The case for morning workout

TinaK_64

That's generally when I do mine too. I find that if I don't do it first thing in the morning I'm more likely to not exercise at all. By the time I get home at night and deal with kids, homework, dinner, bath time, bed time and then my own school work I'm just too wiped. Besides like you said, it energizes me for the day and makes me feel good that I've already accomplished something today. :bigsmile:

blissfulself

100% agree! love doing more before 7:30 a.m. than lots of people do their whole day! I am always the only one at the gym and I like to plan the day out in my head and rock out to my music on the treadmill. My only issue with working out in the a.m. is sometimes I am very thirsty. I go to the gym immediately after waking up (just time to change and drink a glass of water) and I have to drink water throughout my entire run, way more than if I work out later in the day.

michwinger

I keep hitting snooze!!! I need to learn to love morning workouts!! HELP!!!! 4:30 seems crazy early to me. :noway:

Find an accountability partner who already exercises at that hour...and have them call/text you with a "Let's exercise!" or something, and then you report back to them when your workout is completed. That's what I had to do...she stopped a couple of weeks ago, and I am struggling again. Snooze is my best friend!

JNick77

Morning is the best time to exercise for me.

I run in the morning and feel great the whole day. I think I can say that I am “energized” for the day. It's a good time to think clearly, plan my day, and relax mentally.

Starting the morning with running, before other distractions can intrude, is my best fitness habit. It assures that something else won't crowd exercise out of my schedule. When my days get hectic, exercise is likely to take a back seat.

And for those who are less motivated, if you exercise in the morning, it helps you to stick with it.

I prefer morning workouts as well. It just really sets me up well for the rest of the day. I only lose about an hour and a half of sleep. Those rare times where I skip the workout to sleep I still don't feel as good as I would if I just got up and hit the gym like I should of. I find myself after a work day just mentally drained with no energy to workout. Plus, the f'in gym is so packed with people that it's nearly impossible to get any real work done in the gym anyway. I love my morning workouts.

Jenism1

I get up at 5:20 every weekday to work out. I used to go three times at week in the morning and a couple of evening aerobic/step classes the other two days. Then my inner clock just got me up at 5:20 everyday so instead of lying there trying to get back to sleep, I just got up and went to the gym. Now it frees up my evenings to spend with the family. I do go to bed at 9:30-10:00 mind you.

justal313

I like working out after my wife has put my daughter down for the night and has gone to sleep herself. Since I've already planned my glass of milk a a cookie for after I know exactly how much exercise I need to stay under my goals.

That's not to say that sometimes I go earlier but I get more time with my family by waiting until they are asleep.

wanda9501

Ok, on Monday, I will try and get up and work out. I started conditioning my body a while back and will wake up at 5:00, now I just need to get up. It want hurt me, it will only help.

sundancer1966

I love my morning workouts, It is my time to make sure I take care of myself before the demands of my job get in the way. I also like to do another workout after work, and it usually is either going to excercise with Husband and the dog delux, or if it Hubby is at his mon-wed gig, I do a dancy or yoga different than my regimented program. I like to have time for bonus workouts that I reserve for the evening, this way it stays fun. I look at it almost like a job, the morning I do my non-negetoiable, planned workout, then at night I can play.

ilovedeadlifts

whatever works for you.

for the way I eat, and the way I train, evenings are best for me.

minkakross

I'm a morning person but I enjoy my exercise in the early evening. For me that's the best time to clear my head after a day of work and by then I have eaten enough to have fuel to run on.

gimpygramma

Morning is the best time to exercise for me.

I run in the morning and feel great the whole day. I think I can say that I am “energized” for the day. It's a good time to think clearly, plan my day, and relax mentally.

Starting the morning with running, before other distractions can intrude, is my best fitness habit. It assures that something else won't crowd exercise out of my schedule. When my days get hectic, exercise is likely to take a back seat.

And for those who are less motivated, if you exercise in the morning, it helps you to stick with it.

I am not able to run but I start each day with a vigorous walk. I totally agree that it is putting it first on my schedule that prevents it from being crowded out by other concerns. I go the gym two or three afternoons a week between 1:00 and 3:00 because that is a time when they aren't busy and because I always hated retirees who hogged services during peak periods. I try for three times a week but I often only make it twice because other aspects of my life get in the way.

I can do yoga in the evening but anything strenous tends to interfere with my sleep. So this is what I have learned about me but I would strongly suggest that regardless of when you are exercising if it is working for you stick with it.

CentralCaliCycling

Morning rides take a lot longer to warm up and since I usually plan for at least two hours on the bike and then have to get ready for work I would have to start riding by 4:30 am and would not be able to get my legs and heart going until even further into the ride. I do it for races and centuries but it is not optimal for training in my case.

abigailmariecs

I have been stuck with am workouts for the last few months. I live in AZ and it is just to hot any other time of the day to work out. Today we all overslept by 2 hours so it was not possible however the evenings are finally starting to cool down. If it was just me going out for a run I would just shorten the run to compensate for the heat but since I am a stay at home mom with 2 small children who can't handle the heat well I have to think of them as well. On days like this in the summer heat I would wait until they were down for a nap then I would work out with a tae bo dvd. I can't wait for the the next month when temps start to stay in a managable area for most of the day and we can start waking up a little later and naps can be a little shorter. Much more fun to take the 2yr old to the park and find different ways to use the equiptment for a workout for myself while watching the kids play then having them take a 4 hour nap because they were up at 5 am.

thathockeychick23

Well I suppose you could consider me a morning exerciser. I'm usually doing Yoga and Strength training at 3 am. But my sleep cycle is off, so 3 am is when I'm awake. 7 am is when I'm asleep. I usually do my cardio when I wake up, which is usually the afternoon.

PJ64

I agree, when I work out in the morning I feel a kind of buzz or higher energy for the rest of the day.

In reality though it's tough to get up and I end up working out in the evening after work.

This! Also I'm usually mentally burnt by the time I get home. Plus I teach ESL at night 3 days a week and getting it done in the AM is the BEST!

CarlaC78

I get mine done in the morning because it gets it out the way ^^

jenbk2

Morning workouts don't work for me. I am still so groggy that I only workout 1/2 hearted.

RychelleD

Agreed!

Mini_Medic

I love morning workouts. I work 24hr shifts with 48hr off so I have to get up at 0430 before shift. I try hard to exercise every day and when I work a full day, the only way I can sneak a work out in is if I do it before I leave, (have to be at work at 0800). On my two off days I usually workout around 0900 when I get home or push it till the afternoon before dinner if I need a nap after shift. I can't pick a mon/wed/fri exercise schedule, so I just committed to working out every day, that way on the occasion that I skip a day, (about twice a month) it is not a huge slip up and doesn't put me into one step forward, two steps back mode.

katybjorum

I agree with you. I get up early before kids, before work, so I can workout uninterrupted. Sometimes it is hard to get out of bed but I know that my whole day is better when I workout - gives me energy & positive attitude for whole day because I already accomplished something. Plus at 5:30am I haven't eaten anything yet so that makes it easier for me to exercise. By end of day too many excuses come up.

rebasporty

I agree with the morning workouts...I have my bag packed and ready to hit it after my 30 minute commute. I feel energized and ready to start my day. I feel less stressed when at work and if I do have a stressful day...I hit it again in the eveing.

JenniBaby85

I exercise in the morning, right after the hubby leaves for work. If I don't do it in the morning, which is when I first think about it, I won't do it at all .

ChristyRunStarr

I used to be a firm believer in late night workouts, then earlier this year I said let's try mornings and I LOVE them! I still will sometimes do something after work but in the morning I agree-it helps me get up and going and gives me so much energy throughout the day. There's nothing like an early morning brisk run

LCastile

I find that morning workouts are best for me too! I spend the entire day invigorated and feeling happy that i've made another day toward my fitness goals. I am too easily distracted during the workday and it causes too many excuses not to go in the evening.

Ginnyesq

The homeless people are still asleep if I go out in the morning, and I feel kind of bad (and creeped out) waking them up. Rather go in the evening when the cops have had a chance to clear everyone out from under the bridges. Sad but true.

jlkhrk81204

You're right of course! I was needing that reminder. I'm so tired after work that other than my gym days it's hard to get myself to workout in the evening. Ok, starting on Monday 30 mins on my treadmill M-F + my three gym days I already have in my schedule.

autovatic

The homeless people are still asleep if I go out in the morning, and I feel kind of bad (and creeped out) waking them up. Rather go in the evening when the cops have had a chance to clear everyone out from under the bridges. Sad but true.

This made me laugh! I live in a rural place now, but prior to this, I've had some seriously creepy morning encounters involving sketchy people. Now, I have to worry about bears - but I think their responses are a little more predictable than Homo sapiens :P

Stay safe, lady, and let the sleeping folks lie!

ForeverChasingTheSunsets

I already have tons of energy in the morning. I usually walk my dog and then get ready to go to the office. I am alreay up between 5h30 and 6am. I have lunches to pack and the pets to feed and the dog to walk plus shower... that's enough to do for me. I find I need energy in the evening so I try to do a 7pm workout and from 8pm to 11pm I am boucing off the walls. I can do laundry, dishes, clean and get things ready for the following day for dinner. Plus, working out in the evenings means I can bring my kids to the gym (I work out at the YMCA) where they can benefit from exercise as well!