Got Up Early to Exercise for the FIRST TIME

dawn_eichert
dawn_eichert Posts: 487 Member
edited September 21 in Fitness and Exercise
To accomplish my Skinny Wednesday Challenge of two exercise sessions today, I got up extra early this morning to workout before coming to work. I am NOT a morning person at all and usually work out in the evenings. I found that my body would not cooperate. I couldn't go as intensly as I normally do and was very uncoordinated.

Do other Non-Morning folks have this issue if you try to work out in the AM? I am thinking it isn't worth the missed sleep.

Replies

  • MissNova
    MissNova Posts: 563 Member
    Great challenge for the day!

    To me I feel like I have more energy in the morning to work out. When I do get up early I feel great, after a while you will get used to it. It all depends on what works for you though.
  • foxxybrown
    foxxybrown Posts: 838 Member
    It's not worth the missed sleep if you don't have the energy. You need to go to bed earlier to make up for the sleep. It takes a lot of getting used to. Many times I've hit the snooze and turned right over but once I get in the habit, I wake up before the clock goes off. It feels good to get it out of the way in case you can't get that afternoon workout in.
  • sindyb9
    sindyb9 Posts: 1,248 Member
    I totally understand, for some reason I just cant seam to get moving that early, I am a morning person I am up at 5AM everyday but cant seam to exercise that early. during the week I walk on my lunch and on the week ends I can work out like normal around 10AM. What ever works for you. :bigsmile:
  • suzyanne
    suzyanne Posts: 50
    I'm not a morning person either, but you will feel better for it if you can keep it up. It won't take long before you get into the routine. You start tired, but as soon as you start moving, you wake up and and ready for the challenge. Good job!! I really need to start my morning exercise again.
  • Scncartist
    Scncartist Posts: 173
    Great JOB!!!! :-) I'm SO impressed. :-)

    I'm not a morning person at all, but I don't have access to a gym or anything like that. The only time I'll actually walk is in the morning (its usually too late for me by the time it cools off outside right now).

    For a multitude of reasons we got a dog, one of the benefits of having a dog is that she pretty much forces me to get her out in the morning, and often I feel guilty and take her out a little in the evenings. Its WAY easier now that we've got a dog to get me out there!

    Edited:

    Also, I've discovered that, after coming back from a walk, I have oodles of energy and am much more productive throughout the day!
  • hroush
    hroush Posts: 2,073 Member
    I am not a morning person by any means. I usually lay in bed for a good 20 minutes before I finally get up. I have done a cycling class before that early, but I'll just stick to working out at nights thank you very much.
  • bellanean
    bellanean Posts: 220
    Its the oppisite for me! I am not a morning person either, but I have to work out in the morning. When i do it after work I am so tired and I burn so many less calories during the same thing! Did you eat before you worked out? I do, just a little bit, for some energey!
  • LittlePam
    LittlePam Posts: 40
    I don't do mornings. I couldn't make myself get up and exercise. I'm with you... I would rather have the extra sleep then try and upset my balance like that.

    Exercise when you feel good. You'll get more out of it. No need to getting used to something you just don't like.

    You're doing great! :happy:
  • dharmachic
    dharmachic Posts: 21
    Ugh! This is the elephant in the room for me. I'm not a morning person either, but I intellectually know that if I added morning sessions to my routine, then not only would I have a better chance of exercising daily (if I was too tired after work in the evening to do it), but my progress would jump into high gear. I guess it's a matter of wanting it badly enough? (Which makes me a little sad that maybe I don't)

    I think I would be more willing to exercise in the morning if it was something mindless and required not as much coordination, like a treadmill or something, that you could do half asleep and gradually wake up as you're doing it. I can't imagine struggling with a program like Insanity or anything remotely requiring physical agility or coordination that early!
  • RedneckWmn
    RedneckWmn Posts: 3,202 Member
    I use to not be a morning person. I hated waking up early and could never get going. However, I forced myself to start working out in the mornings and after awhile your body does get use to it. I feel much more energized throughout the day as well. Depending how long you go start with light cardio. It does take your body some time to wake up. Then do something more intense. Great job on making yourself get up even though you aren't a morning person. If you stick with it, your body will adjust.
  • ♥jewelchristian♥
    ♥jewelchristian♥ Posts: 3,666 Member
    I was getting up early for about a month to exercise before my husband got up. I would do my exercise, and then get his coffee and lunch ready for the day and then go on with my day after he left for work.

    I stopped doing it because I found that I wasn't sleeping well and that I was becoming more tired as time went on. I do most of my exercise in the evening now, after dinner.
  • chocolateandvodka
    chocolateandvodka Posts: 1,850 Member
    I am not a morning person at all, but up until recently i have always worked out in the morning. Time-wise, it seemed to be the most convenient - and when I would accidentally sleep in, I would always make up an excuse for not fitting in exercise anywhere else in my day. However, about 3 weeks ago I switched to afternoons or evenings right after getting home from work or right before bed and wow, the difference is ridiculous. I have way more energy in the afternoons AND the following morning when I actually get it together. This week I have tried going back to a.m. workouts and I can already tell after just two tries that it will not work this time. I have less energy, less strength, it makes me even more tired during the day and it makes the morning rush even more difficult.

    The important thing to remember is to find what works for YOU, not what everyone else says is best for THEM.
  • Sumatra
    Sumatra Posts: 181
    I'm not really a morning person either, but I have found that I am MUCH more consistent with exercise if I get up and do it first thing in the morning. That way my day, or life, or excuses cannot push my exercise out of the way. I try to make myself get in bed a little earlier, I make myself get up and exercise and I usually feel fantastic the rest of the day. At least I know then that regardless of whatever else may happen that day, at least I got my exercise in!
    I do not always have the energy I want before exercising, but if I give myself just a few extra minutes to warm up and then just do it, it is always a good thing for me.

    I say go for it! You can do it! Just make the exercise a serious priority and do it even when you don't feel like it...you are totally worth the effort!
  • diet45
    diet45 Posts: 392 Member
    I'm not really a morning person. I will have to start getting up early just to get ready for work. We have four kids and I have to get up and get ready, then get them up and make sure they are all ready for school. It is going to be a challenge, but I think I'll be getting up at 5:30 am, how sad to get up that early and not be able to exercise. I think I exercise when I get home from work about 2:00, then after my daughter goes to bed...that is the plan!!!
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    The key to good morning work outs are a few things: GOOD sleep, lots of water...and maybe a little bit of food in your belly just for some added energy.
  • Jena_72
    Jena_72 Posts: 1,057
    Ha! So funny I have been TALKING about excercising early in the morning before work for months! I am getting closer to doing it I swear!! LOL I recently met a lady in my area that goes to the same gym as I do, and she told me she goes @ 5:30am a few times a week. So I AM going to join her very soon! I figure if I work out first thing in the morning I will do a couple of things 1. get my workout out of the way 2. I will think twice before eating something throughout the day 3.ENERGY!!

    I will let you know how it works out for me. I think maybe do it a few more times, to give your body time to adjust, you never know if given a chance it might be the best thing for you.

    Thanks for the post it helped remind me to go ahead and get the FIRST TIME out of the way!!
  • cbuggin22
    cbuggin22 Posts: 121 Member
    It's not worth the missed sleep if you don't have the energy. You need to go to bed earlier to make up for the sleep. It takes a lot of getting used to. Many times I've hit the snooze and turned right over but once I get in the habit, I wake up before the clock goes off. It feels good to get it out of the way in case you can't get that afternoon workout in.

    I work out in the morning because I work 12 hour days. If I don't do it in the morning it won't get done. I found I had to start going to bed earlier. I don't get home till 8pm, so sometimes it's hard to get to bed on time. I started making myself be in bed by 10 pm. I get up at 6am and do 20-30 minutes. I find that it helps keep my energy up for the rest of the day and keeps my appetite down. I think if you just keep doing it you'll get used to it and find that the pros will outweigh the cons.
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