ALL you Morning people! I am talking to you!!!!

jcomley1
jcomley1 Posts: 133
in Fitness and Exercise
I am reallllly not a morning exerciser. I struggle to get going, my running is sluggish and I feel like every mile is a marathon. But when I run in the evenings I feel like I could never stop running! I have so much energy.
Is there anybody on MFP who can offer me some tips on how to get up early and get going?
Its necessary for me to run in the mornings now because of my busy afternoons and evenings and the necessity to go to gym in the evenings to do weights.

Any advice from you enviable morning people!

:-D

Replies

  • ericgAU
    ericgAU Posts: 271
    I wouldnt fight it. Some people are morning people others are night owls. Do whats right for you and more importantly what feels right. There is no right or wrong time to exercise. But if it is becoming an issue then going to bed earlier may make a diff. it will take some time though for your body clock to adjust.
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    bump
  • xTenaciousJx
    xTenaciousJx Posts: 555
    i really LOVE doing my workouts in the AM sets me up for the day and energizes me. Some people just really prefer night workouts. My sister-in-law thinks I'm crazy for having my workouts done between 7-9am because she prefers hers 9-10pm! People are just different, don't worry, fit it in when YOU are comfortable. ;)

    Good luck!
  • Charlottejogs
    Charlottejogs Posts: 351 Member
    I used to have the same problem- I wanted to work out but the evenings were soo busy I couldn't fit it in...so I started working out in the morning. It was really hard at first; to help create some reliability I started going to a spin class at my gym. It required that you sign up so that helped me feel like I needed to go. They also were a tight nit group that held each other accountable. Maybe a work out buddy would help (the gym was best for me, no way my friends were going to do that:)

    Now that I have gotten used to it I feel like I work out way better in the morning. It did take some time for me to get used to it though; I felt the same way that it was sooo much harder. But that was worth not getting to do it at all. Good luck! I hope it helps!
  • Jade17694
    Jade17694 Posts: 584 Member
    I find it easier to exercise in the morning because come the afternoon i just cant be bothered... maybe i'm weird :)
  • court122383
    court122383 Posts: 47
    I hear ya- there's this awesome supplement that I take that gives me amazing energy to do my workouts (I don't like doing them first thing in the morning either.. but I have to as well!) Message me if you want more info about it! :)
  • Grimlock69
    Grimlock69 Posts: 197
    For the most part I'm up at 4am. What helps me is getting ready the night before, cutting the t.v. Off and in bed no later than 11pm.
  • Mira710
    Mira710 Posts: 194 Member
    If you wake up early every day (including weekends) you will eventually become a morning person. I work out in the morning. I have a cup of coffee before my workout which helps. If I'm going to have a particularly long, difficult workout, I eat a high protein breakfast right before. If you push yourself to do it everyday, you will eventually get used to it! Hope this helps!
  • jcomley1
    jcomley1 Posts: 133
    thanks everyone!! this is all very helpful!
  • Ejwelton
    Ejwelton Posts: 331 Member
    I do both, but must say it's great to get home from work and know that my workout is done and I've got the evening to myself.
    The hardest part is getting up - particularly in winter when the mornings are dark and cold.
    I lay all my gear out the night before so i can be up and out of the house quickly just having a quick drink to wake me up!

    I aim to do a class or have a PT session which helps with the motivation - although saying that this morning the spin instructor was a no-show so instead of going straight home I did a run on the treadmill.
  • Maurice1966
    Maurice1966 Posts: 419 Member
    5am start, 6am at the gym, 7:15 hit the showers, 7:45 at work and have breakfast.

    When I first started doing this it was tough and I was going to bed at 9pm, now a little later (9:05pm) :) around 10pm but it became the routine now my body clock is tuned into early morning. I can manage 6:30am sleep in on weekends if I try hard.

    With the extra energy I feellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll sorry dozed off. It takes a little getting used to but eventually you don;t need the nanna naps on the weekend.

    Good night all.
  • dancingj2
    dancingj2 Posts: 4,572 Member
    I think a few things help me to get up and exercise in the morning. First is consistenecy. I am always up between 4 and 6am everyday including weekends.

    Second is that I do not stay up too late,. By 10pm I am almost always in bed asleep.

    Lastly it s having exercising I like. Getting up to bike, walk or yoga? Yeah! Getting up to run? Uggg - where is the snooze button...
  • maruxf
    maruxf Posts: 39
    5am start, 6am at the gym, 7:15 hit the showers, 7:45 at work and have breakfast.

    When I first started doing this it was tough and I was going to bed at 9pm, now a little later (9:05pm) :) around 10pm but it became the routine now my body clock is tuned into early morning. I can manage 6:30am sleep in on weekends if I try hard.

    With the extra energy I feellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll sorry dozed off. It takes a little getting used to but eventually you don;t need the nanna naps on the weekend.

    Good night all.

    ^^ This is almost identical to my routine.

    I was the WORST offender about starting my days super late and ending even later. In the dictionary next to the "Morning Person" definition, there was my picture as the ANTONYMN...sigh. I was always tired and never found the energy to exercise after work.

    It took about a month to change my rhythm around.

    Now, I prep absolutely everything the night before (around 7pm): I pack my breakfast, 2 snacks, and lunch; I pack my gym bag; I set out my gym clothes; set the coffeemaker; and prep my protein shakes. I even prep my toothbrush!!!

    I'm in bed by 9:30 (reading) and lights out no later than 10:30.

    My alarm goes off at 4:45 and literally, I just roll out of bed, gulp 16onz of water, get dressed, feed the cat, and head out to my bus stop. I'm at the gym by 5:35. That puts me at my desk at 7:20, which means my work day is OVER at 3:20. When I get home if I'm tired, I take a power nap (30 minutes), I have dinner and start the prep cycle again.

    For me the preparation is the key. I have no excuses to lounge in bed....I'm getting more sleep and feeling better.
  • dwightdegroff
    dwightdegroff Posts: 97 Member
    Traditionally I've been a night owl(12:30a bedtime, etc.) but I got to the point that I needed to start doing my exercise in the morning. The first week was brutal, but after that each day just got easier to the point where I found myself waking a few minutes before my alarm if I set it at the same time every day.

    I would try to drink at least part of a protein shake before I started my workout, just to give me a little something to "work on", drink a glass of water and then dive right in. It might be that you just need a little "fuel" before you start your workout.

    Good luck!

    The downside, is that once you become a morning person you'll be falling asleep at 9:30, which sucks. I wish I could function well on 4-5 hours of sleep.
  • rla099
    rla099 Posts: 66 Member
    Mine is alarm goes off at 4:45 am. I snooze until 5:15. Get up feed my daughter and leave by 5:45. Drop her off at daycare at 6:15 then I work out until about 7:15 at a gym by her daycare. Get to work by 755. There I eat breakfast.

    I had to start working out in the mornings because my daughter's (8 months old) bedtime is 7pm. We get home from the day at about 6:00 pm. After getting her to bed, getting her stuff ready for daycare, eating dinner, and any other stuff I need to get done (laundry, cleaning, making baby food, etc), it would be probably close to 9 pm and I would be way too tired to start working out. Plus she only sleeps through the night most days of the week...not every night so I need to go to bed early so I can get a big chunk of sleep when she does.

    You really do get used to it. It helps having someone else hold you accountable. Def get everything ready at night and try to go to bed earlier.
  • js370
    js370 Posts: 140
    I'm on my third week of waking up at 4:30. I also prep my clothe the night before. As soon as my alarm goes off, I get up and head straight to the kitchen. The first week I had a cup of coffee. This past week I had a glass of light OJ. I'm still trying ot figure out which wakes me up better. I'm at the gym by 5:00. I drink water almost between every set. I go to bed at 9:30. First week I stayed awake for a couple of hours. This last week, maybe an hour or so. I'm hoping I'll start falling asleep sooner now that I'm getting used to it. It's still a bit of a struggle, but I really like the fact that I get to be home by 5:30, rather than 7:30, when I worked out in the evenings.
    Very important to drink something, so your body starts up faster.
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    I had to start setting 3 alarms (one across the room) to get me out of bed. It does set me up to make better choices the rest of the day, but I'm also ready to go to sleep when I get home from work at 7 - 7:30, which I can't do. If I could get out of bed at 6, I'd have time to eat half of an apple or something before I started, but I'm still working on that, so I have a big glass of water before, and then I have a 20 oz bottle of water I'll add Crystal Light energy mix or K20 protein water (Special K) to, and drink that during my workout. My workouts are scheduled a month in advance, so I always know what I'm doing, and I have my workout clothes laid out the night before. If I go to bed too late, I'll sleep in them. Clean ones of course! :smile:
  • StartingAnewDay
    StartingAnewDay Posts: 319 Member
    For the most part I'm up at 4am. What helps me is getting ready the night before, cutting the t.v. Off and in bed no later than 11pm.

    ^^^ I even get up at 3:30 now so I have time for half an hour of stretching and make it to the gym by 5. First it was really really hard but then I had a week where I had to be at work by 6. I just kept that mentality for a while after it was over, now it's second nature! Except if I want my recovery to be optimal I am in bed, tv off, nature sounds on by 9 :embarassed: ... yes I have no life.. :grumble:
  • patriciaannbibo
    patriciaannbibo Posts: 130 Member
    Love Working out in the Morning.Makes my day better to start out with exercise.Also I can always find the time in the morning .Rest of the day gets to busy.
  • morandanny
    morandanny Posts: 18 Member
    This probably would not work for everybody, but I incorporated my commute into my workout. I leave home every morning at 6AM and inline skate 70 minutes into the gym near my office and then either do strength training or run on the treadmill, depending on the day of my workout cycle.

    Giving the workout a purpose (besides exercise) make it easier to stay motivated.
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
    So I wake up between 6 and 6:15. Out the door by 6:30, run the 2.5 miles to work, shower, and get working between 7 and 7:15a.

    Its not bad, I barely changed my routine (if I bike or drive, I still get up at the same time, but leave at 6:45).

    BUT I'm much slower in the morning! It's getting better, and it doesn't help that it's all uphill, but I'm at least 0:30 slower per mile in the mornings... Which is a big reason I'm running in the morning - 90% of races are in the morning, so you got to train like you race ;) .

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