Who gets up early to go to the gym?

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  • ajlandon
    ajlandon Posts: 115 Member
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    I do. It just happened when I moved to a different time zone. I was on the far west end of Mountain Time, and I hopped across to the far east end of Pacific Time. The sun's schedule stayed close to the same, but suddenly it was light out an hour "earlier." So, I'm usually asleep by 9:30PM, and usually up by 5:30AM. I get all of my lifting done before work, and often a long bike ride on non-lifting days.
  • AleshiaBunting
    AleshiaBunting Posts: 48 Member
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    I get all my stuff together the night before, lunch, gym bag, work clothes...etc. I am up at 3:00 AM and after a few glasses of water I hit the door! Once you get into the habit of it, it's easy cheesy! It's tough at first, but its awesome to know that you kicked *kitten* first thing in the morning! Good Luck!
  • hippikris
    hippikris Posts: 32 Member
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    I get up at least 3 times a week to go to the gym before work. I am up around 5-5:30am, I am at the gym by 6:30 -6:45, I shower and dress for work at the gym. at work by 8:00am. I pack my gym bag with all that I will need the night before, drink some green tea or something to help me settle in for the night, most nights I am asleep by 9:30 or 10am. I too have racing thoughts and anxiety, but I find the working out and the tea at night help with that.

    I would go to the gym after work before , but found that I was not consistant with it, and I would find all kinds of reasons not to go. so I decided do it in the morning get it over with and jump start my day. it works great. I do go the gym once in a while in the afternoon in addition to the morning work outs. I also will add in some walking or other light work outs throughout the week.

    it is all about just making up you mind and doing it, once you get started , and you see the positive results, you will want to stick with it I pormise.
  • Jenelle64
    Jenelle64 Posts: 36
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    I can't go to the gym in the morning (single mom) but I do get up at 4:40AM and workout in my basement. The first 2 weeks were a killer but now I'm used to it and get right up and ready. I do make sure I have everything laid out the night before. It looks like you've got a good plan. Good Luck. It's really a great way to start your day off!
  • hananah89
    hananah89 Posts: 692 Member
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    I work for a university and now that students are back its even more important to go in the mornings. I still look young enough to be a student but when you are lifting weights the only time the gym is empty is in the morning. So up at 5:30 and at the gym by 6. Just have to do it because I know I don't want to go after work when all the students are there.
  • moonshine_betty
    moonshine_betty Posts: 169 Member
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    I get up at 5:30AM-ish six days a week to work out and have done so for the past 8 years (barring a week here and there, of course). I set two alarms: one for 5:30 AM and one for 5 mins later so if I hit snooze on one, the other will go off 5 mins later. I also make sure my alarm clock is on NPR...for some reason it's harder to ignore that than it is a beeping sound. I make sure I set out my exercise clothes and pack my gym bag the night before so it's easier to get out of the door in the morning. Going to sleep early is often hard for me but no matter how late I get to bed, I make sure I'm up at 5:30 AM. I try not to do this too many days in a row though, 'cos it's a quick road to burnout city.

    I used to be an after work exerciser but found it was just too easy for me to blow it off because I was tired. I was so resistant to making the change but now that I have, I'm a convert. I'm not a coffee drinker so working out early gets me energized and ready for the day. Plus, like others have said, I like having the gym mostly to myself...I do have to share with some of the other morning exercisers sometimes but it's nowhere near as bad as it gets when the post-work chaos hits at 5 PM. I've worked out after work a handful of times since making the switch and now can't imagine going back to that; I hope I'm lucky enough to always have a short enough commute that I can squeeze in morning workouts.

    If you try it, know that it'll be hard at first but you'll likely get used to it with time. And if you don't, work out whenever works best for you...don't force it.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,065 Member
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    I do! I get up at 4:45 a.m. on weight days and 5:00 a.m. on cardio days, but I only do this during the work week. No way on earth I would get up that early on weekends or holidays.

    I just set my iPhone and get my *kitten* out of bed. My gym is in my basement so I just get dressed and head on down the stairs.

    I do however get EVERYTHING ready the night before that way I don't have to do anything else: Water, workout clothes, set-up my weights / equipment, make my breakfast and lunch, set my coffee maker up and have my work clothes and towel all ready to go.
  • missshyeviolett
    missshyeviolett Posts: 310 Member
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    I occasionally go to the 5AM Orange Theory class. As long as I go to bed early enough to get 8 hours, it doesn't matter what time I get up. You have to be careful with caffeine and stimulation the night before though so you aren't just tossing and turning and dreading the morning.
  • jaxbeck
    jaxbeck Posts: 537 Member
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    Set me alarm for 4:15 & get up. Some mornings it's really hard to get up but as soon as I get out of the bed, I'm good to go
  • mistertug
    mistertug Posts: 51
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    Me. I do. I love it. I'm biologically predisposed to getting up early, so I can't help it.
  • stephanniehall
    stephanniehall Posts: 50 Member
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    This morning I set my alarm for 6:50 and then laughed at myself when it went off. Some people work out better in the afternoon, I'd love to be a morning person but I'm not. It's better to go at any point then not at all is what I told myself before I rolled over and went right back to sleep.
  • ruffnstuff
    ruffnstuff Posts: 400 Member
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    OP - I think you can see the trend for us morning work-outers. Prep the night before, get up, put on exercise clothes, work out. Just like losing weight, there is no magic secret formula that we're all hiding. If morning is when working out fits into your life, and you are committed to working out, you just get up and do it.
  • haroon_awan
    haroon_awan Posts: 1,208 Member
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    Going to sleep at, eg 1am to get up at 5am generally won't work. Not enough sleep. Learn to change your sleeping patterns and get to bed earlier. It's a fair trade off, get to bed by 10pm and get up at 5-6am.

    Some of these links might help:
    http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/circadian-rhythm
    http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mind-wellness-awareness/201305/keys-quality-sleep
    http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-land-nod/201301/changing-night-owl-lark
  • ELCABRA
    ELCABRA Posts: 50 Member
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    Set an alarm and get up early for 21 days straight and your body will catch on and you will awaken on your own, so long as you are getting enough real rest and sleep.
  • sillygoosie
    sillygoosie Posts: 1,109 Member
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    My work schedule just changed and now the am is the only time I have to workout. Today was my first day of dragging my *kitten* up before dawn to workout. It wasn't as bad as I thought. Of course it helped that I went outside for a run and watched the sunrise. It's all about willpower and motivation.

    I do have to say that I feel great and full of energy today and it's nice not to have to worry about a workout when I get home later.
  • TotalTory
    TotalTory Posts: 59
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    There is not a soul in my home that is a morning person - with that said - I have been getting but at 4:30 - out the door at 4:45 and to the gym by 5. I work out for an entire hour - I do this at least 5 days a week. I can honestly say that I am much more alert and ready for the day when I do this. Not to say that by 6:30 I am not tired but I feel much better during the day. My evenings are too busy with kids and their activities so if I don't get it done in the am then it won't get done. Set your alarm and move it across the room so that you have to get up to turn it off. This has helped me. Good luck!
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
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    I get up early 5 days, and 'relatively' early on Saturday (to get to an 8AM spin class). The gym bag is always packed the night before (I shower and get dressed at the gym because its more than halfway to work for me), and my workout clothes are waiting in the bathroom so I can get dressed in there quickly. I get to bed by 10:00 usually, and am up between 4 and 4:15....so 6 hours of sleep seems to work for me.

    Its a habit...and while I can tell you I really don't LOVE it, what I do love is having my workout all done when most people are just getting out of bed after hitting snooze 4 times already. When I tried to go to the gym after working 8 hours (plus a 45-60 minute commute), I had all day long to find excuses not to go :ohwell:

    Its not for everone, but give it a try...and give yourself time to adjust. I honestly hate when I miss a morning workout anymore....makes me feel crummy all day long.
  • chwillia1
    chwillia1 Posts: 9 Member
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    This is easy (I mean the 'how to do it' is easy, the doing it....not so much). You simply set your alarm for 4:00 or 5:00 or whatever it that you need and then get up. You will be tired as all hell because you did not get enough sleep and you will get up anyhow. You then carry on with your day and you do it again the next night, and the next night, and the next night. Over a perios of days to maybe 2 weeks you will start realizing that you are falling asleep earlier and pretty soon you will have a new schedule. I like to go to bed at 8 and wake up at 4. That hurts every Monday morning...believe me!
  • missshyeviolett
    missshyeviolett Posts: 310 Member
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    If I'm really having a hard time for some reason, I just think about how awesome it feels to be done with a hard workout while the world is still quiet. Seeing the sun rise is amazing after working out.
  • marykate723
    marykate723 Posts: 216 Member
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    There's a lot of great advice on here!

    I recently transitioned to waking up early and exercising at home and I completely understand you. I have done it in the past, so I already know that doing so has a great effect on the rest of my day. I have some sleeping issues; I get terrifying nightmares, I wake up very easily (a half-decibel louder snore from my husband, for example, will jolt me awake for 20 minutes), and tend to have anxiety that can keep me awake for a while. However, I found I was pretty quickly able to start waking up early once I set my mind to it. I do have to set my alarm for at least a half-hour before I wake up, and some days I lay in bed for that half-hour talking myself into getting up. My brain usually wins with "think how much better you'll feel when you finish your workout."

    I think you'll find that, once you're used to it, you'll have more energy throughout the day. Then you are free to be more spontaneous after work because you already got your exercise out of the way! I have also seen an improvement in my ability to fall asleep AND sleep more soundly. Amazing what that little change did for me. The snoring still wakes me up, though :)

    Good luck with starting this new routine! If you're finding it very difficult, maybe try doing it gradually by setting your alarm earlier in 15 minute increments. I did that for a few days before jumping into the hour early routine.

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