Morning Person ? Advice Please!

kaylacroswhite
kaylacroswhite Posts: 19 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I really want to be the kind of person who works out first thing in the morning, but every single time my 5:30 alarm goes off, I turn it off and end up working out later in the day. Does anyone know of any tricks that would help motivate me to get the heck out of bed?! haha

Replies

  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    I don't make it an option. The alarm goes off and I get up without thinking about it. If I do, i choose to go back to bed. I make my decision the night before, All of my gear is ready to go and then I do it.
  • britzzie
    britzzie Posts: 338 Member
    If working out later in the day works for you, why change it? Just food for thought.

    I sleep in my workout clothes and make sure everything is ready to roll (bag and lunch packed, etc.) before I go to bed. My alarm clock is across the room, so shutting it off requires me to get up. I literally brush my teeth, put my shoes on, and walk out the door. (No selfies of me at the gym lol!)

    It was hard at first, but it's just like any new habit. I've made the choice over and over enough now that I don't even have to think about it. It's just what I do.

    Good luck!

    edited for typo
  • StephieWillcox
    StephieWillcox Posts: 627 Member
    I don't make it an option. The alarm goes off and I get up without thinking about it. If I do, i choose to go back to bed. I make my decision the night before, All of my gear is ready to go and then I do it.

    Agreed.

    The only option I have is no snooze, one snooze or two snoozes. And I only use the second snooze when I wake up feeling fuzzy and disorientated.

    By the time I've actually woken up I'm downstairs part way through my warm-up, and there's no point going back to bed then!
  • Doclobster
    Doclobster Posts: 1
    I was lucky that I was able to start riding in the mornings on my commute to work. Although it was initially difficult it was the repetition that just made it a habit I guess, after a month of so it was just second nature. So my advice would be to just keep at it and eventually you'll find it no problem at all.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    I don't make it an option. The alarm goes off and I get up without thinking about it. If I do, i choose to go back to bed. I make my decision the night before, All of my gear is ready to go and then I do it.

    This, My alarm goes off at 4am, I get two snoozes for 15 total minutes, but I don't have a "later in the day option though. If I don't work out before work, I don't get to work out.
  • Ashshell
    Ashshell Posts: 185
    Do you have anyone who can meet you to workout out? When I first started trying to lose weight and working out, I went to the gym before work, which means I had to leave my house at 5:30am. My Mom met me there and neither of us wanted to disappoint the other so we had motivation to get out of the bed.
  • explosivedonut
    explosivedonut Posts: 419 Member
    I work out at home, but I never hit "snooze." Here is my advice. Place the alarm as far away from you in your room as you can. That way you have to walk over to hit snooze. It makes you much less likely to fall asleep. If that still isn't working for you, cover the snooze button with something. That way, in order to turn it off, you have to remove stuff from it. By the time you wake up, walk over to the alarm, take the 3 books, 9 china vases, and 1 very upset cat off the alarm, you will be totally awake!
  • veerichie
    veerichie Posts: 214 Member
    I don't make it an option. The alarm goes off and I get up without thinking about it. If I do, i choose to go back to bed. I make my decision the night before, All of my gear is ready to go and then I do it.
    THIS. I've even put on my sports bra and running shorts the night before and slept in them so I could just literally roll out of bed and head to the gym. Make it as easy for yourself as possible... and just DO IT.
  • lyndausvi
    lyndausvi Posts: 156 Member
    I walk with a neighbor at 6:15am. Knowing she is waiting for me is more of a motivator than the exercise.
  • kaylacroswhite
    kaylacroswhite Posts: 19 Member
    Thanks everyone ! I am feeling more motivated already! I'll post about tomorrow morning..... lol
  • Coquette6
    Coquette6 Posts: 158 Member
    I don't make it an option. The alarm goes off and I get up without thinking about it.

    That. Don't allow yourself not to get out of bed. Just do it and get right into getting ready. I don't sleep in my work-out clothes, but they are right there by the bed. Out of bed, wash my face, brush my hair, get dressed - all before I can even think about it. The other thing I tell people for morning workouts is not to plan to do them back to back right off the bat. If you're up at 5:30 on Monday, sleep as long as you can on Tuesday and work-out at the end of the day if you can. Knowing that it's just one day will make it mentally easier to face getting out of bed that early.
  • mrk1185
    mrk1185 Posts: 44 Member
    I find it helps if I spend some time the night before actually walking myself through my workout in my head. If I'm gearing up for a long run I'll visualize the course a couple of times so I'm programmed to go right to it when I wake up.

    I'll also (as much as possible) get everything ready for the next day in terms of food and gear, because I eat about a half hour before I head out.

    Those couple of things have forced me to be more of a morning person.
  • pjp1125
    pjp1125 Posts: 313
    two things work for me- first, I have everything packed and ready to go, including my work clothes, protein shake, coffee machine ready- so it is almost more of a hassle not to go. Second- I work out with a partner, and the commitment to be there keeps me from blowing it off. Once you get into the routine, you'll find it gets much, much easier.
  • Bekahmardis
    Bekahmardis Posts: 602 Member
    Get a dog. They learn that when the alarm goes off, they get to go outside and then have breakfast. They don't *let* you stay in bed anymore! (*grumbling about her two dogs*....)
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Get a dog. They learn that when the alarm goes off, they get to go outside and then have breakfast. They don't *let* you stay in bed anymore! (*grumbling about her two dogs*....)

    Pffft. My dogs just take my warm spot in the bed and wait for my husband to get up at a normal hour to feed and take them out. Traitors.
  • Korkor90
    Korkor90 Posts: 13 Member
    i wake up at 450am to workout. I try and do it everyday but its super hard for me as well. The way i get myself up is by putting my phone on my desk away from me and also setting two alarms five to ten minutes apart. THen i am forced to get up and turn it off once i am out of the bed i am a bit more motivated to go out. Also dressing in your gym clothes to bed is another motivator.
  • kaylacroswhite
    kaylacroswhite Posts: 19 Member
    haah I actually have an 8 month old puppy but he gets out of bed as soon as he hears my mom at around 5 so she's got that covered lol!
  • lyndausvi
    lyndausvi Posts: 156 Member
    Get a dog. They learn that when the alarm goes off, they get to go outside and then have breakfast. They don't *let* you stay in bed anymore! (*grumbling about her two dogs*....)

    Pffft. My dogs just take my warm spot in the bed and wait for my husband to get up at a normal hour to feed and take them out. Traitors.

    HA, but engilsh bulldog gives you the "WTF are you up" look? Then promptly starts snoring again.
  • Corinne_Howland
    Corinne_Howland Posts: 158 Member
    I ask myself, " how bad do you want this?" By working out in the morning, even getting up earlier to do it....it's done. Life doesn't get the chance to get in the way.
  • jenelizmin
    jenelizmin Posts: 47 Member
    I put somewhat sheer cream colored roman shades in my bedroom. They give me privacy buy don't block out much of the run. I have never been a morning person but waking up and seeing the sun makes it a whole lot easier than darkness. It's worked so well that I did the same in my kids rooms and they wake up a lot better. No more blackout curtains in our house! (unfortunately this only works in the summer by winter I'm stuck in my office by the time the sun comes up.)
  • missshyeviolett
    missshyeviolett Posts: 310 Member
    Are you getting enough sleep? I have no problem getting up at 5:15 everyday, but only because I go to bed at 8:30PM.
  • pestopoli
    pestopoli Posts: 111 Member
    Sounds basic, but go to bed earlier. I was having the same problem. Turns out that I really can't function without 8 full hours of sleep. I go to bed at 9:30 and get up at 6:30 rested and ready to roll!

    Also agree with the advice to make it easy on yourself. Sleep in the clothes you'll wear to work out, have your shoes and wallet and earbuds ready, and pick a quick snack to eat (I do a tablespoon of Peanut Butter) to coax yourself out of bed and into the kitchen. Wash your face AS SOON AS you get up. That always tells my brain "You're up for today, no going back now".
  • nyboer
    nyboer Posts: 346 Member
    Like others have said, not an option. I tell myself the night before that I will be getting up to work out the next morning and then just do it. (Doesn't mean that it's easy!) I keep workout clothes in the bathroom and am downstairs warming up with Jillian in about 10 minutes (after letting the dog in and out and getting him settled on the couch so that he leaves me alone during the DVD.) Once I'm done with my DVD, I wake my husband up and we walk the dog together before getting ready for work. If I don't work out in the morning then I don't work out and I NEED to work out - lol! :)
  • grantdumas7
    grantdumas7 Posts: 802 Member
    One word-CAFFEINE.
  • ECTexan
    ECTexan Posts: 195 Member
    I agree with many of the comments. Get your stuff packed up and ready to go the night before so it's one less thing to think about. Go to bed earlier. For me, having an exercise partner and a dog who howls at my alarm clock are two pretty big motivators. Also, I had to start out slowly and gradually, only getting up early once a week, then twice, until it became an every day thing. I'd wake up at 6.30 for a while, then 6, and so on until I started getting up at 5. You can always build up to it.

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