Morning exercisers - advice?

shiseido_faerie

Ok...I am NOT a morning person. My typical morning goes something like this:
Alarm goes off at 6, hit snooze, sleep for another half hour until bf leaves for work & wakes me up between 630-7, get up and stagger to kitchen to make coffee, lounge around and drink my coffee while casually getting ready, leave the house at 8 for work.

Now, I just joined the gym, and I find i'm having a difficult time getting into an evening routine, I would like to go in the morning so that it's just done and I don't have to worry about whether or not something comes up after work. I have tried morning exercise before (doing 30DS at home) and found that I didn't get that burst of energy everyone talks about, I actually just felt more tired and kinda sick. My question to all of you morning exercisers is...how do you do it? What do you eat before you workout? Ideally i'd like to get up at 6, and workout from 630-730, but I have visions of myself looking like a zombie on the treadmill or something lol. Any advice for how to make this transition easier, or how to achieve that "feel good" feeling afterwards so I don't feel awful and sleepy at work? Thanks!

Anonymou5

5:50am - Get up
5:51am - Pour pint of water
5:52am - Measure oatmeal place in pan, pour water over, turn hob on,
5:53am - Put kettle on
5:55am - Drink water
5:57am - Stir protein powder into oatmeal
5:58am - Put oatmeal into bowl and add some raisins
5:59am - Coffe in cup, hot water on top
6:00am - Eat food, drink coffee
6:10am - Toilet
6:15am - Get cycling kit on, sort cycling computer
6:20am - Make sure phone etc is packed into bag
6:25am - Get bike out
6:26am - Lock up house
6:28am - Cycle 18-20miles to work

jporche77

There is no secret tip for getting up to work out. Your determination will get you up. I'm sorry to say, but if you want to work out then you plan it.

ggeise14

^^^ what she said. I just feel better and then I at least have that much movement in for the day. A walk after dinner, etc. is just extra then. I've been getting up early to exercise for the last 1 1/2 years and when I oversleep and miss a morning it leaves me feeling "off".

Alarm rings at 5 a.m. and I'm usually up by 5:10-15, work out for 30-40 min and then carry on with the rest of my day.

shiseido_faerie

There is no secret tip for getting up to work out. Your determination will get you up. I'm sorry to say, but if you want to work out then you plan it.

*sigh* I knew I was going to get that answer from someone, i'm not looking for a magic answer, I get that there is no "secret" I guess my question is more, how do you adjust to it...when I tried previously I felt really sick and awful for the rest of the day, I had all the determination in the world to do it, and I was able to get up and get myself moving, but my body did not like it, I obviously was doing something wrong as I felt REALLY terrible during and afterwards. I ended up switching to evening because I didn't feel bad then, but evening is difficult now, too many things come up, which is leading me to morning again. And so, I posted because I wondered about how other morning exercisers do it. Are they up for a while before they go? What sorts of things do they eat? (Maybe I ate too much or too little when i tried). Do you ease into your workout or just go right at it? (I jumped right in, maybe I should've taken in slow with a brisk treadmill walk first.) I thought if I could see what other people did I might be able to see what I did wrong.

LesliePierceRN

I get up in the morning around 4:50.. dog tired, desperately wanting to stay in bed.. I get a cup of coffee.. put my running clothes on, find my garmin and ipod, lace my shoes and go out the door. I have a calendar with my workouts laid out until October 6th, which is the date of my upcoming half marathon trail race. If I don't schedule my workouts, I miss them more than not, because October 6th just seems so far away, and rationalization allows me to believe I'll get the workouts in later.. That never works. Later always gets bumped to the bottom of the list.. then it becomes never. The only time I can run (in the summer) is around dawn, before the sun comes up and tries to fry my brain. And, despite the fact that I am a night owl to my core, and hate mornings, I actually find that if I get up early and get the run in first thing, every single thing else through the day falls into place nicely, and I'm not tired until bedtime. I have more energy and stamina than on days when I sleep in. If you can just dig in and get the determination to take those first 25 steps or so away from the bed, it all begins to come together.

shiseido_faerie

5:50am - Get up
5:51am - Pour pint of water
5:52am - Measure oatmeal place in pan, pour water over, turn hob on,
5:53am - Put kettle on
5:55am - Drink water
5:57am - Stir protein powder into oatmeal
5:58am - Put oatmeal into bowl and add some raisins
5:59am - Coffe in cup, hot water on top
6:00am - Eat food, drink coffee
6:10am - Toilet
6:15am - Get cycling kit on, sort cycling computer
6:20am - Make sure phone etc is packed into bag
6:25am - Get bike out
6:26am - Lock up house
6:28am - Cycle 18-20miles to work

Thank you...this is helpful for me to see the timing of when (and what) you eat compared to when you begin your workout!

aaronf289

I recently started getting up at about 4:30 am to be at the gym by 5....and I'm not a morning person. It took some getting use to, but the more you do it, the easier it is. I also put my favorite workouts in the middle of my week, so I'm less likely to skip.

So, keep at it, it'll get easier!!!!!

shiseido_faerie

I get up in the morning around 4:50.. dog tired, desperately wanting to stay in bed.. I get a cup of coffee.. put my running clothes on, find my garmin and ipod, lace my shoes and go out the door. I have a calendar with my workouts laid out until October 6th, which is the date of my upcoming half marathon trail race. If I don't schedule my workouts, I miss them more than not, because October 6th just seems so far away, and rationalization allows me to believe I'll get the workouts in later.. That never works. Later always gets bumped to the bottom of the list.. then it becomes never. The only time I can run (in the summer) is around dawn, before the sun comes up and tries to fry my brain. And, despite the fact that I am a night owl to my core, and hate mornings, I actually find that if I get up early and get the run in first thing, every single thing else through the day falls into place nicely, and I'm not tired until bedtime. I have more energy and stamina than on days when I sleep in. If you can just dig in and get the determination to take those first 25 steps or so away from the bed, it all begins to come together.

Yes, the later turning into never is exactly how I feel, which is why I have to make the switch! The making myself get out of bed I can do, I just have to figure out the right combination of food and exercise to make me feel great for the day! Thanks, you guys are making me feel like it really will come together if I just keep doing it!

shiseido_faerie

I recently started getting up at about 4:30 am to be at the gym by 5....and I'm not a morning person. It took some getting use to, but the more you do it, the easier it is. I also put my favorite workouts in the middle of my week, so I'm less likely to skip.

So, keep at it, it'll get easier!!!!!

Do you eat in that time before the gym?

BrianSharpe

What time are you going to bed?

I am a morning person and wake up without an alarm clock and usually just roll out of bed, get dressed and head out the door for a run, if I'm rowing that morning I'll have my coffee first.

One thing that may make things a little easier for you is to buy a coffee maker with a timer - you can set it to brew while you're still in bed so a fresh pot of coffee is waiting for you right away.

If you push yourself you will get used to the change in routine, just give it some time.

skinnyinnotime

I understand you, I am the same if i try and work out early in the morning, seems anytime after about 10am I'm ok. But like you mentioned I have no energy, feel sick and sometimes dizzy and it has left me feeling cr@p for the rest of the day certainly not acommplished or energetic.

It's very strange that I have more energy in the evening for a work out than I have first thing.

shiseido_faerie

What time are you going to bed?

I am a morning person and wake up without an alarm clock and usually just roll out of bed, get dressed and head out the door for a run, if I'm rowing that morning I'll have my coffee first.

One thing that may make things a little easier for you is to buy a coffee maker with a timer - you can set it to brew while you're still in bed so a fresh pot of coffee is waiting for you right away.

If you push yourself you will get used to the change in routine, just give it some time.

I usually go to bed around 930-10PM, I'm not a great sleeper (up several times in the night, around 3AM i'm usually up for about a half hour - 45 mins) so I try to go early to make sure i'm getting some in! Thanks for the advice, I will keep at it, I love the idea of it being done with before work!

shiseido_faerie

I understand you, I am the same if i try and work out early in the morning, seems anytime after about 10am I'm ok. But like you mentioned I have no energy, feel sick and sometimes dizzy and it has left me feeling cr@p for the rest of the day certainly not acommplished or energetic.

It's very strange that I have more energy in the evening for a work out than I have first thing.

Yes, i'm not sure what it is. It must be something i'm doing, or not doing. I really want to be one of the ones that just goes and gets it done and feels awesome all day from it though so i'm hoping everyones answers will help me figure it out!

Bubs05

I am also not a morning person but with other responsibilities, morning workouts made sense in my schedule.
It will take you a couple weeks to really get used to it. DO NOT give up on it. The first few days you will probably feel like throwing in the towel on the morning workout, give it a good 2 weeks to make a fair assessment.
I felt very tired at first and not at all enthused about getting up to go work out. It took about 15 days but now I love it.
First of all, I get it out of the way first thing, giving me time in the evening to do other stuff.
Secondly, I have a lot more energy throughout the day.
Third, I've been sleeping much better at night.
Good luck!!

JustJennie1

I used to be a morning exerciser but lately it's been shifted to the afternoons. Mainly because my husband can get more work done in the mornings. It sucks getting up early. When that alarm would go off at 5 a.m. we'd hit snooze for an hour (or more). However once you're in the habit of getting up early it gets easier and easier.

Aside from my husband and his work there's really no reason why he and I can't get up early in the mornings to hit the gym. We have a dog who likes to jump on the bed at 4:30/5:00 which gets us up but then we all snuggle back down in the bed and sleep for another hour LOL. I personally prefer the morning workouts because it gets them in and done and there's no chance that an excuse will come up and a workout will be missed in the afternoon.

shiseido_faerie

I am also not a morning person but with other responsibilities, morning workouts made sense in my schedule.
It will take you a couple weeks to really get used to it. DO NOT give up on it. The first few days you will probably feel like throwing in the towel on the morning workout, give it a good 2 weeks to make a fair assessment.
I felt very tired at first and not at all enthused about getting up to go work out. It took about 15 days but now I love it.
First of all, I get it out of the way first thing, giving me time in the evening to do other stuff.
Secondly, I have a lot more energy throughout the day.
Third, I've been sleeping much better at night.
Good luck!!

Thanks, i'd love to have more energy and sleep better!!

sarafil

I was never a morning person, but now that I get up to exercise, I find that I really like that time of the day. I get up at 4am, eat a piece of toast with peanut butter, drink a full glass of water, some coffee, and then go for a run. Sometimes I am half way through the run before I even feel like I am fully awake!

It's going to suck at first, and it will be a struggle to get out of bed, but you just have to do it. Pretty soon you will find that it is not so hard to get up. My desire to be healthy and in shape exceeds my desire to sleep.

emilygracee

I just recently stared working out in the morning, and it's hard to get into.
I would recommend establishing a routine. I wake up at 7, eat breakfast with some protein and drink some coffee so that the workout doesn't leave me hungry and tired, and spend the next hour slowly waking up and letting the food digest enough to where I don't get sick when I go to the gym. I try to get to the gym by 8.
It's a lot easier when you have someone to go with you, because you have someone to hold you accountable if you don't make it. Also, wake up early enough to where you know you won't be pressed for time, and go to bed early. (If getting to sleep is difficult for you, I recommend getting Melatonin vitamins- it's a natural vitamin that helps you fall asleep.)
Keep at it, and it will become second nature to you. Don't give up! Cheers.

RipperSB

My dog usually sees to it that I am awake at 0530 (even though my alarm is set for 0600). There is no snooze button on a dog that wants his morning walk. I get dressed, use the toilet and then the dog and I head out for a 2.5 km walk that takes us 30 mins or so. I put out his food and water and then brush my teeth, shave, put on my uniform, grab my lunch and I'm out the door... usually about 0630. I hit the gym for a 30 min work out + a 5 min cool down, prefering the Percor EFX Elliptical.

I prefer morning workouts. I tried noon or after work but it was just too easy to blow it off with some lame excuse. Now it's done and over with and I feel better throughout the day. I prefer to work out on an empty stomach and have my breakfast at work (chewy Kashi bar and a banana) with my coffee.

One tip that I have heard from others is too move your alarm clock to the other side of the room so you can't just reach over and hit "snooze" but have to get up to shut it off... they say that helps get you out of bed.

Hope this helps, good luck to you!

monicaroozo

my morning lifestyle used to be just like yours... but after two weeks of getting into a workout routine it just becomes second nature. I've been doing it for a year now and it feels bad not to at this point.

i still hit the snooze button several times... but I just had to set my alarm earlier!

SueD66

I so use to have to make myself get up out of that bed and get moving. I don't eat before i exercise but i make sure i do after, like within 20 minutes of finishing and it should be protein. still trying that one. Now i don't even have to set an alarm i just wake up and go. My incentive right now is to get out and done before the heat hits. Just got to keep trying

Fergie2154

I get up around 5:30-6am to get my exercise out of the way.... just as you are thinking about doing. Which is a good plan, if you tend to get too busy in the day and evening to fit it in.

What helped me was conditioning my body to go to bed earlier. Rather than 11pm or later (I get up way too tired and want to hit snooze if I go to bed at 11pm and plan to exercise in wee hours....). I go to bed around 10pm. Sleep is what will help ready your body for an early morning rise. Try to get at least 7-8 hours every night.

I was really tired this morning since I didn't sleep through the night and I surely didn't "feel" like working out today. ....but by 6am I said to myself.."you KNOW you are going to feel better once you get going. By the time I put my exercise gear on (and hit my garage, which is where my weights and cardio equipment are) I was feeling really good within 20 minutes of my routine. today was weights followed by Intervals on my elliptical day...

Now that I am regularly exercising in the a.m. 6 days per week, my eyelids get sooooo heavy by 9:30 that I know I will be ready to actually fall asleep at 10ish....

PS, I don't watch TV in my bedroom so once everything is shut down in the house and I hit the bed, I am ready to sleep, sleep, sleep... I try to keep the same schedule on the weekends when I workout. Get up early, don't sleep in...,get it out of the way so I can enjoy my day.

I rarely set my alarm...even on the weekends I am up and ready to go..as long as I get enough sleep. ....and like others posted, be sure you eat a good balance of healthy protein/carbs/fat within an hour after your workouts. if you don't have time to prepare a meal, this would be a good time to drink a protein shake with some berries of your choice.

Hope that helps.

sportyredhead01

In the mornings I either run outside or do the elliptical. I don't eat anything, I just get out of bed, use the ladies, squeeze on a sports bra, grab my phone, make a water bottle and go.

I have found that if I'm in bed by 9 p.m., 5:20 a.m. doesn't look quite as bad. Now I'm awake with no alarm at 5:20 every day.

Give yourself time to adjust, it's taken about 2 months for me to get used to a 5:20 wake up versus a 6:20 wake up.
For me, it's a mental adjustment as much as a physical one.

Best of luck!

Anna800

I'm not a morning person but the way I made myself do it was to go to bed early, you can't get up if you're tired. I go to bed between 9:30pm-10pm to get up at 6am. I don't eat before the treadmill, but do eat something small before body pump class such as a piece of bread or banana. When I come back then I have my protein shake.

krisiepoo

I found a happy medium in my life- i exercise over my lunch hour at work!

Morning just sucks for me, I'm dog tired

Evenings work some days and not others, commitments, life, school, dogs, etc...

After I get back to work I eat my lunch while I work.

I've been doing this for several months and it's the only thing I've been able to continue doing.

emgel9

I get up every morning at 5 am for a 50-60min cardio work out - I do weights in the evening as they don't take me that long. I HATE mornings. How do I do it? The night before I lay my workout clothes out in the workout room, put a bottle of propel on the elliptical, and make sure there is a DVD of something I want to watch ready to go in the DVD player. I never eat before I work out or I get very sick (even before a 10 mile run the most my stomach can handle is a banana). As soon as my workout is over I hit the shower and then make a protein shake (protein powder, half a banana, some frozen strawberries, almond milk, and flax seed). Some days I don't feel like it so my work outs are slower, some days I feel great and kick *kitten*...but the point is you get up and do it every day. Try doing nice and easy am work outs at first to get used to it...go for a long walk or a light jog and see how you feel then.

flechero

The absolute worst thing for "non morning people" is the snooze button. Set the alarm for when you need to get up and just get up... it will suck for a few days but you will overcome it quickly. I've watched many "night owls" become "morning people" just by not using the snooze and making a commitment to get up for 2 weeks straight.

The snooze allows you to drift in and out of sleep and causes you to remain sleepier, thinking you might get to go to sleep again, after you get up.

chaletlynn

Find a friend. It is so much easier to get up when you know someone is waiting for you! I hve been getting up at 5:00 3x a week for a year and now I hate to miss a day. It is all about the buddy system!

shiseido_faerie

Thanks everyone, these are great ideas!! I'm really feeling like if I put some of these to practice it'll be like 2nd nature very quickly!
I know it seems silly but it has helped SO much to hear about everyone's morning routine, I can more easily picture it working into mine now!

PippaJo_

I'm NOT a morning person, but if I don't exercise first thing in the morning, it doesn't get done. I have kids, and I work full-time, and we have afternoon/evening activities, and if I exercise right before bed (the only other time I'd have), then I sleep like utter crap, so - morning it is!

I started setting the alarm an hour earlier than usual, and man, was that tough. I love my bed, and my bed loves me, ha ha.

For me, the trick is - keep your workout clothes in the bathroom. I get up (sometimes 10 minutes after the alarm, sometimes 30 minutes after - I'm still not one to jump out of bed singing, you know? - but that extra time is 'built in' to a degree), head for the bathroom, and grab my clothes from the hook on the way to the toilet. Perhaps TMI, but as I'm sitting there, I kick off my jammies and put the workout gear on, so once I'm up, I'm also ready to go - practically without even realizing it. I throw my hair into a ponytail, put my shoes on, fill my water jug, and go exercise. Either elliptical, or right now I'm doing P90.

I'm not usually *thrilled* to go do it, but I just do do it anyway - once the gear is on, might as well, you know? And once I begin, and finish, I'm usually glad I did. It's easier once you start. I've gotten into enough of a habit now that I'm starting to like it, and I know I'd miss it if I didn't. It was *really* tough this morning, though, I just wanted to sleep, but I did it anyway, and I feel better, though my workout was a bit slower than usual.

After I finish, I drink a bunch of my water, stretch, then head upstairs and start my coffee while I go shower. (I hate steaming-hot coffee, so I punch the Keurig and let it cool off while I do, LOL!) After I dry off and get dressed, I go get my breakfast - usually some oatmeal because it's fast. Sometimes an egg or two, sometimes cereal and a banana if I'm really craving it, or the other day I whipped up a protein shake. I've found that I can't really eat before I exercise - I'm prone to side-stitches, so if I even have too much water beforehand, I feel like crap while working out. Plus, I like to catch up on my email or surf (or log here at MFP) while I eat, and if I do that before I exercise, it becomes way too easy to keep doing that and blow off the exercise entirely. :-P

By that time, the kids are up and eating, and it's a mad rush to get everyone out the door, so I've come to enjoy my exercise...it's a little 'me-time' before the day begins in earnest.

I also get to bed by 10pm at the latest - it's not natural to me, I tend to want to be a night-owl, but my husband needs to get to bed by 8/8:30 pm to get up at 3:30 for his shift, so I've taken to going to bed when he does, because it's easier for the household routine (and the kids should go down then too). It feels a little odd, but then when my alarm goes off at 5:50, I'm actually (usually) rested enough to force myself out of bed!

That's how I do it. Hope you find a plan that works for you! The best way is to make it mindless, so you don't even have to think about it - you just do it. However you get there is up to you. (I've heard that some people sleep in their (clean) workout clothes, so they can just get up and go - hey, whatever works, you know?)