When that alarm goes off at 5 am...

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yeags84
yeags84 Posts: 26 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi everyone, I've been using MFP for a little while now, but haven't posted much, so here goes...

I am not a morning person. But I MUST start working out in the mornings, because its just not happening in the evenings after work. When I get home after work, I just want to curl up with my 2 dogs and relax. So its GOT to be the mornings. But when that alarm goes off at 5 am... I hit snooze. Like 10 times.

For those of you who work out in the morning, how do you motivate yourself to get out of bed and get moving?

Replies

  • Tetonia
    Tetonia Posts: 79 Member
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    I put the alarm clock in the bathroom so I have to walk a distance. Then, since I am up, I go to the gym. It is hardest the first week or so. Then it starts to get easier. Get to bed earlier so you have enough sleep.

    Good luck!
  • WoWkat
    WoWkat Posts: 48 Member
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    I can't get up in the morning either. I get up at 7 for work and THAT is hard enough for me. I leave for work at 8:15 and get home from work at around 7. I've started taking my boxer out on runs when I get home, that way it satisfies my desire to spend doggie time first thing when I get home, and he now expects it so I HAVE to go for a run, otherwise he's disappointed.
  • daffodilsoup
    daffodilsoup Posts: 1,972 Member
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    I find that getting everything ready the night before helps - I pack my bags, my lunch, my work clothes, and have it all ready for me in the morning so all I need to worry about is rolling out of bed, getting dressed, and heading to the gym.

    I live by myself, so sometimes I set an alarm 10-15 minutes before I'm supposed to get up. I turn on my light and just kind of lounge in bed and wake up slowly until my "real" alarm goes off.

    Ultimately though, I treat it as part of my day. Just like I wouldn't think of going to work late, or meeting friends late, or skipping my trip to the grocery store, the gym is a scheduled part of my day, and it's not optional. I schedule days off, but on my on days, I've made a commitment.

    ETA: This may sound silly or obvious, but I get a solid 8 hours of sleep per night. I wake up at six, so I'm sure to be in bed by ten. It makes a huge difference when you're getting up the next morning, and isn't too hard to do with some proper planning!
  • Tat2dDom0105
    Tat2dDom0105 Posts: 661
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    I get up at 4am to get my workout in. I've been doing this for a few years now, so i'm used to it.
  • PaleoChocolateBear
    PaleoChocolateBear Posts: 2,844 Member
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    I sit on the edge of my bed drink some water, and just know this is my time to get it done. When I'm finished with my workout and about to go eat a healthy breakfast and see everyone at 7am hitting up the Hardee's McDonald's Burger King Chick Fil a Bojangles drive thru I just think damn I just burned about 500 calories and they're about to put 700 calories in their body. It just feels good to work out in the morning and get fit.
  • luvya7sandra796
    luvya7sandra796 Posts: 124 Member
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    I wake up at 5 in the morning, during the week , because I have to get my kids ready to go to school. I usually, wake them up after 6 am. So, I have an half hour to work out and get things ready, before I wake them up. To wake up, I have two alarms. One That is a little before five. Around 4:55 am and the other alarm is at 5:00 Am. When I hear it I Get up! I have been doing this for 5 months. It helps, me out!
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
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    I get everything ready the night before and set up the coffee to start brewing when the alarm goes off. I tell myself to put my feet on the floor, that I'm going to get more out of my exercise session that I will from sleeping longer, that the coffee will be best if I drink it fresh. Etc. It works most mornings.
  • Rockstar_JILL
    Rockstar_JILL Posts: 514 Member
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    Come Summer... "June-Sept" I will be up running early..it is just the sunshine that motivates me! I know it is good weather and I want to run when.....Good luck! Just hold out for summer!!
  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
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    I get up at 5am each day to hit the gym. Have been doing it for two years.

    Like others have posted, I find that putting out clothes, packing gym bag, setting up coffee pot, then getting in bed early enough all make a difference. I also think about how good I will feel at 730am when I've finished my workout and head to work. Like most things, it gets easier with time and just becomes a habit. Stick with it! You will be glad you did.
  • Rockstar_JILL
    Rockstar_JILL Posts: 514 Member
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    Getting that workout in BEFORE work is an awesome feeling! Good luck to all with that!
  • CakeFit21
    CakeFit21 Posts: 2,521 Member
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    When the alarm goes off at 5 am, I've already been out of bed for an hour.
  • wcugirl04
    wcugirl04 Posts: 26 Member
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    I have three kids and my husband works around 65 hours a week, so I really have to schedule, schedule, schedule. I work as a teacher and after school I either have meetings or I tutor, then it's home for dinner and tee ball practice, Church etc. So,,,,I have recently been getting up around 5 or so to workout..I really enjoy it, bc at night I am exhausted and when my kids go to bed, the last thing I want to do is exercise. I am motivated by the weight I am losing, and it helps to start my day, and I really have more energy during the day when I make myself get up. I need to go to bed earlier, but my kids are also night owls, so that can be tricky. It is a struggle, but once I'm up, I'm up and I actually enjoy the quiet time. Good luck!!:smile:
  • Mummyadams
    Mummyadams Posts: 1,125 Member
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    Mine goes off at 5.30am, I hit that button and get out of bed - pretty simple.
    My work out clothes are already laid out in the bathroom, I plaster my hair down and off I go - bag is laready pcked in the car. I'm at the gym or Crossfit at 5.45.
    I work full time and have 4 x children - mornings are my only option.
  • agirlscamaro
    agirlscamaro Posts: 175 Member
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    I rotate different methods. My current one is an app that makes me solve math problems just to snooze. It's at easiest level because I discovered 11-7 is utterly hard stuff at 5am when you were just asleep. I should add I HATE math. I have to solve two problems to turn it off.

    I also have a clocky. It's this clock that has wheels and will roll off the nightstand and make weird noises until you get up, find it and snooze it.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    you could just workout in the afternoon..

    I have never been a morning person..tried working out in am and just felt too lethargic..

    so now I come home from work ..throw my work out stuff together and hit gym ..I find that it is great stress relieve after a hard days work ...

    It sounds like your suffering from actual motivation to GO to the gym and not from a lack of TIME to go the gym ..you might want to consider that ..

    If your morning and afternoons are open and you still can't seem to drag yourself to the gym, maybe that should be the consideration..
  • wllwsmmr
    wllwsmmr Posts: 391 Member
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    I don't necessary wake up that early but I work out first thing once I wake up so I guess I can relate! I like the relief that comes with getting a work out done before anything else in the day. That motivates me! Sometimes I'm tired/lack of sleep/just lazy but I just open my eyes and lay there for a minute or two, then sit up for a minute or two, and I find this little transition helps make getting up on my feet easier! Then I drink cold water with a slice of lemon and I find that wakes me up pretty well!

    When I was in college I made it a point to work out before my classes and that means working out at 6/7am so I get the dread. But it gets easier because it becomes a habit. I also like to not have to worry about having to workout because you never know what might crop up in school/work, or your friends/colleagues want to go out and have some fun etc.

    Also, alarm-wise, I have always set multiple alarms before my final actual waking time because I am a 'snoozer' and so it helps! There is nothing wrong with snoozing, just trick yourself and set earlier alarms :)

    You might also find that you would wanna eat better just because you don't want to waste the calories you burned on nasty stuff :)

    Try it and give it a month. If it really doesn't work then switch to noon or night workouts. You just have to choose the time that works best for your schedule AND your energy levels!
    Good luck!
  • yeags84
    yeags84 Posts: 26 Member
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    Thanks EVERYONE for your advice! Day one down! Woke up at 5 am, one snooze, and then got up and did my first day of 30DS!
  • sariah004
    sariah004 Posts: 5
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    I've started sleeping in my workout clothes some nights. Lol! I get up at 5am as well. It is tough, but knowing that you took care of it first thing in the morning is a great feeling! Good luck!
  • Lyerin
    Lyerin Posts: 818 Member
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    I signed up for a boot camp class at my gym that starts at 5:45 AM. I *have* to be there so I get up and go because the whole class is there waiting for me. If you can't do something like that, get a buddy to work out with or at least to be accountable with (i.e. a check-in sometime during the day about the workout).

    I also put out my clothes, HRM and sneakers the night before so in the AM, even half asleep, I can get up, slip into the clothes, grab my sneakers and go. I get up at 5:20 to be at the gym by 5:45. It takes me, at most, 15 minutes to be out the door.

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