Getting up for early morning workouts?

kateroot

I've been having such a hard time lately getting up for my 5:30 workouts! I get plenty of sleep (7-9 hours a night), I lay my workout clothes out the night before, but when that alarm goes off at 5:30 I just can't find that motivation to get out of bed. I go to the gym most nights after work for cardio, but do my strength training routine at home in the morning. I NEED to break this habit! I don't have time to fit in my entire workout at night, so the early wakeup is really my only option.

Any tips from all you other morning haters out there?

Kayla165

I hate getting up early to workout. I stay up late studying and doing homework and get up at 7 am that gives me 2 hours before the kids get up. But like you that is my only option. I am a stay at home mom with three kids under the age of five and I am a full time college student. I have to work out in the morning before the kids get up or I won't be able to at all. I guess that is what keeps me motivated I know that it is the only time that I have and if I really want to loose weight and be healthy I got to do what I have to do.

lindawayne11

I tried this for a while, getting up early and working out. It just didn't pan out for me. Mornings are just not my thing. I have to be up and going for work and kids not later than 5:30, so getting up at 5 or before, wasn't in my mix. So now I just do it at night after dinner and before homework and bath's with the kids. Sometimes I have to cut it short if I have pressing things to do, but at least I get it in. I'm much happier with this schedule.

melsinct

I am not a morning person at all. However, I work late, life gets busy, and I know I won't follow through and exercise in the evening. The choice for me is be a stagnant sloth and lay in my warm bed a little longer or get up and just get it over with. I always feel accomplished after I haul myself out of bed. It really comes down to making a choice. If you really want to exercise, you really need to get your butt out of bed when the alarm goes off.

nebulinda

I sometimes use this trick when I have to get up early and I really don't want to. Chug a glass of water right before bed. When your alarm goes off in the morning you will really have to pee. Since you already had to get out of bed to use the toilet, you might as well stay up and do your workout. (Though a couple times this has backfired on me, where I woke up in the middle of the night having to pee.)

OLFATUG

<- Two kids, nature's alarm clock.

CachosDiaz

I tried working out at home in the early a.m. but it's just so much easier to stay in bed. What works for me is GOING to the gym in the morning. Once you are at the gym, you will workout.

fatboypup

I loathe getting up but I think I need to start tossing in some AM workouts to get out of this rut.

irisheyez718

I am SO not a morning person. I actually work til midnight the night before, but if I'm going to work out, I need to do it early in the morning. I never want to get up, but I know that I have to. I treat it like a job in my mind, its just something that I have to get up and go do! I always enjoy it when I'm there, its just the getting out of bed and getting there that is the hardest part!

TiffanyDawn79

Put your alarm on the other side of your room so you have to get out of bed to turn it off. but if your like me i will get up and turn it off and get back in bed lol I have found that setting my alarm half an hour earlier then I want to get up and hitting snooze up to 3 times helps as well. Sounds crazy, but It tricks me into thinking I'm getting more sleep.

Jenn728

I fall asleep fast but can't stay sleeping. I found a sleep aid that works for me, I wake up on my own and feeling refreshed at 5am. It's called Calms Forte and can be found at GNC or most health food/vitamin stores.

nan_seeeee

I have been getting up at 4:30am during the week to get to the gym for 4:45. I usually start getting ready for work around 6:15 so I need to get up EXTRA early every morning. I put my alarm clock on the other side of the room so I am FORCED to get up. Once I am up, there is no point laying back in bed. I feel great after and I know that I won't follow through with going to the gym if I plan on going at night...something always seems to come up.

kit_katty

I hate getting up in the mornings, I'd rather sleep, BUT I know if I don't do my DVD in the morning, it wont get done, and I find it easier to plan meals knowing how many calories I have to work with, so that's my motivation and so far so good. Another thread had the suggestion of putting an alarm clock on the other side of the room, forcing one out of bed, then one's more likely to actually stay up!

Brenda_Pancakes

I sometimes use this trick when I have to get up early and I really don't want to. Chug a glass of water right before bed. When your alarm goes off in the morning you will really have to pee. Since you already had to get out of bed to use the toilet, you might as well stay up and do your workout. (Though a couple times this has backfired on me, where I woke up in the middle of the night having to pee.)

Same here. by the time I stagger out of bed, find the light, find the bathroom and take care of business - I'm pretty awake. Also what helps me is that the morning excersise I do is I religiously walk my dog for about 45 minutes every morning... He's so excited when he sees me hit the bathroom - cuz he know's that it means we are going out for our walk. It helps that he's so into it; cuz some mornings it's the guilt of not doing it and dissapointing him that push me out the front door.

I'm a sucker for a cute face.


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acelynp2

I work out at 5:30 or 6 am 2x a week. What gets me up is 1) I love the classes I take 2) I go with a friend (but loving what I am going to do gets me up even when she doesn't go) and 3) knowing these times are my only chance. Some ideas for you:

Change your routine to something different. You are probably somewhat bored. Can you mix it up and sometimes do cardio in the morning and strength at night? Or do a different strength routine. Get some fun equipment or DVDs.

New playlist on your ipod.

Get a friend to motivate you. Even if you don't work out together you could both get up at the same time and each do your routines individually at home. You can text when you are up, complete a set, etc.

vim_n_vigor

I wear my workout clothes to bed.

kngarber

I wish I could help you, but I can't find it in me to workout before my day starts. I have just come to terms with it and exercise at night after my kids go to bed. LOL.

BrettPGH

Set your phone alarm to a ringtone you ABSOLUTELY HATE and then put it across the room. You'll jump out of bed to shut that thing up.

And then you're up!

laddyboy

20oz of water right before bed ought to help you get up when that alarm clock goes off.

shydal

first off, after reading a few of these posts from parents: i don't know how you do it, nevermind find the time to fit in exercise, but mad props to you all.

For me, my natural tendency is to lie in bed till the latest possible moment and race to work on my bike- so i build at least some exercise into my day, though, not much. I really need to convince myself to get up early for a jog, swim, or gym session. But like the chap said above, it really does come down to making that firm decision: no matter what i'm getting up and getting my butt there.

Does anyone else have an energy crash though at about 1pm after a morning work out? Any tips on preventing it? Since i work out and go straight from work-out to office, i dont have access to smoothies that i'd ideally like to boost myself up with. Any tips?

One solution I thought of is, using a hand blender at work to make smoothies- is anyone doing this?

sharleengc

My husband used to get up at 4am to work out before he went to work at 6am. He also went after work. I could never manage to go before work even though I didn't work til noon. I just had a difficult time going before work and it was much easier for me to go after.

I think if the time doesn't work for you, you need to find a time that does because the same time doesn't work for everyone.

crystalbeaver

That's actually an awesome idea! lol I, of course will have to get my clothes ready the night before and keep them in the bathroom to refrain from getting back in my room and "accidentally" lay down and fall asleep again :P

trysha1231

I am a 4:30 am workout girl myself. I tend not to sleep past 6 am on a normal day anyways (young kids!) so once I started getting up to do my workout, it got to be a habit and my body adjusted. Now I wake up before my alarm goes off, and I find that I don;t want to waste being up that early so I get my butt out of bed. I have also found that after about three weeks straight, I WANT to work out to gain some extra calories for the day, lol.
Good luck!

tataliciousd89

Immediately turn on music. It's the only way I ever have the drive to to ANYTHING before 6am. Too short usually wakes me up in a good mood. No way I could crawl back in bed after singing along to *kitten* betty.

LeenaRuns

I am not a morning person at all. However, I work late, life gets busy, and I know I won't follow through and exercise in the evening. The choice for me is be a stagnant sloth and lay in my warm bed a little longer or get up and just get it over with. I always feel accomplished after I haul myself out of bed. It really comes down to making a choice. If you really want to exercise, you really need to get your butt out of bed when the alarm goes off.

This.

It's about making a choice. I get up at 4 every morning to work out because that is literally the only time I have. Would I like to sleep in until 5? Yes. Do I? No, because I am taking charge of my life and making a choice.

scapez

I loathe getting up but I think I need to start tossing in some AM workouts to get out of this rut.

Same thing for me too.

kateroot

Thanks everyone! I love the water idea. I think a combination of having my alarm clock across the room and REALLY having to pee will get my butt out of bed. Like some of you have said, once I get up and start working out I feel great.. it's just the getting there that's the hard part!

mckant

Does it help knowing that once you get up and do it it's done for the day? No dreading an afternoon or evening workout? For me it's more about having the energy to get in a good workout so early in the morning.

triadvocate

I LOVE my morning workout. The gym is less crowded and there's a certian peacefulness in Anchorage before the city wakes up. Also, not so many people on the road nad my commte to the gym doesn't take as long --even on icey streets. I'm usually out the door between 5:30 and 6 a.m...tell yourself you love getting up that early, you love that quiet time,and you'll be getting up with no problem.

Troyeee

I have sleep issues. Try putting a dim lamp, on the opposite side of the room, on one of those cheap timers that you can get from the discount store. Set it to come on a half hour before your alarm clock goes off. This will help to gently pull you out sleep, instead ripping you out of REM sleep, like an alarm clock may do. Remember, you are just trying to simulate dawn, so use a dim light. It works for me. Good luck.

hotmama1174

I use to be anti-am workout girl...but then I realized it was either get me a@@ out the bed at 6:30 or my a@@ will continue to get bigger. There is no other time in the day that is dedicated to just me. So I have tried to make it a 'me time' and this has helped me quite a bit. I tell myself I deserve an hr for me and this is the way I get it in. you can do it!!! Good Luck!