Morning exercisers..how do you do it?

iamheretowin

Hi all..
I want to exercise first thing in the morning. I work all day. At night I have kids and a man underfoot.
First thing in the morning is the best time for me. Everyone is still sleeping and I get it done for the day.

Once I get out of bed and get started I feel awesome. But I have a get out of bed problem.
Does anyone else have this problem? and what motivates you to do it?

Im_NotPerfect

Knowing it's the ONLY time I have. It sucks getting out of bed early when everyone else is sleeping. So you just have to do it. I set my clothes out so all I have to do is grab them and go into the bathroom and change. It's not fun. But once you get used to it...you'll be fine.

KitchenAbs

Sorry, there isn't really a trick to it. Just leap out of bed.

I guess you could put your fitness clothes by the bed so you don't have to wander around to get changed etc. I find downing a pint of water makes me feel a bit more alert

lstnlondry

I have that problem also but when I m one w/my 4:45 am Bootcamp class it's all worth it!

kimharper13

I get up every morning at 5 am and swim for an hour and half. There are some mornings that I want to hit the snooze button and I just talk to myself and tell myself I need to do it and remind myself how great I feel after the swim.

karen_alexander83

I got an elliptical ($450) for myself along with a door pulley system for strength training, free weights, and exercise ball. Then I decorated a special room just for exercising. I keep my laptop in there and watch my favorite shows that my husband doesn't like while I exercise. It's easier to wake up when I get to go into my Zen Den, warm-up with stretches, get going on the elliptical and enjoy some trashy TV like Grey's Anatomy. I love my routine and after about 2 months of doing this every work-day I got to the point where if I don't exercise I feel awful. It's the first time in my life I've stayed with an exercise and weight-loss program for over a year and I think the hour of exercise in the morning makes all the difference.

Beckyloo80

Basically, it's the only time i have, I also have 2 kids and a man underfoot, work full time. If I don't drag my *kitten* out of bed for a 5am workout, it won't get done. I guess gaining my weight back is enough motivation for me to get up and get to my work out.

Good luck!

tvanhooser

I just tell myself it's not a choice....it's just the way things have to be. So like Agent K advises, I don't even ask myself a question I don't really want to know the answer to...namely do I WANT to get out of bed and do this? Cause the answer is a given -- NO! But if I don't ask and just assume it's the way things are done and go along with it regardless of how I feel, then it just gets to be an automatic habit. Don't overthink it, just do it.

wolfgate

Knowing if I don't I'm instead going to have to find a way to wedge it into a packed day generally gets me up. It's hard to go out running on a cold and windy or rainy morning - but the alternative is less fun. So I do.

twerkthat

I definitely have that problem..but it's mind over matter...if you want it bad enough you just have to do it...and since that's the best time to do it..get your alarm ready have your shoes by the bed and try to movtiate yourself to get up and go...don't think about it just do it...because you can..know that the outcome will be worth it...so go get it :}

californiagirl2012

Hi all..
I want to exercise first thing in the morning. I work all day. At night I have kids and a man underfoot.
First thing in the morning is the best time for me. Everyone is still sleeping and I get it done for the day.

Once I get out of bed and get started I feel awesome. But I have a get out of bed problem.
Does anyone else have this problem? and what motivates you to do it?

It's hard. I just get up and do it without thinking. The only time I don't is if it is genuine fatigue and you will know the difference.

jojeh2011

as folks have alluded... there's no easy fix. you just have to do it. i used to go in the evenings, but switched to mornings about 2 months ago now. its so much better. you get it out of the way for the day (SO hard to go to the gym after a long day's work) and it really revs you up for the remainder of the day and reminds you to stay on track food-wise.

i dont remember where, but i did see this pillow a while ago that had the words "go to the gym" boldly embroidered on it. that is awesome. sometimes a little reinforcement goes a long way...

good luck, and yay to morning workouts!

marikevr

My mantra is that you never regret the workout that you did have, only those that you didn't.

ssawchenko

I go to a morning 'bootcamp' class that has me up at 5:50am (which is early for me). Even years later it's still not pleasant or easy to get up, but here's some ways that have helped me:

* Pack your bag the night before (although I still don't always do this). Then you don't have the daunting task of packing your bag when you're tired.
* Find a workout buddy (if possible). Essentially having that will make you account for 'missing' a workout is motivation to get out of bed. Even a class or something, where the instructor can question you if you don't make it to a session
* Keep a food/exercise journal (and you're here, so yay!). Being able to write down that workout is motivation to do it - like getting a new high score Plus when you're tracking food too, that workout can be pretty motivating to help equalize those numbers.

krislshoe

I get up at 4:40 3 days a week to run with a friend....then i run on my own on Saturdays.....having those two days during the week to sleep in and look forward to really helps...i have 3 kids, hubby, and crazy busy schedule in the evening so morning is the only time that works for me....but it realy helps if you can find someone to work out with...knowing my friend is going to be waiting on me gets me out of bed every time.

Zomoniac

What everyone else says. There's no easy way really (unless you go down the downing water just before bed so you're forced to get up to use the toilet route). You just have to want to enough.

recriger

It will suck for a long time. Then slowly you will come to like it (most of the time). I mix between taking pride in forcing myself up and enjoying the alone time. Alone in more than one way. My running route is along a street that is always traffic jammed so you get tired of people real quick, so that's the first. The second is that my girls are stil sleep. I can do whatever I want with that time and I don't have to worry about being persusded to do something else.

Velum_cado

I've just started the "get up early to exercise" thing. It suuuuucks, and I'm still struggling a bit to get used to it. But I know that if I don't just get up and do it, I'm so busy that I won't do it at all that day, and then my weight loss efforts will suffer. I find it's a bit easier if I set the alarm 10 minutes or so before I actually want to be out of bed, so I can wake up a bit and motivate myself to get up and work out. I think that once I get used to it more, and it becomes a bigger part of my routine it'll get easier. At least I hope it will.

smboston

The alarm goes off and I get out of bed. I also programmed the alarm on my phone and I turn it up and put it right outside of the bedroom so I have to get up to turn it off. Once I'm up and I stay up and just get dressed and leave. I don't give myself enough time to make the decision to go back to bed.

kelseyhere

It was REALLY hard for about 3 months, then it got easier. You have to create the habit. oh yeah, and go to bed earlier!

lay out all your clothes at night beforehand and set a timer on your coffee maker. the smell helps draw me out of bed.

geechegal

GREAT QUESTION !!!!!! I think that morning is the best time for many people.

1. Go to bed earlier than you are used to. Take your vitamins at night while your body is slowly processing it.

2. Since you can already get up before everyone, don't try to get your heart pumped right away in the beginning. Start by lying back on the floor and slowly doing crunches, warming up.

3. This gives you time to think about what you are going to next. Treadmill, jumping jacks, workout video, walking or whatever your routine is. You have got to give your mind a few minutes to wake up also.

4. While you are doing your workout, organize your family's day in your mind and what you are going to eat for that healthy breakfast. Do this in about 30 minutes and you already have a head start on the day.
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