rights. It’s actually all doable, the first few weeks might be tough, but after you get used to your new schedule, you’ll find yourself leaping out of bed in no time.
Are you a morning person?
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