advice for getting up early to work out

FunSizedK
FunSizedK Posts: 144 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone have advice for getting up early to workout instead of working out at night? I started insanity and if I do it after my son goes to bed I am up all night and I have to work so staying up all night is not really a good thing for me
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Replies

  • Madame_Goldbricker
    Madame_Goldbricker Posts: 1,625 Member
    Umm setting an alarm? Sorting & pre preparing all clothes/foods needed ahead of time for the next day. Going to bed earlier so you still get a full sleep?
  • msmonique46
    msmonique46 Posts: 80 Member
    Sounds obvious, but you just have to DO IT. I hate workiing out in the morning, but waiting until night gives me so many chances, reasons, excuses to talk myself out of it. So, set your clock early, move your alarm away from your bed so you have to get out of bed to turn it off. Keep your sneakers and workout gear near the clock and get it started. Suggest you go easy maybe a moderate intensity of 30 minutes or so the first week and increase. This way you won't burn yourself out by doing too much before going to work. If you think you can handle more than 30 minutes and a higher intensity--go for it. Just saying start slow and build. Hope this helps.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    1. Get up early
    2. Work out
    3. Repeat until habit is formed
    4. Profit
  • Adc7225
    Adc7225 Posts: 1,318 Member
    I found that getting up early and working out gets my day off to a good start. Though I do not have any young children I work all day with lawyers and getting that time just to myself is really important for me.

    I will say that organization is important, because you really want to optimize your time and not get up 2 hours early just to get in 40 minutes of exercise. I would suggest starting with maybe getting in 30 minutes and work up from there, don't forget to include your getting ready time :smile:

    I agree with you, working out at night can make getting to sleep difficult.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Set an alarm or two?
  • FunSizedK
    FunSizedK Posts: 144 Member
    Thanks!!! I will try moving my alarm way from me. I have always been a night owl so I am trying to change that it not much fun lol
  • CrystalDreams
    CrystalDreams Posts: 418 Member
    I have to change my sleep schedule. Get up at the same time every morning, no matter what time I went to bed. took me about 2 weeks to change my sleep schedule. Getting the actual motivation to workout.... pending :laugh:
  • Hauntinglyfit
    Hauntinglyfit Posts: 5,537 Member
    funny-picture-iphone-alarm-go-run-seriously-fatty-go-run-fine-be-fat-forever.jpg
  • aggieanne04
    aggieanne04 Posts: 71 Member
    I'm a total night owl, too. I'm trying the get up early and work out thing, too. I'm aiming for 20 minutes of moderate intensity like someone else said. I'll be half asleep, so I'm not going to be going full blast! ;-) No kids here, but I have a haaaard time waking up in the morning anyway. I plan to have my clothes ready to go, coffee pot set to turn on afterwards! Good luck!
  • LaLa482
    LaLa482 Posts: 82 Member
    Does anyone have advice for getting up early to workout instead of working out at night? I started insanity and if I do it after my son goes to bed I am up all night and I have to work so staying up all night is not really a good thing for me

    I'm a night owl as well. I like being in the office early so I choose to workout at night.

    Tips from my occasional early morning workouts:

    -Clothes laid out in advance.
    -Set heater so it's easier to get out of bed in the wee hours.
    -Set more than one alarm. I use my smart phone and I have it set to Kayne's The New Workout Plan and flashes " You'll feel better after's over" instead of "alarm."

    Good Luck!
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    -Set more than one alarm. I use my smart phone and I have it set to Kayne's The New Workout Plan and flashes " You'll feel better after's over" instead of "alarm."
    This is the best answer. I love how I feel at the end of a workout. I don't remember the last time I didn't.
  • jrortega1912
    jrortega1912 Posts: 315 Member
    1. Get up early
    2. Work out
    3. Repeat until habit is formed
    4. Profit
    Do you eat anything before workout?
  • msmonique46
    msmonique46 Posts: 80 Member
    You probably should, but I don't. I get plenty of water. Just can't eat before 9:00 a.m.
  • emartin17
    emartin17 Posts: 123 Member
    sleep in your exercise clothes- it helps because now you have no excuse that getting up to change is your problem.
    put your coffee on a timed start- the smell alone could help you wake.
    prep an exciting breakfast- i know awesome tasty food can motivate me
  • 9thChakra
    9thChakra Posts: 141 Member
    if I do it after my son goes to bed I am up all night

    I have to work so staying up all night is not really a good thing for me

    What you said. :wink:
  • cathiforsythe
    cathiforsythe Posts: 3
    If I remember right, the insanity workouts start out being only about 35-40 minutes. You can do that! I'm with previous posts....just do it! Your day will start out awesome and you will feel great! You will sleep great too! Be sure to tack on the extra sleep by getting to bed a little earlier too.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    1. Get up early
    2. Work out
    3. Repeat until habit is formed
    4. Profit
    Do you eat anything before workout?

    Nope. Eating slows me down. YMMV
  • suziepoo1984
    suziepoo1984 Posts: 915 Member
    you just have to want it badly! No matter how badly i have slept before, if i have planned on working out in the morning, i push myself automatically! It also helps that i enjoy my workouts :)
  • d3ck5
    d3ck5 Posts: 47
    if youre not a morning person, its very hard to convert.
    i am though and this is what i usually do most mornings

    * I drink a coupla glasses of water before i go to bed (when i get up, im dying to go, and sometimes to the point it wakes me up to go)
    * set up multiple alarms (iphone and ipad) iphone close by, ipad is far away (and usually about 15 mins after the iphone)
    * have workout clothes nearby ready to go
    * if i get up before the alarm (most cases) ill hop onto facebook and check out some of the fitness page motivational thingys
    * after im up and changed, ill drink another glass of water (but not too much)

    and thats it.
  • navy_taxi
    navy_taxi Posts: 16
    you just have to want it badly! No matter how badly i have slept before, if i have planned on working out in the morning, i push myself automatically! It also helps that i enjoy my workouts :)

    Yes! I started Turbo Fire recently and for the first three weeks I was ridiculously excited to be doing my workouts which made it so much easier to get up. Coming up to the end of Week 11 and I'm still loving them, which has really helped me to get out of bed on days where I really can't be bothered.

    Although, I would caution advising people to workout with insufficient rest. Once or twice is not the end of the world, but if it happens too often then I think you are probably doing yourself more harm than good in the long term.
  • ohellotheresa
    ohellotheresa Posts: 58
    I am already in the habit of getting up early just because I got myself into the habit of waking up extremely early but there are some useful tips in this thread to make it easier!
    I listen to music to help me wake up :) and start off with lots of stretching
  • davidsonl13
    davidsonl13 Posts: 33
    I get up twice a week at 5:20 to start my run at 5:30. I set my first alarm for 5:00 laze around for 20 mins in bed then it's up and out the door.

    My workout clothes are laid out each night ready to I just need to stick them on, grab my phone. earphones, dog lead and we're off. Even if I really don't want to, I just do it.

    The dog helps, he knows if the alarm goes off it's walkies and won't let me rest!
  • runner_bear
    runner_bear Posts: 11
    I get up at 5am each morning to get to the gym before work. I'm also a night owl. Here's how I do it: get everything organised the night before to make getting up as painless as possible. Before you go to bed, make sure the DVD's in the player. Clear space to work out so you're not having to move furniture around. Have your workout gear laid out (down to pants and socks if needs be!) ready, or sleep in your workout gear. Get breakfast ready as much as possible and on the countertop/in the fridge waiting.

    Also, if you're like me and enjoy sleeping in a little - plan for it. Set your alarm for 15 minutes before you need to get up, so that you wake up and get 15 minutes of lazy waking up time before you need to actually get out of bed.

    Another thing - make sure you're getting enough sleep. It's easy to think "oh, it's just an hour" but those hours build up into a large sleep deficit, which will only make you tireder and less inclined to get out of bed.

    Ultimately, the biggest thing you need to do is have the inner motivation to do it - all the tips and tricks in the world won't help if you *really* don't want to get out of bed in the morning.
  • alechua
    alechua Posts: 224 Member
    hahaha! this is nice!
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I have to change my sleep schedule. Get up at the same time every morning, no matter what time I went to bed. took me about 2 weeks to change my sleep schedule. Getting the actual motivation to workout.... pending :laugh:

    I think this is KEY.

    That and just not talking yourself out of waking up. I am good at that.

    I need one of those puzzle alarms that pop and it won't go off till you put all the pieces together!!!
  • wildirishrose162
    wildirishrose162 Posts: 12 Member
    I no longer workout before work because I now work really early hours but when I did I would lay out my stuff the night before and make sure everything was ready to go so I could just mindlessly get ready.

    Also now that I work early mornings I find to get up I get everything ready the night before, I set multiple alarms for before I need to get up because I tend to turn them off saying I'll lay there for five more minutes and then fall back to sleep. I also have to agree with people who say go to sleep early enough. When you're doing early hours that makes all the difference in the world.

    I'm a night person but with time you do get used to the early mornings.
  • QuincyChick
    QuincyChick Posts: 269 Member
    I put my phone (which I use as an alarm) across the room on mornings I want to go work out, so I actually have to physically get out of bed to turn it off.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    also this
    http://www.womansday.com/home/10-alarm-clocks-thatll-get-you-out-of-bed-118525

    I'm so bad about waking up- I've walked to the kitchen (my BF will call me sometimes to help me wake up) on the phone with him- and he hung up as I waklked back to my room and I got back in bed and woke up 45 minutes late.

    yeah- I'm HORRIBLE at waking up and GETTING up.
  • msmonique46
    msmonique46 Posts: 80 Member
    Wow! A real sleep junkie. (smile)
  • sazzyanne14
    sazzyanne14 Posts: 77 Member
    I have changed my gym routine to early morning workouts because I enjoy being in the gym more when it is quiet. This was hard for me to do because I love sleeping in (and as a student that is easy to do).

    Getting up early after years of sleeping in was very tough.

    The only thing I can suggest is getting plenty of sleep the night before and getting up as soon as your alarm goes off. DON'T SNOOZE IT !! If you enjoy pressing the snooze button place your alarm clock on the other side of the room

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