Tips on getting out of bed to work out!!!

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Sewinator
Sewinator Posts: 10 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I am coming back to the workout world after being out for almost 10 years. I used to wake up every morning at 5am and go for a run. Now, 50 pounds heavier and 10 years older I can't seem to drag my lazy butt out of bed!
I lay out my clothes the night before, set up my bag for the gym, even fill my water bottle, and once that alarm goes off in the morning I just keep hitting snooze until I don't have enough time to make it to the gym.
However, on the days I do make it I feel so great all day. While I am there it is so rejuvinating.
Any tips/pointers on ways to motivate myself to get out of the bed? I live alone and it is so easy to just make an excuse to sleep another hour.
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Replies

  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
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    Decide to do it and just do it. There's no magic, no motivation pill. You just have to quit hitting snooze and get out of bed and do whatever it is you planned to do.

    Or you can go ahead and keep making excuses for why everyone's advice won't work for you. It's all up to you.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    Decide to do it and just do it. There's no magic, no motivation pill.

    This times a million. Either you're going to go or you're not going to go. Decide now for yourself. Decide now. Decide.
  • ddavies919
    ddavies919 Posts: 1,005 Member
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    I've been getting up at 4am to workout and I still struggle from time to time.

    I always lay out my workout clothes the night before so I know they're just waiting for me. And on those mornings when I'm laying in bed, debating (and by that time, I'm already awake anyway), I think of how I'll be one day closer to my goal. I think of my goals, what I want to look like, etc and that usually does it for me.

    But like they said, there's no magic in it, just tell yourself how much better you'll feel once you do, get up and do it! You can!
  • cristeberga
    cristeberga Posts: 251 Member
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    Bumping to read later ...
  • Cyclink
    Cyclink Posts: 517 Member
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    Go to bed early enough that you can get 7 to 8 hours of sleep. If you're well rested, you'll have no problem getting up.

    After several days (or weeks) of going to bed early and getting up on time, your body will be so used to getting up that you will find you can't sleep any longer and you may as well get up and get your workout in!
  • mk_hammer
    mk_hammer Posts: 105
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    Why don't you try working out later on in the day?

    I've tried the morning workout thing .... not for me. I was miserable waking up before 5 AM to work out. So, I go to the gym after work (around 6 or 6:30 PM). It works much better for me!
  • nklunk
    nklunk Posts: 149 Member
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    With my new schedule I have to get up at 4am to get a morning workout in. So I set my alarm about 15min fast so I think I'm sleeping in a little and I also put my alarm clock on the dresser to where I have to get up to turn it off so that way I'm up and have no excuses. I also do the lay my clothes out the night before. You have to want to do it before you will actually do it!!!
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    If you don't have the self discipline to get it done on your own, I cant imagine strangers on the internet can help you. There's no secret. Just do it. Decide and take action.
  • PollyWolly98
    PollyWolly98 Posts: 112
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    The first time I worked out in the morning, I felt the same way. But when the time changed, I didn't have another option unless I wanted to run after dark. I just get my clothes out and stuff ready to go before I go to bed. I don't hit snooze and just go. The first few times it was a bit of an adjustment, but now it's pretty easy (unless it's really cold outside or windy). I mainly wanted to say that having an accountability partner helps out, also. Just having someone that knows I should be running on Tues, Thurs and Sat and that will ask how it went has really helped me out a lot. I also enjoy having a training goal that might be affected by my not getting up and running (like preparing for a race). It's tough, but you can do it!
  • Cindy873
    Cindy873 Posts: 1,165
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    If it's too difficult to get up so early, ease into it. Get up 15 minutes early the first day and do a short workout. A few days later, bump it back another 15, and so on until you reach the time you need to get up for a full workout.
  • TNH76
    TNH76 Posts: 47 Member
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    I struggle to get up in the mornings to workout in the winter months as well. I pack my gym bag the night before. My alarm clock is across the room so it forces me out of bed to stop the noise. I also use a Verilux Rise and Shine Alarm clock which starts to gradually lighten the room so I am not trying to wake up in a pitch black room (it is extremely hard for me to wake up when it is still dark outside). Lastly, I will intentionally drink one or two cups of water or herbal tea at night before bed. Therefore, when my alarm goes off I have to go to the bathroom so urgently (I know TMI), that I cannot hit the snooze button and I am forced out of bed.
  • Bakkasan
    Bakkasan Posts: 1,027 Member
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    I just get up and go. After Coffee. That's #1.
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
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    I just get up and go. After Coffee. That's #1.

    Coffee makes me go #1.
  • iplayoutside19
    iplayoutside19 Posts: 2,304 Member
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    1. Set everything you'll need out the night before
    2. Go to bed early enough that you get enough sleep. If this means skipping your fav show, ballgame, or playing on social media...you have to decide what you want more.
    3. Set alarm
    4. Sleep
    5. Get up and get after it, and after an hour the hardest part of your day is over.
  • lkweber21
    lkweber21 Posts: 27 Member
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    I can relate to this. I set my alarm every morning for 5 am and have been doing this for months! I have yet to get up and go to the gym at 5 am. I used to be able to do this but now I just can't make myself. I have been going to the gym after work and this is working for me but I still set my alarm at 5am :) It feels so much nicer to have my workout done in the morning but I just can't make myself do it.
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
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    Treat it like a job -- you may not want to get up and go to work, but you do it anyway. Make it not optional -- unless you've decided the night before that you won't do it, there is no reason to not get up when the alarm rings.

    Like the ads say, "Just do it." It really is that simple.
  • greenpointmoni
    greenpointmoni Posts: 69
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    Why don't you try working out later on in the day?

    I've tried the morning workout thing .... not for me. I was miserable waking up before 5 AM to work out. So, I go to the gym after work (around 6 or 6:30 PM). It works much better for me!
    I second this. I kept saying I would get up in the morning to workout and never did, for months, it was keeping me from reaching my goals. So then I just said screw it and started working out after work. I have less evening time to do 'me' stuff, but it's worth it.
  • mmddwechanged
    mmddwechanged Posts: 1,688 Member
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    you are doing much better than me because you make it sometimes. I'm actually going to copy you: lay everything out the night before, and get up and run some of the time. Who knows, maybe some of the time will become most of the time!
  • FluffyDogsRule
    FluffyDogsRule Posts: 366 Member
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    i'm a 4:30 getter-upper. :) DO NOT HIT SNOOZE!!!!!!!!!!!!! just get RIGHT UP. it sucks...but i've never once regretted it! just GET RIGHT UP!!!!
  • sarahrichards81
    sarahrichards81 Posts: 79
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    I had this problem too - I'd lay my workout clothes out, water bottle filled, alarm across the room. The trouble was every time my alarm went off I'd snooze 'just once'. That just once turned into twice, then three times etc and before I knew it I'd run out of workout time. Then my wonderful fiance came up with an ingenious solution which works every time. Instead of setting one alarm set 5 alarms each to go off after each other and set your snooze time for 5 minutes. This essentially means that until you actually get up and turn them all off they go off every minute. Once you've gone to the effort of turning them all off you're awake and just get on with your workout.

    It works best on my iPhone because then you can set multiple alarms on one device.

    Stick with it - it'll only take a couple of weeks to get back into the routine and then after that you'll have no problem

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