morning workout?

degan2011

I am so busy with school, family and work that I really need to workout in the morning or it won't happen often enough... I need something to motivate me to get my butt out of bed.... I HATE early morning... I am the person who hits snooze up till the last minute. I have even stood up next to my bed to go workout and talked myself into getting back into bed again. I have to leave for work by 6:40 am.

Any ideas, thoughts on early morning motivation?

GreenLaura22

I totally understand this! I too am guilty of hitting the snooze as often as I can! On the day's when early morning is my only option...I make it as easy as possible. I set my coffee maker to have coffee ready for me at six, I put all of my workout clothing/shoes on the floor by my bed, so as soon as my feet hit the floor...there is all of my stuff....mocking me "you said today would be the day!....Are your WISHING for it? Or WORKING TOWARDS IT"

A few times a week early morning workouts are my only option for the day....I hated the thought of it...but those workouts (the ones you REALLY don't want to do) are the most rewarding ones! I have such a sense of accomplishment.

Lalouse

bump .. I'd like to hear people's thoughts on getting up early and getting their workout in the morning. I can't seem to do it either, but I am being good about afternoon workouts.

JezzD1

move your alarm clock further away so you have to get up and turn it off like the bathroom and have your gym clothes shoes next to it.

If you do it enough times with out stopping it will turn into a habit and then your body will automatically wake up and be ready to move.

CallMeCupcakeDammit

I had to set three alarms, one was across the room. I set my workout clothes out the night before, and I use an organizer to schedule my workouts a month at a time so I know what I'm doing when I get up. After a while, I stopped thinking about it and it became automatic.

weblady12

I am having the same problem. I am glad I am not alone. I just do not feel motivated to get moving. I think the clothes at the end of the bed is a good idea.

anitabrabazon

I've just started to cycle to work but tend to out off by the weather! So what I do is pack my bags the night before, have my clothes ready at the bottom of bed for the morning. I also have a rough idea of the calories I'll burn so I make a decision what to have for food that night, something with a few more calories, i.e. home made burgers with cheese and bacon, so without the cycle I can't have that yummy food so it motivates me!

PJmetts

Its hard to get started, no bones about it. I go to bed in my work out gear and allow one hit on the snooze button. I tell myself, "You WANT this, so DO IT" I can easily (and did) allow negative thoughts crawl in and send me back to bed for another hour and 8 pounds came back.
Now every morning I remind myself of that. Only I can make me get up and the only time I have is in the morning. I want this, I have to do it. It does get easier and I feel better as soon as I'm done.

brendajester03

Been working out in the morning for nearly three years now. I do it five days a week. I don't have children so it makes it easy for me but I wouldn't have it any other way. I work out at my place of business and then shower there as well. I feel so much better knowing I have accomplished this in the morning and then I don't have to worry about it in the afternoon when I don't feel like it. Good luck, you can do it!!!!!

ekaustin7

I always get my clothes and gym bag together the night before, along with my waterbottle and protein bar. I find if you wake up and know it's waiting for you, you're more likely to do it. I also set the name on my phone alarm to something like, "Gym time, get motivated!" or something like that. Corny, yes... but I find it helpful. Hope you can find something that works for you.

_zombiegirl_

I am most definitely not a morning person, either, but I get up at 5 a.m. to work out. I have to - while I love the idea of working out in the afternoons, I will simply procrastinate until I run out of time. For me, getting it out of the way first thing is the best option.

I am also a "hit snooze as long as possible" person. I put my alarm clock all the way across the room, so it is less tempting to just get back into bed. At first, I had to set it a half hour earlier, just so when I kept hitting snooze, I would eventually get sick of it and get up in enough time to exercise.

I get my clothes out the night before. That way I don't have to stumble around and wake up my dogs or little girl. lol I do the Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred, which is a 20-25-minute workout. I have to repeat to myself a lot, "It is only 25 minutes, you can do it," or, "Remember you wanted to see results..." or "You are hating this right now, but you will be so glad you did once it's over!"

Sometimes I am REALLY not feeling it, and I remember a blog I read once. The guy said, "You don't need motivation, you just need to start." He said break it into really, really small steps - for example "I just need to get out of bed," then "I just need to get my clothes on," then "I just need to do the first jumping jack..." Before you know it, you are into the workout, your blood is flowing, and by then, you're already going so you might as well finish. lol

Feel free to add me (any of you!)... I can always use some extra motivation and am happy to return the favor! Good luck!!

nlehmann

I had to set three alarms, one was across the room. I set my workout clothes out the night before, and I use an organizer to schedule my workouts a month at a time so I know what I'm doing when I get up. After a while, I stopped thinking about it and it became automatic.

This ^^ I get up at 3:30, I need to be done working out by 5:00 to be in the shower, get my 3 girls up and out the door by 6:10 to be at work by 6:45. I set my cell phone alarm to really loud in the hall or some place that it could wake my kids if it goes for too long.:happy: It makes me shoot out of bed to get it. Once I am up, I am up and no going back to the bedroom. Once your body gets into the routine it isn't so bad. Good Luck!

Seaduck79

I work out in the morning as well, and have spent the last year getting up at 4 am so that I could work out, eat breakfast, and be at the office by 7:00. It was hard, but not as hard as looking at what I used to look like in the mirror.

Also, the alternative for me was to work out after a day at the office, which meant that I wasn't eating dinner until 7:30 - 8:00, with a 10 pm bedtime. That just didn't work for me.

All that said - the routine that is the best for you is the one you will follow. If you will work out 4x/week in the afternoons but only 2x in the morning, do the afternoons until you can build enough momentum to move toward mornings more.

kt_731

I am the same way.. not a morning person. A huge motivation for me is what I have learned from this Body for Life program. They say to workout first thing in the morning (this is for cardio, not weights) on an empty stomach and then fast for an hour afterwards. After doing cardio your body continues to burn calories/fat/etc afterwards, so you rather it burn the fat on your body and not food you eat.

I have read A LOT of research and blogs on how people are burning more by working out first thing in the morning. So even though I absolutely hate getting up earlier... this motivates me. Here are some interesting links...

http://bodyforlife.com/community/boards/bfl/b/insider-blog/archive/2011/06/13/morning-exercise.aspx

http://bodyforlife.com/community/boards/bfl/f/14/t/2921.aspx

MG_Fit

I was that person too. I would wake up just in time to catch a shower and make my train.

I think for me it's a mindset, and getting to sleep at a good time. It becomes easier with time, trust me. And when I hear the alarm, I ask myself ... do I want to keep living the way I am, or slide back to what I used to be? The usually the answer is no, but there are times when I sleep in.

But here's what I do. I try to get to bed by 10pm and set my alarm for 4:10am. I usually need 1.5 hours at the gym, so this works for me.

But like I said, it gets easier with time.

Camille0502

The **ONLY** possible time I can work out now is in the morning. I wake up at 5:30am to work out each weekday. I have found for me, I just have to "do it." I do not allow myself to hit the snooze alarm, I do not allow myself to bargain with myself. I just don't think. I get on autopilot and just get out of bed. Chances are, if I hit the snooze or start making deals with myself I will end up turning the alarm off and not exercising.

I am not a natural morning exerciser - but I do find that once I am up and exercising I feel great. But, of course, there is not telling myself that when I am cozy in bed and that rude alarm goes off!

KateRunsColorado

Are you going to be going to a gym in the morning or just working out at home?

Because for me, I go to a gym, and then head straight to work after. I've found one of the most helpful things is that I have to pack all of my stuff (clothes, make up, hair dryer etc) the night before. it actually takes a bit of time, so if I end up not going the next morning, I feel bad about wasting all that time getting my stuff together for no reason! Kind of silly, but it really works for me!

lawkat

I used to believe I could never do a morning workout. What I have to do is when the alarm clock goes off, I am up. No lying there debating anything or saying 5 more minutes. Once I am up and moving, then I am good to go. I find that if I have that mental debate of whether not my bed is better than working out, I would choose my bed, but then regret it. To avoid those regrets, I get up and get moving. Also, I make sure I get to bed at a reasonable hour so that I don't feel super excited.

Just think how much you will regret that workout and by the time you actually get out of bed, you could have gotten your workout in.

CJ_Holmes

If you can find a buddy, it really helps. Many mornings where I wanted to stay in bed I got up because I knew my friend would be pissed off if I stood her up. No buddy, find some kind of accountability system, like announcing to facebook or all your co-workers that you WILL be getting up to exercise or you will pay them 5 dollars.

Once you do it for a while, the habit of getting up will get stronger. I still want to stay in bed, but I get up all on my own now. ; )

One note, though- lack of sleep can really derail weight loss, not to mention make you feel like crap, so make sure you can get a reasonable bedtime! You can do it!

RekindledRose

Chocolate protein shake and a workout DVD that takes about 20 minutes, like the 30-day shred.

The workout is short. "I can do twenty minutes!"

Then after the workout = REWARD! The frothy chocolate shake! Nice hot shower, makeup and hair, and my day is on the right track.

~ Whoo hoo! Mission accomplished.

zooles

If you can find a buddy, it really helps. Many mornings where I wanted to stay in bed I got up because I knew my friend would be pissed off if I stood her up. No buddy, find some kind of accountability system, like announcing to facebook or all your co-workers that you WILL be getting up to exercise or you will pay them 5 dollars.

Once you do it for a while, the habit of getting up will get stronger. I still want to stay in bed, but I get up all on my own now. ; )

One note, though- lack of sleep can really derail weight loss, not to mention make you feel like crap, so make sure you can get a reasonable bedtime! You can do it!

Pixi_Rex

I have have 2 of the worlds most annoying housemates (not in an I hate my housemates kind of way) that both work nights so they are awake when I wanna get up I just tell them 'Hey if i am not up by 5 please wake me up." if I dont answer their texts they continually text me and bang on my door until my dog drives me insane and I drag my *kitten* out of bed.

In the past though, sleeping in my workout clothes has worked real well, keeping my shoes by my bed also helps, if I don't have to run around finding things its easier. once you do it for a while it becomes a routine and you just do it.

zooles

This totally helps!!! If you have the knowledge that someone out there is waiting on and expecting you, there is more of a chance that it WILL happen. I have done this and not only does it help you, you will also find out the other person needs you just as much as you need them to get up and get out there.

StefPayne

I am most definitely not a morning person, either, but I get up at 5 a.m. to work out. I have to - while I love the idea of working out in the afternoons, I will simply procrastinate until I run out of time. For me, getting it out of the way first thing is the best option.

I am also a "hit snooze as long as possible" person. I put my alarm clock all the way across the room, so it is less tempting to just get back into bed. At first, I had to set it a half hour earlier, just so when I kept hitting snooze, I would eventually get sick of it and get up in enough time to exercise.

I get my clothes out the night before. That way I don't have to stumble around and wake up my dogs or little girl. lol I do the Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred, which is a 20-25-minute workout. I have to repeat to myself a lot, "It is only 25 minutes, you can do it," or, "Remember you wanted to see results..." or "You are hating this right now, but you will be so glad you did once it's over!"

Sometimes I am REALLY not feeling it, and I remember a blog I read once. The guy said, "You don't need motivation, you just need to start." He said break it into really, really small steps - for example "I just need to get out of bed," then "I just need to get my clothes on," then "I just need to do the first jumping jack..." Before you know it, you are into the workout, your blood is flowing, and by then, you're already going so you might as well finish. lol

Feel free to add me (any of you!)... I can always use some extra motivation and am happy to return the favor! Good luck!!

This is me too!! I have to do it for me and once I get started I am okay....it is the end result that motivates me to get started:-)

alpine1994

Also, the alternative for me was to work out after a day at the office, which meant that I wasn't eating dinner until 7:30 - 8:00, with a 10 pm bedtime. That just didn't work for me.

haha this is what I do and I prefer it to mornings. A big reason is that I REALLY loathe sitting at my desk all day, so by the end of the work day I can't wait to get in a great workout just to move my body. I eat my afternoon snack (usually yogurt and/or fruit) around 4pm so I can fuel myself through my 6pm workout.

Just gotta do whatever will get you to do it consistently

MJackson54

I have never used an alarm in my life so I can't give you any advice about alarms. I DO know that when I have someone waiting for me . . . nothing stops me from getting there. So, I always make sure I have a partner to work out with. Then whether it's walking, swimming, doing P90-X . . . I'm always with a partner. And I don't want to keep them waiting.

dsendre

Same here. However, I've finally found something that has worked for me the past 1.5 months. I also put my alarm across the room forcing me to actually get out of bed to shut it off. However, some days that wasn't enough and the bed would seduce me back under the covers. Now what I do is put a 5-Hour Energy on top of my alarm clock every night. That way when my alarm hits, I drink the 5-Hour Energy immediately after turning off the alarm. Even if I get back in bed, the 5-Hour Energy makes it very hard to fall back asleep which forces me to get up and start my workout. After doing this for a while it becomes routine and much easier.

I'm sure some will say that 5-Hour Energy isn't the best thing for you, which I would have to agree. However, they way I see it, the benefits of forcing me to get up and workout outweigh any negatives 5-Hour Energy might create.

kt_731

Same here. However, I've finally found something that has worked for me the past 1.5 months. I also put my alarm across the room forcing me to actually get out of bed to shut it off. However, some days that wasn't enough and the bed would seduce me back under the covers. Now what I do is put a 5-Hour Energy on top of my alarm clock every night. That way when my alarm hits, I drink the 5-Hour Energy immediately after turning off the alarm. Even if I get back in bed, the 5-Hour Energy makes it very hard to fall back asleep which forces me to get up and start my workout. After doing this for a while it becomes routine and much easier.

I'm sure some will say that 5-Hour Energy isn't the best thing for you, which I would have to agree. However, they way I see it, the benefits of forcing me to get up and workout outweigh any negatives 5-Hour Energy might create.

I may try this

bookworm_847

I like being able to sleep in, but found that if I waited until afternoon or evening to work out, it didn't get done. After work I just want to relax and hang out with my hubby. It was really hard to get started in the mornings (I'm up at 5 AM to do this now), but it's really great now that it's become part of my routine. I can enjoy the peace and quiet in the house at that time and it's great to not have any distractions so I can really focus on whatever I'm doing.

At first, it took a little bit of psyching myself up to do it and staring at my workout gear that I set right next to my side of the bed. But now I (usually) enjoy it.

Edited for a typo

MSeel1984

I finally started working out early in the morning because I made too many excuses to not go after work.

Honestly, it takes some time to get used to (at least a week), but after I got used to it, I couldn't go back. I have gotten to where I enjoy my me-time, having coffee and toast on my way to the gym. Plugging in some good music or a tv show that I want to watch and burning those calories. By the time I shower and get to work, I feel great. More energy during the day, I sleep better and I get more done at home after work (making dinner, cleaning, errands or things I WANT to do).

It's not for everyone, but if you can get into the swing of things, it's fantastic.

MelissR75

The **ONLY** possible time I can work out now is in the morning. I wake up at 5:30am to work out each weekday. I have found for me, I just have to "do it." I do not allow myself to hit the snooze alarm, I do not allow myself to bargain with myself. I just don't think. I get on autopilot and just get out of bed. Chances are, if I hit the snooze or start making deals with myself I will end up turning the alarm off and not exercising.

I am not a natural morning exerciser - but I do find that once I am up and exercising I feel great. But, of course, there is not telling myself that when I am cozy in bed and that rude alarm goes off!

^^ this is my routine exactly.