Talk me into morning workout

wwk10

Best of intentions every evening.
But kids, homework, baths, cooking dinner, dirty dishes, the drain of the work day ---- it just doesnt happen.

Motivate me to work out in the morning before work and taking kids to school.

I want to hear from the morning workout people who are not naturally morning people.
Thanks in advance.

ClaireInTurkey

I am not a morning person and generally when I get home after work, make dinner, eat and get sat down then I am really bad at getting motivated to workout.....however I find that if I make the effort just to do half an hour in the morning - wii free step helps cos I don't need any brain to do it and it does start the day off well.....benefits are 1. Its done for the day and any extra that I choose to do in the evening is a bonus 2. Gives me great energy for the day ahead - def makes me feel in a better mood 3. Starts my metabolism off in the right direction first thing in the morning....

Hope that helps

areay22

I have an almost 4 month old and I get up at pump at 5:30 and workout after every morning and run during lunch. You can do this. I have a ton more engery on the days I do this rather than the days I skip

jdavison91

^^ Absolutely feel the same way. The other nice thing about working out in the morning is less stress the rest of the day, not worrying about when you are going to get your workout in. I actually have a bit of withdrawal on the mornings I don't work out (scheduled rest days)

worldgirl28

I was anti-morning. I was the person for whom the numbers 5 - 8 were only found in the PM half of the day. But one night I came home so tired, I passed out around 8 pm and woke up around 4:00 a.m. feeling totally rested and ready to go. I decided to pop into the gym because it was either that or watch infomercials for three hours. The AM workout is tough and certainly not for everyone but once you establish a pattern, you start to crave it. I'm doing the 30 Day Shred right now and because of my roommate, I can't do it in the a.m. or I'd wake her up but I love hitting the elliptical around 5:30 a.m. for 30 - 45 minutes and just using that time to be alone and workout all my stress before the day begins. I had to adjust my sleep schedule (bedtime cannot be 11:30 p.m. if you're waking up at 5:15) but I really enjoy it.

Articeluvsmemphis

my journey has varied. i've gone from night exercising to mid day, to morning. I can say that I absolutely thrive off morning exercise, and miss it when I don't do it. although if I know I am going to a night class then that's not so bad or like zumba in the mid day. I started going to sleep early and stopped wasting time being up doing nothing, and I get up and do a dvd or go to the gym and then go to work/school. it really makes me feel energized for the day and I don't have to worry about doing it later. makes my eating choices better because who wants to ruin a great session by eating junk food on top of that (although sometimes I mess up in that area as well) I will say, I don't like fasted exercising I prefer eating something before I do anything

meglynne1987

I am NOT a morning person either and i have a child i know he can't happen for me at night. I have about an hour free to myself in the morning. I have a hard time getting motivated as well. BUT I have notice the days that i go back to sleep i feel horrible and sleepy all day but if i get up and eat a good breakfast and do a small work out i have more energy throughout the day and a better attitude. I a looking for motivation as well and when i do i look into my closet and some clothing i have from a couple years back (my skinny clothing) and that motivates me ....... your motivation ha to come from whithin you. I know this is a constant struggle for me but once you can get one exercise in the others should come easier.

LibbyHill123

Just start by putting on your workout clothes, then your shoes, just don't think about working out. Just start with one thing, putting on your exercise shoes and putting in your work out DVD. I'm not the best at working out daily, but this is what I do to get it started and then once you're started, it's no worries!

alyssaanagram

I never thought I could work out in the mornings but the last two months I have been getting up between 5:30 -6am to head to the gym. I feel great! I eat a hard boiled egg and drink some water before I go and work out for a solid hour to hour and a half (both cardio and strength).

It wakes me up in the morning, I get it out of the way, and feel refreshed all day. I don't have to feel stressed late in the day if I just want to go home and watch tv after a long work day. It definitely works much better for me. I suggest at least trying it because I was unsure in the beginning.

darconnor

**Bump**
I so need this push, too!

Bearface115

think about how good it feels to be exercised and feeling enegerized before the family is even moving around. You'll be able to keep up with the kids and be able to cook healthy throughout the day feeling like you kicked your *kitten* and its DONE and OVER WITH!

marquesajen

In the summer when I have a day off I get up early and ride my bike all over my area. When I get back I shower, then start my day as normal. I feel REALLY good for the rest of the day, lots of energy and perk!

rugbygirlca

By the time I get home at 5, feed the kids, shuttle them to activities some nights, put them to bed, do the dishes, make lunches, etc etc, it is 9:00 at night and I have lost all motivation to work out. While I think that I work out a bit more effectively after work from 5-6pm, I can only do that once or twice a week. So, I get my lazy butt out of bed by 5:15 - work out for 30-60 minutes depending on the day, and then get the kids up and start our day.

As a side benefit - working out hard makes me feel thinner (if only for a few hours). It's nice to have that 'thinner' feeling during the day, rather than when I am sleeping.

hope516

I couldn't work out in the morning, if you paid me!!! But here is to hoping you find what works for you :drinker:

poojag85

I am definitely NOT a morning person, and I used to try to go after work after commuting for about 3 hours everyday. It was hell. i used to find myself making excuses for why i 'can't' go to the gym that day. I always used to say 'if only i had the energy to wake up in the morning...'...well you know what. one day i got fed up with it, and told myself, that nothing is more important than my own body. if i want to make a difference, i have to do it the right way that works for me. so one day i decided that i will wake up early enough before work to go to the gym for 45 mins and go to work from there. so i finally did it - and can i tell you that even after just the first day, it felt AMAZING. yeah to actually get up that early is hard, but trust me, that's the only hard thing that you will have to overcome that day. once you're up, nothing can stop you. i feel amazing coming to work knowing that i ALREADY went to the gym. i don't have it luring over me like it used to because i already know i did it and i'm done for the day. i can now go home after work and rest, NOT feeling bad or guilty that i didn't go to the gym. And yes i definitely feel more energy throughout the whole day.I've been doing it for the past 2 weeks so far and i've been cursing myself for why i didn't have the willpower to do it earlier. i hope to continue this routine until i reach my ideal weight.

give it a try for a week, and then tell me how you feel!

pa_jorg

I can get into a morning workout groove for a few weeks but I have a hard time sticking to it longer than that. Really interested in some of the answers on this thread.

There is an early bird workout group on MFP, but it always seems to fizzle. Everyone involved has the same intentions but only seems to be able to keep it up in spurts too. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/1146-early-bird-club

avonchik

I am definately not a morning person. I take time right after the kids get on the bus to read my Bible then i stick a tape in and exercise before i do anything because i know i wont do it later in the day. I had to MAKE myself do this but now it is a routine unless i have an appointment. Whenever you have a little time to yourself when no one is around is the best time .(even if there are dishes in the sink..lol) Hope this helps . YOU CAN DO IT!! Rooting for you! Add me as a friend .:bigsmile: :flowerforyou:

1HappyRosie

I am absolutely not a morning person. That being said, for the past 40+ days I have slowly looked forward to getting up. It took pushing myself for about the first two weeks and then it started getting easier and I noticed I really have more energy all day. Not easy for me. I would always be the last person out of bed. What I do is sleep in clothes to workout in. At first I was only walking 30 min on treadmill and that was all I could do. Now I walk 10 min, do workout one of 30 day shred and then walk another 20 min. Eat, take shower and the day just feels better after that. Good luck, and don't give up.

paigele

Try sleeping in your sports bra and workout shorts. I have done that , and waken up not having to take the step of putting cold clothes on my toasty warm body fresh out of bed.

(I am a morning person most days but sometimes resent that alarm clock.)

Nharley

It's the only way my lazy butt gets a workout in each day. It has to be planned. I get up at 5:30, do an 1 1/2 hours of school work until #1 son needs to be dropped off at school, get dressed in workout clothes before going, and as soon as I get back I head out the door for an hour+ of a walk/run with the dog. I am working with a group on here that has a goal of 10,000 steps a day which is = to 5 miles. This morning I did 13,000+ steps and ran for about 15 minutes. To me that is like getting in a C25K workout and my 10,000 steps combined! I'm quite the happy camper this morning...

Michelle_Nicole

I am not a morning person at all!!! but when I can force myself to get up and do my workout before work I feel awesome all day long, then if I have time for another workout after work it counts as extra since I did one already! Plus then you are prepared for anything that goes wrong, if you plan your workout for 6pm and you get home and realize you have to be somewhere or have a lot to do you miss your workout. Getting up early and doing it eliminates that!

Nharley

Try sleeping in your sports bra and workout shorts. I have done that , and waken up not having to take the step of putting cold clothes on my toasty warm body fresh out of bed.

(I am a morning person most days but sometimes resent that alarm clock.)

I've done that!:blushing:

LHSweeney

OMG it is sooo hard. I get up at 4:50AM to go work out. Some days you have to set like 4 snoozes so you have more opportunities to talk yourself into rolling out of the bed ! But it does a few good things for you.

Helps you keep up your routine because there is really nothing that can POP up on you that will keep you from working out
(the rest of the day there are no guarantees)
Helps get your metabolism reved up for the entire day
Lets you know from the first hour how many exercise calories you get to eat back
Helps you sleep better at night

rmsrws

It's real easy. You get up and MAKE IT HAPPEN! You set aside that extra 30 minutes and just do it! Make NO excuses.

Yes, it will suck the first few days. But then you will notice you have more energy, less stress, you have better attitude. Then you realize wow I don't have to worry about working out after work, dinner, kids, laundry, dishes etc......Because you have already done it!

dida0721

Honestly I tried morning workouts to help alleviate mommy guilt. Didn't work out. My intesity wasn't the same and I think it caused me to fall off the wagon with food (I tend to binge at night and working out alleviates that craving). I play the wii dance with my kids at night for a workout, when they get bored or tired I bust out like ten crazy songs to get the sweat flowing and call it good. My husband and I squeeze out a quick 20 minute strenght and scuplt workout twice a week. I plan to also incorporate going to the gym for Zumba twice a week depending on my husband and kids' schedules.

I tried and failed at the morning thing. Nights can be a crazy time, but I have to get at least 20-30 minutes in or I feel like crap. On the weekends I go for an hour or more sometimes twice a day.

♥Amy♥

The only way I can go running by myself is if I go in the mornings when my husband and boys are still sleeping because by the time the boys are in bed in the evening, I'm just too exhausted to go.

What helps me is (obviously) going to bed early, sleeping in exactly what I'm going running in (t-shirt, sports bra, sweat pants) so all I have to do in the morning is put on socks, my HRM, and throw on a hooded sweatshirt while I'm tying my shoes.

It also helps me to go in the morning because I feel more awake throughout the day and I actually have more energy than the days that I don't get to go. Also, it helps that I'm still half-sleeping for some of my run and makes it not as painfully long for me (I get bored pretty easily).

lovinmysoldier

Try it and see. You need to find what works best for you, early morning, right after work, after the kids go to bed.
Personally I do mornings but I currently don't work. Even if I did my husband gets up at 4:30 for work so I have to get kids off to school.
I do think variety is key to success. I do dvd's (kids do them with me sometimes), have an elliptical, go to the gym, take classes, go for run/walk, take family to shoot hoops, walk/run to park with kids while they ride scooters. Variety keeps me from getting burned out and I actually find myself devising ways to get some exercise into my day.

It's hard in the beginning but I've been doing this for over a year and really enjoy it now.

joanie152

I AM a morning person. But I was not always one - it took time to get there. Here's why I love a morning workout:

1. As a mother of two kids and a wife, this is Guilt Free time for myself. With everyone fast asleep, no one is missing out on time with me. It really is "me time".

2. It gives me loads of energy throughout the day - plus it revs up your metabolism so that even when you are not working out during the day, your metabolism is still working from your morning routine.

3. Puts me in a great mood to start the day

4. When I don't work out in the morning, I eat badly. I do not like to "waste" my workout by eating badly, but even when there are bagels and cakes at work and I do sucuumb I do not feel too bad about it because I already paid my dues in the morning

5. If necessary, you also have the option of doing another light workout in the evening.

BTW - the alarm clock rings at 4.30am - for a 5.15 start at the gym. I sleep in my gym clothes..

Hope this helps.

RunHardBeStrong

I love to sleep and hate to get up at 4:30, or at least I hate getting up that early for the first 5 minutes but once I'm in my workout clothes and in workout mode...I'm awake and feeling pumped. Then I work out for 45-60 minutes and I'm wide awake, energized and feel great. That feeling stays with me ALL day long. Plus my workout is done and it's not looming over me all day. I usually have enough energy and stamina to do another woorkout at night when I have time I love it!

k9runner1963

I like the morning work out because I get it done and don't have to worry about any intrusions getting in the way of an afternoon workout.

ryno0618

Hard to get used to getting up for morning workouts.....BUT once you get the routine it is so amazing. I have more energy throughout the day, feel more awake, better mindset, etc. Exercise produces this at all hours of the day, but to get the boost in the morning helps the whole day. Just takes getting up 45 minutes earlier. you can do it!