Early morning yoga motivation help?

remmus102

So I’ve been practicing yoga for about 4 months now and I try to practice every day, but I’m running out of time at night to practice and the only other free time I have is in the morning before I go to school. In order to have time to do yoga in the morning I have to get up around 4:45, yet every time I get up that early, I never have the motivation to actually do yoga. Any tips?

DamienAngelica

Why not do a shorter practice in the morning so you don't have to get up so early and/or do a shorter practice at night?

Aplant77

I get up at 5:10 to work out every day. I used to have a lot of issues with dragging myself out of bed but lately I wake up ready to work out. I think it came down to deciding that it was to be done. Like a task to check off my list. Every night I text my sister (& inspiration buddy) and tell her what work out I will be getting up for in the morning. Just telling someone and keeping myself accountable for it causes me to get up and do it, no matter how badly I slept or how tired I feel. I told her I would do it so my mind is ready when my alarm goes off to follow through on that goal. I think your case is like mine - mind over matter! Tell yourself that when you alarm goes off you will get up and do yoga!

COGypsy

Are you going to bed early enough to be able to get up at 4:45? I get up at 4 to work out and to even be able to hear the alarm, I'm in bed around 8:30. Once I realized how important it was to adjust my sleep schedule to accommodate the workouts, mornings became exponentially easier. Also, as an early morning gym rat, my opinion is that "motivation" simply doesn't exist at that hour. "Doing" is what exists at that hour. I work out early primarily because my brain can't come up with reasons to not workout.

However, I also make it as easy as possible to get out the door. I have a pre-workout smoothie made and waiting in the fridge. Second breakfast and lunch are packed and ready to go. Bag with shower and work clothes is packed and waiting by the door. Literally all I have to do is get dressed, drink my smoothie, wash up, grab my bags and walk out the door. If I worked out at home, I'd probably have everything set up and ready to go so that all I had to do was get dressed and do my yoga--have my mat and props laid out, video cued up (if you use one)--that kind of stuff. I'd probably also be sure that the sequence is good for that time of day, not too slow and not jumping right into a vinyasa flow, either.

Getting into the habit of early workouts is a challenge, but eventually your body adapts. For example, no matter what the day is or what my schedule might be--I now have to go to the bathroom at 4:15! That's better than any alarm clock

Sunshine_And_Sand

I get up at 4:30 most days to do yoga too. Here's what helps me:
-Go to sleep in whatever I'm going to wear to work out in.
-Plug the phone up on the other side of the room so that I actually HAVE to get out of bed to turn it off. For me just getting out of bed is half the battle.

FatWithFatness

I hate getting up in the morning, I'm a night owl. But my schedule forces me to get up at 445am everyday to workout and I'm up by 630 most weekends, you just have to force yourself to do it until it's a habit.

collectingblues

You've just got to decide that you want to do it, and then follow through.

Case in point: Cyclebar just opened a new location near me, and has been doing free preview classes. But since they're apparently so popular... the only opening they had left was with a 5:30 class this morning. They're 15 minutes away, and since you need to be there 15 minutes early, that meant I was getting up at 4:40.

Did I enjoy getting up at 4:40? Not particularly. Not at all. But the class was important, so I made myself do it.

kenyonhaff

Well how much do you enjoy your yoga workout? For me yoga is enjoyable so I look forward to it.

But be honest 445 is early. Your circadian rythyms may have difficulty with those demands.

How about trying just a 10 minute workout for starters...something very gentle. As you get more used to the early wakeup you can do more.

Mithridites

COGypsy wrote: »

Are you going to bed early enough to be able to get up at 4:45? I get up at 4 to work out and to even be able to hear the alarm, I'm in bed around 8:30. Once I realized how important it was to adjust my sleep schedule to accommodate the workouts, mornings became exponentially easier. Also, as an early morning gym rat, my opinion is that "motivation" simply doesn't exist at that hour. "Doing" is what exists at that hour. I work out early primarily because my brain can't come up with reasons to not workout.

However, I also make it as easy as possible to get out the door. I have a pre-workout smoothie made and waiting in the fridge. Second breakfast and lunch are packed and ready to go. Bag with shower and work clothes is packed and waiting by the door. Literally all I have to do is get dressed, drink my smoothie, wash up, grab my bags and walk out the door. If I worked out at home, I'd probably have everything set up and ready to go so that all I had to do was get dressed and do my yoga--have my mat and props laid out, video cued up (if you use one)--that kind of stuff. I'd probably also be sure that the sequence is good for that time of day, not too slow and not jumping right into a vinyasa flow, either.

Getting into the habit of early workouts is a challenge, but eventually your body adapts. For example, no matter what the day is or what my schedule might be--I now have to go to the bathroom at 4:15! That's better than any alarm clock

You sound insanely organized. I’m jealous.

alicebhsia

@remmus102 could you stay up later to do the yoga and wake up later? i mean, it would be basically the same thing, no? (if it's only time that is stopping you.) or like, what are you doing at night that is eating up your yoga time? could you do that in the morning instead?