Any tips for morning workouts?

MyChocolateDiet

Get a coffee maker with a timer. (no, it's not expensive I can already hear that excuse a mile away).

It makes your coffee for you in the morning automatically while you sleep.

1) You put the grounds and filter in the night before and set it for a certain time and when you wake up the house already smells like coffee so you could even find it with your eyes closed in your "zombie" like state.
2) Then give yourself permission to cuddle back up with that cup of coffee until you finish it.
3) Soon you should feel a sudden urge to hit the bathroom, and good luck sleeping through that!
4) While you're in there-- shower! Try some "energy" Orange Ginger shower gel or scrub or anything with that scent from bath and body works I can't imagine anyone not being chipper after that amazing aroma.
5) Then put your workout clothes on and go workout.

BrainyBurro

Get a coffee maker with a timer. (no, it's not expensive I can already hear that excuse a mile away).

It makes your coffee for you in the morning automatically while you sleep.

1) You put the grounds and filter in the night before and set it for a certain time and when you wake up the house already smells like coffee so you could even find it with your eyes closed in your "zombie" like state.
2) Then give yourself permission to cuddle back up with that cup of coffee until you finish it.
3) Soon you should feel a sudden urge to hit the bathroom, and good luck sleeping through that!
4) While you're in there-- shower! Try some "energy" Orange Ginger shower gel or scrub or anything with that scent from bath and body works I can't imagine anyone not being chipper after that amazing aroma.
5) Then put your workout clothes on and go workout.

i think coffee/caffeine might be the problem. i'd suggest eliminating it. i sleep better and am more awake when awake with no caffeine in me.

paday

I'm with you on having trouble getting up early. I've worked a full-time job (8-5) for over 10 years but I've never gotten used to the 6AM alarm clock. I, too, would love to be that person that gets up at 5AM and goes for a long run. I did manage to get up twice and workout before work but in the end I have absolutely no energy at that time of day and my muscles are cold and lazy. So the 2 times I did workout, I couldn't put forth maximum effort and it felt like a waste. Now that it's nearing July where in my part of the world it gets suffocating-ly hot (as in daily heat advisories), this would be a good time for me to try running in the mornings again. I guess what it really boils down to is just forcing yourself to do it until you get used to it. Plenty of people do it so that means you and I can too!

jofjltncb6

Get a coffee maker with a timer. (no, it's not expensive I can already hear that excuse a mile away).

It makes your coffee for you in the morning automatically while you sleep.

1) You put the grounds and filter in the night before and set it for a certain time and when you wake up the house already smells like coffee so you could even find it with your eyes closed in your "zombie" like state.
2) Then give yourself permission to cuddle back up with that cup of coffee until you finish it.
3) Soon you should feel a sudden urge to hit the bathroom, and good luck sleeping through that!
4) While you're in there-- shower! Try some "energy" Orange Ginger shower gel or scrub or anything with that scent from bath and body works I can't imagine anyone not being chipper after that amazing aroma.
5) Then put your workout clothes on and go workout.

Showering *before* a workout???

That's the craziest thing I've ever heard in the MFP forums.

Ever.*






(* okay, fine...not even top 50...

...but it's still a little crazy.)

mrsmol37

I go to the gym in the mornings (6am) two days per week. The other days, I work out at home or go at 9pm at night. I have two kids who need to get to school and I work 9-5. On those mornings I set the clock for 5:25am and am out the door by 5:45am. I actually sleep in my clean workout clothes. This way I only need to put on my socks/sneakers, brush teeth and put hair in a pony. I HATE it, but I do it because it is my only time. Once I'm in the car, I'm cool! You can do it!

CallMeCupcakeDammit

Set an alarm to play, "Eye of the Tiger".

That would get me out of bed quick to turn it off.

I need to work out in the morning, because there's less chance of me missing it that way. I'm not a morning person at all, but if I have a glass of water and get moving, I start to wake up and feel better. Sometimes if there's time I'll have coffee first. You just have to do it without thinking about it. Also, planning out your workouts ahead of time might help. I have an organizer like a Daytimer, and I plan my workouts a month in advance, sometimes longer if I'm doing a specific program.

MyChocolateDiet

You may want to bring this up with your primary care doctor and get a referral to an ENT or pulmonologist for a sleep study. Do you feel tired a lot of the time? Do you snore? Has a partner ever mentioned that you stop breathing in your sleep or sound weird? (I used to make gurgling noises.) Do you sleepwalk? Waking up still feeling groggy and headachey is a symptom. I understand that some people have different circadian rhythms and can't go to sleep until later/wake up later but that seems like a lot of poor quality sleep.

I don't think I 'sleepwalk' as such but I think I get up in the middle of the night and don't remember it, always finding glasses of water or the tv on or something else that I don't remember doing.

No, no, no. Red herring! OP already claimed to work 10 hour days and 7 days a week. There is a reason for the tireds. Hard work. OP just needs to prioritize, make time for the workouts and then commit. Nothing mysterious here.

MyChocolateDiet

Get a coffee maker with a timer. (no, it's not expensive I can already hear that excuse a mile away).

It makes your coffee for you in the morning automatically while you sleep.

1) You put the grounds and filter in the night before and set it for a certain time and when you wake up the house already smells like coffee so you could even find it with your eyes closed in your "zombie" like state.
2) Then give yourself permission to cuddle back up with that cup of coffee until you finish it.
3) Soon you should feel a sudden urge to hit the bathroom, and good luck sleeping through that!
4) While you're in there-- shower! Try some "energy" Orange Ginger shower gel or scrub or anything with that scent from bath and body works I can't imagine anyone not being chipper after that amazing aroma.
5) Then put your workout clothes on and go workout.

Showering *before* a workout???

That's the craziest thing I've ever heard in the MFP forums.

Ever.*






(* okay, fine...not even top 50...

...but it's still a little crazy.)

I like to shower before I workout ever since I read he stinky vajayjay thread of march or so 2013. It got me paranoid.

ctinawilson

I am not a morning person. AT ALL. My family could not believe I was getting up at 5am to workout. I think they're still in disbelief, almost a year later. I sleep in now till around 5:50 on gym days to make sure I'm there by 6:30.

What works for me is to have everything packed and laid out the night before. I'll put my workout gear in a pile by the bed, pack my gym bag with my work clothes for the day (I shower at the gym then head straight to work), have my water bottle filled and in the fridge. All I have to do when I get up is change, brush my teeth, grab my stuff and go.

The less you have to think about the better.

The first couple weeks are going to suck, but once you get into a routine it won't be hard at all. Especially if you enjoy getting your workouts in!

This ^^^ I totally agree. Get everything ready the night before, lay out your clothes, trainers by the door and fill up my bottle. I literally get up 10 minutes before i leave the house!

I started off doing it once a week - which made it a little easier as I could imagine the slightly longer lie in the next day. Then when I realised how GREAT the feeling is to have done your workout and be finished at the gym by 8am, I couldn't stop. Now I do it three times a week at least, and I wake up naturally before 8 when I don't workout.

You'll be so full of energy that you won't even miss your lie ins...

mojohowitz

The worst part is going to bed at 8:00 pm, asleep at 8:30, when the sun is still high in the evening sky. But it's the only way I can get up at 4:30 am to get a workout in before 7:00. That's still the bare minimum of 8 hours of sleep.

4:30 - 5:00 Coffee and news.
5:00 - 6:00 Running
6:00 - 6:30 Getting ready for work.
6:30 - 7:00 Commute


My only tip: Go to bed an hour before you think you should.

Edit: I forgot to mention I often sleep in my running clothes. All I need to do is pull on my shoes.

gsmithnp

Not to be critical, but much of the industrialized world begins their day well before 8 am and so it wouldn't hurt you to begin retraining your body clock to accomodate this. However, I do realize that certain jobs/industries operate on different schedules than the normal 8-5 "banker's hours." I was a nurse in a hospital for 12 years; I've worked graveyard shift, 3pm-11pm shift, and 7am-7pm shifts, as well as 7am-3:30pm shifts so I understand weird schedules. That being said, here's what I would suggest:

1. As someone already mentioned, get with your doctor and check for any physical problems (anemia, thyroid issues, sleep apnea, etc) that could be causing your morning blahs.

2. Decide what time you would need to get up in the morning to do your workout and get ready for work. From there, calculate what time you would need to go to bed. Most people need anywhere from 6-8 hours per night of sleep for weight loss, effective workouts, and to not have excessive fatigue.

3. Start setting your alarm for 15 minutes earlier in the mornings, and simutaneously start going to bed about 15 minutes earlier than usual (turn off the electronics about an hour prior--the blue light from computers, TVs and cell phones inhibit melatonin production and interfere with sleep). Every couple of days, move your bedtime and awake times back by another 15 minutes until you have gradually adjusted to your ideal times as mentioned in #2. If you do it gradually, maybe you won't have the headachy/nauseated feeling that you have been.

They say it takes 2 weeks to develop a new habit. Stick with it and your body will catch up.

6salinas9

I know its hard but think of what you want to accomplish. i some times have trouble waking up but once u start to feel the burn you don't regret it because u know that your doing it for a reason. i just get up and do a route en i do 80 crunches 50 pushups 60 scissor thing's. in the morning noon and night. and i jog or runn and it feels pretty awesome when u look at your self in the mirror and say "six pack coming soon". so get that motivation, try a partner it really helps make them text you to motivate you and remind you. most importantly don't QUIT

Amandatorie

A lot of people have already mentioned the key things that work for me:
1. Get everything ready the night before. My alarm goes off 10 minutes before I have to leave at most, so I need my clothes, shoes, socks, water bottle, etc., all ready for me to just grab and go.
2. Have someone waiting for you, whether it be a friend, or a class, or a group. If you know other people made it there, and will be wondering where you are, it's extra motivation.
3. Go to bed earlier. Much earlier. Ridiculously early. So early you can still hear kids playing outside. Maybe you need to adjust your meal plan so you're eating a very light dinner when you get home at 7pm, and then you can more easily go to bed at 8:30 or 9pm.

But really, the key to becoming "good at" getting up early is simply to get into the routine. No matter what you do, you'll still probably feel like crap for a while. Maybe a couple days, maybe a couple weeks, maybe even longer. You can't say something doesn't work for you if you've only tried it sporadically, and/or didn't stick with it for quite a while. I'd say that if you can force yourself to get up early, while going to bed early, for at least 4-5 days per week for at least 3 months without any weeks off, then you'll probably start to feel a little better about it.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Get a coffee maker with a timer. (no, it's not expensive I can already hear that excuse a mile away).

It makes your coffee for you in the morning automatically while you sleep.

1) You put the grounds and filter in the night before and set it for a certain time and when you wake up the house already smells like coffee so you could even find it with your eyes closed in your "zombie" like state.
2) Then give yourself permission to cuddle back up with that cup of coffee until you finish it.
3) Soon you should feel a sudden urge to hit the bathroom, and good luck sleeping through that!
4) While you're in there-- shower! Try some "energy" Orange Ginger shower gel or scrub or anything with that scent from bath and body works I can't imagine anyone not being chipper after that amazing aroma.
5) Then put your workout clothes on and go workout.

Showering *before* a workout???

That's the craziest thing I've ever heard in the MFP forums.

Ever.*






(* okay, fine...not even top 50...

...but it's still a little crazy.)

I like to shower before I workout ever since I read he stinky vajayjay thread of march or so 2013. It got me paranoid.

I remember that thread but seriously, if you can smell someone's vajayjay it's not because they haven't had a shower that morning. They've either got a medical issue or a chronic hygiene problem.

krissynicole787

I wake up at 3:50 every morning to be at the gym by 4:30 (I have to be in work by 7). I refuse to work out after work. :yawn:

You just have to get out of bed. It will be hard the first week or two but then your body gets used to it.

Wow, you are a rock star!!

I have been trying for a while to get on the morning workout train...I did hit the gym this morning so that's my first baby step! Here's hoping I can find the same motivation tomorrow.

You can do it!! It is so much better to workout in the am...less people :happy:

CallMeCupcakeDammit

Get a coffee maker with a timer. (no, it's not expensive I can already hear that excuse a mile away).

It makes your coffee for you in the morning automatically while you sleep.

1) You put the grounds and filter in the night before and set it for a certain time and when you wake up the house already smells like coffee so you could even find it with your eyes closed in your "zombie" like state.
2) Then give yourself permission to cuddle back up with that cup of coffee until you finish it.
3) Soon you should feel a sudden urge to hit the bathroom, and good luck sleeping through that!
4) While you're in there-- shower! Try some "energy" Orange Ginger shower gel or scrub or anything with that scent from bath and body works I can't imagine anyone not being chipper after that amazing aroma.
5) Then put your workout clothes on and go workout.

Showering *before* a workout???

That's the craziest thing I've ever heard in the MFP forums.

Ever.*






(* okay, fine...not even top 50...

...but it's still a little crazy.)

I like to shower before I workout ever since I read he stinky vajayjay thread of march or so 2013. It got me paranoid.

I will never forget the time I was at the gym with my mom, and this lady walked by us. My mom said "That lady has a yeast infection." :sick:

mdcoug

A lot of people have already mentioned the key things that work for me:
1. Get everything ready the night before. My alarm goes off 10 minutes before I have to leave at most, so I need my clothes, shoes, socks, water bottle, etc., all ready for me to just grab and go.
2. Have someone waiting for you, whether it be a friend, or a class, or a group. If you know other people made it there, and will be wondering where you are, it's extra motivation.
3. Go to bed earlier. Much earlier. Ridiculously early. So early you can still hear kids playing outside. Maybe you need to adjust your meal plan so you're eating a very light dinner when you get home at 7pm, and then you can more easily go to bed at 8:30 or 9pm.

But really, the key to becoming "good at" getting up early is simply to get into the routine. No matter what you do, you'll still probably feel like crap for a while. Maybe a couple days, maybe a couple weeks, maybe even longer. You can't say something doesn't work for you if you've only tried it sporadically, and/or didn't stick with it for quite a while. I'd say that if you can force yourself to get up early, while going to bed early, for at least 4-5 days per week for at least 3 months without any weeks off, then you'll probably start to feel a little better about it.

I just want to add that now, when I don't workout in the morning, I am not a fun person to be around. I get moody and tired and start to feel sick. That was a side effect I definitely was not expecting!

JustJennie1

Can't get up before 8am? Here's a magic trick: act like an adult, set your alarm clock, and get up and handle your business.

Wow, is there any need for the snark? I'm not a child - please don't speak to me like one.

I go to bed around 10.30pm (I usually don't get home from work until about 7.30). I am aware that it sounds strange but it is the honest truth - it doesn't really matter how much sleep I get, getting up before that time in the morning makes me nauseous and headachy for the rest of the day.

That's not me being snarky. That's me being dead serious. Getting up at 8am or earlier is not a hardship. I'm not going to hold your hand and pretend it is. Anyone in the military, or with a 9-5 job, or with kids in school can tell you the same.

Figure out what's important to you and commit to it.

I know, and of course you are right, but I'm really not trying to be a whinge. I work 10 hour days, 7 days a week, I'm always tired and sick, I hate it, and I just wanted to know if anyone had experienced anything vaguely similar and pushed past it because I really want some of my evenings back. Lots of good ideas here, maybe it is a case of JUST DO IT.

So? My husband works the same amount as you do -- sometimes fifteen hours a few times a week -- and he can get his butt up at 4:45 in the morning to go to the gym.

And like someone else posted: What would you do if your hours changed at work and suddenly you had to be up and in the office for 8 a.m.? Tell your boss you can't because you'll get sick?

JusticeGirl25

Try not to hit the snooze button. Once you hear the alarm, get up. Don't take too long to get ready to workout. You could wear your workout clothes when you go to bed if you want to.