Morning exercisers..how do you do it?

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  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
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    I've been doing it since January... I've learned a few tricks along the way:

    Sleep in your workout clothes. At least you sports bra and shorts/pants. Keep the rest of your outfit where ever you get ready (for me it's the bathroom) so all you have to do is walk from bed to the bathroom to get ready. I already have my hair tie, bobby pins, and tooth brush sitting on the counter ready to go.

    Keep things simple. If you need things together for the gym, pack your gym bag the night before. I have my bag hanging on the back of the kitchen chair with my shoes and sweatpants sitting next to it so it's all grab and go. Also, I fill up my 2 shaker bottles with protein and pre-workout powders the night before and throw in my bag so all i have to do is add water at the gym.

    Also, I lay out my clothes and I pack my lunch for work the night before so if I run a little late at the gym I don't have to rush around before work getting everything ready.

    Lastly, I set my alarm 15 minutes earlier than I actually need up. That way, if I do feel like snoozing it, I'm still up on time.
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
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    To the people getting up at 4, 5 and 6am, what time do you go to bed?

    I get up at 4:15, I try to be in bed by 9:30. Sometimes 10.
  • jekissa729
    jekissa729 Posts: 65
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    For me, taking those frst steps out of the door is the hardest part! I run and can't stand running on the dreadmill. If you have an alarm set, move it across the room so you have to get up to turn it off. Lay your exercise clothes out the night before or better yet sleep in your excercise clothes, so all you have to do is roll out of bed! And know that the morning is the ONLY time you have to exercise and that you will feel great for the rest of the day b/c you will be burning calories all day long!!
  • jekissa729
    jekissa729 Posts: 65
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    To the people getting up at 4, 5 and 6am, what time do you go to bed?

    I get up at 6 am and go to bed at 9 pm every night.
  • careycm616
    careycm616 Posts: 59
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    bump
  • careycm616
    careycm616 Posts: 59
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    My mantra is that you never regret the workout that you did have, only those that you didn't.

    Love it! Going to write it down now. Thanks :)
  • gingerveg
    gingerveg Posts: 748 Member
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    I use 2 techniques
    1. Get up and get going before my mind realizes what I'm doing
    2. Cruise pinterest health and body section for inspiration that usually helps motivate me
    You really just need to be motivated
  • lenniebus
    lenniebus Posts: 321 Member
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    I go to bed at 9:30-10:00. Up at 5:00.
  • FammaMel
    FammaMel Posts: 293 Member
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    Morning is the only time I have. Its just a matter of repetition, I think. I get up at 4-4:30 a.m. Not exactly the hour anyone would want to wake up but it gives me time to wake up, have my coffee and settle in the day a bit before working out at 5 a.m. I also like the benefits I reap when working out in the morning - I eat better, feel better and my mood is so much better when I do workout in the morning which is good for everyone.

    Just keep at it and find your groove. You will get there.
  • BakerRunnerBadass
    BakerRunnerBadass Posts: 1,359 Member
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    Once you get into the habit it gets easier. I switched jobs in April and thought it would be very easy to get up for a workout in the morning now that I was leaving for work at 8am instead of 5:30am, but it did take awhile to adjust and I still struggle some days.
    I aim to be in bed no later than 10pm so that I can get up anywhere between 5am and 6am. As my workout involves taking the dogs for a run I will do a shorter run on the days that I am struggling to get out of bed and want to stay in longer.

    Oh and keeping a similar sleep routine (time to bed and time up within an hour) on the weekends I find helps as well.
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
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    For me it's the reminder of how crappy I will feel if I don't do it. I know I just need to get out of bed and then the rest will go from there. It's the old "one foot in front of another". Just swing my legs out of bed and stand up and the rest takes care of itself.
  • emzilee
    emzilee Posts: 96 Member
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    I wish I was a morning person like you guys, but I'm just not. Though I am getting better - last year I had afternoon classes, and even though for the week or so I'd get up in the morning to "do things", I slipped until I was waking up at noon for class at 2pm. And that was my entire day wasted!

    I usually exercise after class (I swim, and last entry is 4pm) but since I have an afternoon job now, I'm trying to use my morning better. I got up at 7.30am this morning and went for a swim, but it's now 7.30pm and I'm so sleepy that I've missed my Spanish conversation meet (the cold and rain don't help either!).

    Going to bed at 9 or 10pm just doesn't work for me - with my lifestyle, everything happens at night. Until recently my normal bedtime was around 2.30am, though I've managed to get that back to about 00.30am most nights. If I went to bed at 9pm, I just wouldn't sleep.

    I'm sure I'll change my tune once I finish university and get into the REAL world.
  • Nsdnjbl
    Nsdnjbl Posts: 66 Member
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    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?


    You wrote exactly what I was going too. I have the hardest time MAKING myself get out of bed. I too love the feeling I get, but it's the motivation I lack!!!
  • jonesin_am
    jonesin_am Posts: 404 Member
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    Okay, pretty much the same thing as everyone else. I am not and never have been a morning person. Once upon a time I worked out during my lunch hour because that was the only time I would do it consistently. Then I started attending a 5am bootcamp class 3 days a week where the leader sends out an email after every session recapping the morning's workout and calls out all those that did NOT attend! This helped me. Accountability. Then I started running on my off days. Well at first I had good intentions but was rarely able to convince myself to get out of bed. Then I asked for a running partner. Again, accountability.

    I have found that if I have someone, other than myself, to be accountable to I am more likely to get my butt out of bed! I know I should be able to do it for me...and I do. But knowing there is someone there waiting for me is the extra push I need.

    I've been doing this for about 6 months now and it's only a little bit easier now than when I first started. Recently I made my phone background a picture of myself before weight loss and working out. So when my alarm goes off on my phone I see my fat self. Seeing that reminds me why I NEED to get out of bed!

    And then things like getting your clothes ready the night before, drinking water, etc. make getting up a little less daunting. But figure out what your ultimate motivation is and work with that. Getting a workout in before everyone gets up in the morning (i also have three kids and a husband and a full time job) means more time with the family. It is also very energizing and makes me feel great having it done and out of the way. Otherwise I think about it all day...and then never end up doing anything. For me...it's morning time or not at all. GOOD LUCK!!!

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