morning workouts

Wish there was a magic answer but there isn't. How badly you want this will determine how motivated you are to wake up early. It's really just your choice.

Oooh I thought of one more thing. I would put a piece of gum in my mouth as soon as I got up. Ha. Weird I know but it woke me up and made my breath bearable because I literally walked right out the door without brushing teeth or anything until after

Get your gear ready, set your alarm clock and (if possible) try to get to bed a little earlier.

If you're not a natural morning person it takes a little while but you will get into the habit. I'm lucky, I don't need an alarm clock to wake up and going for a morning run (or row etc) starts my day in a great way.

When I was working out that early, I'd go to bed with my workout gear on, and put your shoes, socks, and ipod or whatever next to your bed. Then you are set as soon as you get up. Not sure why but it helped. Also, and this one may be tougher, if you can find a workout buddy to meet you at the gym or wherever you are working out if its not at your house, it's so much easier because you are accountable to someone. Good luck!

I absolutely love this idea!!!!! I am definitely trying this! Thanks for all the great advice....the gum idea is also fantastic!!! 5am gym time here I come!!

It definitely does get easier once it's your routine... it took me getting someone to do it with me at first. I got up because i knew someone was waiting for me. A year later, I go on my own no problem!

Sara, I was never a morning person and I cant say I am now but I made a commitment to myself that I was going to get up and exercise before work and now I do. I cant say that it is a whole lot easier now than when I first started but it is a lot harder to talk myself into going back to sleep once the alarm goes off. I hear a little voice in my head telling me that if I dont get up and exercise now that it wont get done. I cant tell you that it is easy but it is worth it.

will it just get easier as I start to do it more often?

More or less, yes. Some mornings will be better/worse than others, but, as someone else mentioned - you'll have to WANT to do it.

I start work at 8:30am and get up around 5:30am to work out. I am NOT a morning person and absolutely hate getting up that early. I never would have believed I would be able to do it. Now if I don't exercise in the morning I feel like a slug all day. Eventually it feels good to have that energy from getting your body moving in the morning. I sleep in my workout clothes and roll out of bed to work out.

I used to get up at 5:30am every morning to work out and really had to force myself to do it the first couple of weeks, but after that it became a habit and I found that it wasn’t such an effort because I loved how I felt. It was great to start the day feeling like I’d achieved something brilliant before most people were even out of bed and I had so much more energy during the day as well. I had to stop for a while and only started again this morning, but even after months off from that I still had no trouble getting out of bed early today because I knew the rewards would be worth the effort.

Hope you find the same thing when you get into it!


Edited to add: If you have a smart phone, there’s an app called “Sleep Cycle” which I found really helpful in the early days. You set the alarm in the app to wake you up, say at 5am, and have it next to your pillow on your bed. It monitors your sleep pattern and wakes you up (more gently than a normal alarm) at a point when you’re not in a deep sleep between the time you set and a half hour beforehand. That was amazing because I’d wake up early but without that foggy-headed haze you sometimes get when you’re woken suddenly from a deep sleep.

I used to work out in the mornings when everyone at home was still asleep but you know what the best part was. The morning love making to my husband. So awesome!!!! I know its hard to get up but you will feel so energized and happy if you do. I no longer work out in the morning becuase I now have 4 children but I will pretty soon. I love the energy that working out in the morning gives you. I think you should go for it.

It seems to me that 950PM is very late. In order to wake up at 4AM or 5AM you would need to go to bed earlier than 10PM. Maybe try to adjust your schedule around your morning workout. I try as much as possible to finish work and everything I need to do before 9PM. If I get a good night's sleep I can run before 5AM without a problem. If I go to bed late chances are I will not be able to do anything the next morning let alone running 5 miles in the cold NYC weather

My schedule is pretty much the same. Its tough! I had my bag all packed for the gym this morning... alarm clock went off at 4:30 am and I turned it off and went back to sleep! UGH!!!

It is tough doing workouts in the morning, but that's when you have most of your strength because you are rested and it will get easier as you see progress; you'll be more motivated, but there some days when you are just saying UUUUGGGHH! not again.

It will pay off. Stay consistent

ive no problem with morning workouts its after 6pm I cant manage,Im just a mirning person,Im asleep at 9.30 at night ,drives everyone nurts!