How to become a morning workout-er?

MicheleWE

Working out in the morning has been a desire of mine for a while now. My natural habit is to sit around and slowly wake up in the mornings and end up working out late morning/early afternoon. It works out okay, but I usually end up rushed for my afternoon/evening activities during the week and if the family has plans on Saturdays it causes me stress trying to figure out when I am going to exercise.
So I hatched a plan for myself to get going earlier by starting with walks at 7 AM. It doesn't require to much coordination or strength, in fact I hardly have to be awake. I've only been at it a week and only managed it about 3 out 5 days this week, but that's 3 mornings I did go.
I am hoping that my body will start to crave the activity and I'll begin a life long routine of not only exercising in the morning, but just wanting to wake up earlier naturally.
Thanks for asking the question, and thanks to all the responses. I find it very encouraging to hear that two weeks should make me a transformed woman. OP, know that you aren't alone in your efforts.

knightreader

thanks for all the tips... i normally workout after work, so around 4. but now school is over in the next few days and i gotta workout and be back home before the wife leaves for work at 8. either that or take son to gym with me, and that's probably not happening. i have found that i really don't like to workout at night, so waiting for wife to come home and after dinner doesn't really work for me. honestly, i am kind of excited to get up, get out and get it done. i am a pre-workout showerer too, so that doesn't help. my problem wasn't usually getting up and out, it was maintaining my energy level through out the day. i found i would be exhausted around 1 or 2 in the afternoon and usually nap a bit. not terribly productive. hoping to change that this summer with some better, cleaner eating habits to maintain my energy levels through out the day.

KylaDenay

OMG I am sooo in for this thread. I needed to read this. I feel ashamed now lol. I used to be a morning person and get up early to workout. Now there is no way in hell! The worse thing is I now can't wake up earlier than 8 am. I have to be to work at 9. I don't know what it is, but I am tired all the time. I take all my vitamins and usually workout in the evening. I go to bed at midnight and wake up at 8. I am tired all day and when I get off I am tired and sometimes do not want to workout.

I really really need to start getting up at 7 am to workout. I feel so lazy cause all of you are waking up at 4,5 and 6 and I'm here complaining about 7 sheesh! I feel like I would have better results with morning workouts. Not only better weight loss results, but even more energy. I honestly felt great when I woke up at 7 to workout. I had a good amount of energy though out the day. It is soooo hard. My motivation should be to just get it over with. I need to just force myself and try harder.

Someone mentioned turning off electronics an hour or 2 before bed. I think that is a great idea. I am on my phone and laptop until I close my eyes. It has become a problem.

Great info on here. Thank you!

justjumpit278

Thank god I'm not the only one who can't get their butt out of bed an extra hour early to work out...

I can easily get out of bed on the weekends and be at the gym by 8:30, but there is no way I can wake up at 6 to go for a half hour walk and get back in time to shower and eat breakfast before I leave for work at 7:30. I think next week I'll try sleeping in my workout clothes and see if that helps. Awesome tip!!:bigsmile:

stealthq

Really the only advice I can give is just to do it. After a couple of weeks, it won't affect you anymore. I had to start getting up at 4:45 for work and thought it would KILL me. Now, I actually wake up before the alarm and it's fine. Also working out first thing in the morning means that you get to spend all day with the smug satisfaction of already knowing that you have worked out and accomplished something great. It's a good feeling!

Agreed.

Now if only I can convince myself to take this advice as well. I'm up early every day, but usually have a headache that takes an hour or so to fade. Plus, I'm super fortunate that work is just a couple of blocks from the gym so I've been working out on my lunch hour. I really want to switch though, because I'd like to switch to lift then run 3 days a week from lift 3 days a week, run 2 days a week. Can't do lifting then running in an hour.

Kymmu

I like to use fast paced music to motivate me- and I feel it more in the evening- I like peace and quiet in the mornings.
Still the times I have done the early workout I felt great all day!

SinCityFit

Work 8:30p-5a. I'm so happy to be done with work for the day, workout time is happy time for me at 5:30a lol I do a workout when I get out of work and another one before work.

1971MLJ

You just have to force yourself for 2 weeks... after that, it becomes more of a habit and gets easier (though I still dont LIKE it ahahah)

This. I am so not a morning person but have forced myself into morning workouts. Been doing it almost a year now. I still wouldn't say I look forward to them but it gets easier once the habit is there. And it is very satisfying starting the day with an extra calorie deficit.

ximenia

I for one can't do it. I tried for a few days and it was awful. I've always been a night owl, I go to sleep no earlier than 1 am when I have to work in the morning and on the weekends it's sometimes as late as 6-7 am. Honestly I like it that way, I like staying up all night as that's just the way I am.

I just force myself to work out after work, my gym is near my work so I drag my *kitten* there before I go home at least 3 times a week and everyday as soon as I get home I do a workout DVD before I have dinner or do anything else. I find that if I just do it before I go into relaxed mode I don't find any excuses to not do it.

shmerek

I used to stay up late, now 2200 is late. You just have to switch your schedule and stick with it. I am now up at 530 every morning and the at the gym by 6. Best way to start the day.

Snow3y

I personally prefer evening workouts.. Morning workouts (even afternoon) are crappy, dull, boring, and plain and simple suck

Tatyanne

I've always been the morning type since university.
I'm never home before 19:30 so I need to do it in the morning...otherwise I don't have much "alone" time with the future husband :smooched:

I'm 5´4´´, sedentary work (all day at a desk in front of an computer), 144.4lbs.
I aim to exercise at least 30min, 6 times a week - doing Jillian DVDs or running (I had an injury in the beginning of the year and I'm not back to it yet).
Additionally I avoid to use the lift and choose the stairs (I work in a 5th floor).

My weekly routine:
I wake up every day at 6:15 to do my exercises.
After that, shower, breakfast time and at 8:15 I'm on my way to work .
I have a morning snack around 11:00 and around 14:00 I have lunch.
Afternoon snack around 17:30 and dinner at 20:00

When I try to exercise in the afternoon my body feels "tired". I feel so much more energetic in the morning, and when I arrive to work there is no "I'm sleepy" feelings :laugh:

Just try it!

Kisses,
Tatyanne

charlatte987

I just (literally yesterday), began to love morning workouts... Well, that's a bit of a lie. I've had one or 2 good ones before, but that was because I woke up at 4AM to run before I went traveling, and the excitement of being out that early when it was dark out got me through those workouts (I run by the way; back then I did about 4 miles, now I do more like 5-8 most days)

I'm in a similar situation to you, as I'm starting a job in a week, where i'll be working with kids; thus, being EXHAUSTED by the time I get home at 5PM after a 45 minute commute in rush hour traffic. Anyway, I've started experimenting with what helps me get through, and what's worked best for me, is having GU. Yesterday, I had it immediately before I headed out the door (I've developed a stomach of steel when it comes to eating before runs), and by mile 2, I felt unstoppable as the sugar flowed through my bloodstream, and kept me going for almost 7 miles easy.

You don't HAVE to have GU either. I just like it because it's super easy to digest, and it tastes mad good (Chocolate Outrage literally tastes exactly like chocolate pudding, and I don't mind that at all in the mornings). A banana, or a slice of toast would probably do it too. I've found that I need around 100 calories in me at once at least however, to get me through. I've tried 5 raisins at a time, and it didn't help at all.

So, my advice; think about how cool it is to be up so early, and how badass/ninja like it feels to be out there when nobody else is. And, have a high carb, low fiber snack before to get you up and moving.

ALSO, this doesn't work for me, as it causes my stomach to make weird noises, but coffee works for a lot of people as a pre-workout. If it doesn't upset your stomach without food in the morning, that's a good idea too!

47Jacqueline

I used to run early in the mornings and loved it. I'm a morning person, so I would like to exercise first thing. However, I joined a gym and only go to classes, which are offered either at noon or evenings. I don't want to stop them, but I still would like to to an early workout. So I just got Jillian Michaels' 30DS and am going to start doing it the beginning of July, when I first get up.It will be a second workout for the day because I won't stop my classes.

I'm starting to choreograph Zumba routines to start teaching classes, so I am actually getting additional exercise during the day. I probably will have to cut back somewhere eventually before I overdose or hurt myself.

walterm852

You just have to force yourself for 2 weeks... after that, it becomes more of a habit and gets easier (though I still dont LIKE it ahahah)

Agreed, your body will adjust and you will fall asleep earlier. Maybe you can find a buddy to join you?

The nice part about early morning workouts is they are never interrupted by alternative options (happy hour after work, friend wants to meet up, extra studying, etc).

las_6664

When I was a stay at home Mom I loved a mid-day workout (run or pilates), it worked great for me. Now that I've been back to work for a couple of years I've sporadically been getting into the routine of running before work. I like it a lot & I do find I'm more energized on those days when I get to work; the only caution is I've had days where I get a terrible headache as the morning wears on. I've traced this to dehydration if I wasn't well hydrated before going to bed & don't take in enough in the morning. I've been out of the routine for a while but this thread has motivated me to start getting up and running before work again, especially now that school is out and I don't have to get the kids up and out the door. I just don't have the energy when I get home, plus I feel like I should do something with the kids.