Talk to me about MORNING workouts!

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kshadows
kshadows Posts: 1,315 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I really want to start working out in the morning. Right now, I do my workouts after my kids have gone to bed and while i'm usually pretty good at doing it, I'd love to get it done in the mornings. I feel like it would give me fewer excuses. My problem is, I'm a night owl and I normally go to bed at midnight. I've been trying this week to bump it back a little at a time but it's still 11:30-11:45 by the time I get into bed. My DD wakes up around 6-6:30 so I'd have to do something I can handle with her up (she's 15 months) OR get up at 5-5:30.

Those who workout in the morning: tell me how great it is!
Those who switched from night to morning: how did you do it? How long did it take before you stopped wanting to go back to sleep instead?
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Replies

  • scottyg70
    scottyg70 Posts: 388 Member
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    I LOVE morning workouts. I used to be a night owl (and I still kind of am) but morning workouts will definitely help you get to bed earlier. My morning workout are all runs, just to get that out there. I started because of a schedule change that wouldn't allow me to get my runs in during the evenings after work. I still find myself at times wanting to go back to sleep but overall I adjusted pretty much right away as I did not want to miss my run for the day.
  • ellenpants1
    ellenpants1 Posts: 2 Member
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    I love it and I made the switch!

    I recommend the following:

    1) Set yourself an alarm for whenever- even if your little one wakes you before it goes off, it will remind you to get on with it!! I have a tag on my alarm (on my phone) that says "have you ever regretted working out? How will you feel if you don't?" I'd pick something that motivates you!

    2) Put your workout gear when you can put your hands straight on it. I sleep in my underwear so I have to put something on straight away, and it makes my gym gear the easy option!

    3) Decide the night before what you will do, and I'd recommend bodyweight circuits if you work out at home (I have a good one if you want to try it). Circuits are great because you don't get bored and you can do as many/few as your fitness/boredom threshold/baby will allow :)

    4) Put the gym clothes on a radiator at night. I put mine on the heated towel rail, and it's a joy putting them on!

    5) Get something healthy handy to refuel, with a mix of healthy carbs and protein

    GO GET IT!!!!!!!!!!!
  • brebre0789
    brebre0789 Posts: 14 Member
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    I love working out in the morning! I used to workout at night, but I found that I would just make too many excuses or just not have the energy for it. Since my son started school, I have to wake up early anyways to get him on the bus, so I have like an hour- to an hour and a half of time to spare before I have to get ready for work. It does take a bit to get used to, but once you get in the routine, it's a breeze! Good Luck and make sure to drink plenty of water!
  • Riemersma4
    Riemersma4 Posts: 400 Member
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    LOVE starting my day in the gym. It turbo-charges my energy for the day.

    Great comments and ideas from posts above.

    For me, the key is preparation. Set out the clothes, set out my pre-work out drink, etc.

    For me, working out late date 'hangs over my head' all day.... how am I going to fit it in???

    Morning, morning, morning!!!!

    Good luck.
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
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    The only way I've been able to stick to an exercise routine is by working out in the AM. I LOVE having my evenings back to relax after work or see friends.

    I get up at 5:00am to make it to a 6:00am class. Here are my tips:

    1) Go to bed! You will need to go to bed earlier - and your household will have to adjust to that.
    2) I find that I need time in the morning to get myself together before the gym, so I usually end up packing my lunch and my gym bag in the AM. It helps me wake up. I'm weird though - most people have it set to go the night before.
    3) I drink a lot of water at night. By 5, I HAVE to get up.
    4) I don't drink alcohol on a night before I plan to go to the gym.
    5) If I'm feeling particularly sluggish, I remind myself how nice it is to have my evenings free and be able to eat more :laugh:

    If you can do it for 11 days, you've created a habit. Don't be upset with yourself either if you miss a morning. There have definitely been mornings where I've decided I just can't get up. That's ok. Get back at it the following day.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    Force yourself out of bed at 5am for a week, and you'll find your bedtimes shifting to a much earlier hour. :smile:

    I have to get mine done before the family is up or it doesn't happen. My alarm goes off at 4:45am, and I'm working out by 5:00. Clothes laid out the night before, water bottle ready to go - push play or start or whatever you need to do to start the workout and go. And when it's done - BEST feeling ever - I love starting my day with a workout, and being finished before anyone else is even out of bed.

    It's been my habit now for nearly two years and I love it.
  • stormbornkraken
    stormbornkraken Posts: 303 Member
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    3) I drink a lot of water at night. By 5, I HAVE to get up.

    :laugh:

    ^This is perfect!

    I have been contemplating this change as well. I love to see everyone's comments, they are great suggestions. I usually get up with enough time to get myself and the two little ones ready and out the door, at work for 8-10 hours, come home do the dinner, family routine and then have studies to work on until midnight. If I am going to fit it in I have to push for early AM. It is going to be rough but you are right, make it a routine.
  • casmithis
    casmithis Posts: 216 Member
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    Agree with all of this!! Love it. The pressure's off as to when or "if" I will get my work out in. I'm done!! But I have to confess. I had to set 3 alarms at the beginning to get me up and out of the house. And the alarms had to be out of arms reach so i HAD to get out of bed to shut them off.

    The added bonus, I feel I'm way more productive at work and have more energy when I've done my workout!!

    Good luck.
  • veronicaadavis7
    veronicaadavis7 Posts: 26
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    I'd much rather work out in the mornings, too. I work nights, usually getting off anywhere from 2:30 am to 4:30 am. When I get off later it's actually easier to do something because I will come home (30 min commute) go ahead and get my workout in at home, fix a little breakfast, get the kids up and off to school and THEN go to bed. When the weather was nicer I'd drop them at school and hit the ball park next to the school and walk, jog and run the bleachers. I was tired, but it still felt great. It's the mornings I get off "too early" that I get lazy and sometimes go to bed instead. Trying to force myself to work out at home more, but I so enjoy walking and working out outside and I fear waking the whole house up jumping around in the living room at 5 am. LOL.

    I agree with the suggestions to set a "workout" alarm and drinking lots of water the night before. I use that trick when I know I only have a few hours to sleep and HAVE to be up at a certain time. Ye olde bladder is nature's BEST alarm clock!

    You have to get the rhythm going, but you'll work it out.
  • kshadows
    kshadows Posts: 1,315 Member
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    When it finally warms up, I am looking forward to running in the morning but right now with sub-zero temps I just can't convince myself to do it. I'm thinking of starting easy with Yoga/fluid stretching in the morning until I get into the habit and then switching to something a little more taxing. My other problem is that my hair is CRAZY (and I"m sorry to any men who just won't understand this). I have super thick, frizzy hair so I normally shower at night because it takes 40 minutes to blow dry and I prefer not to use that, plus unless I wear it up, I need to flat iron it too which is at least another 25 minutes, so to work out in the morning I need to tack on a shower and blow dry at minimum.

    I guess I need to JUST DO IT! There's no reason I couldn't do Yoga or a DVD while my little is having breakfast either...

    Thank you all! I keep telling myself that as soon as spring hits and it warms up, it'll be easier but honestly i think as soon as I get going and DO IT, it'll be easier!!
  • mikeroybal
    mikeroybal Posts: 111 Member
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    I love my morning workout. I have my alarm set for 3:45 and I get to the gym at 4 when they open. I never have a problem getting to the equipment I want. all the other people there are very serious about their work out but also very friendy. It gives me a pump that powers me through my day (I only drink 1 cup of coffee a day). Plus when I get home from work/school I have time to relax and decompress before bed.
  • xabcdefgeee
    xabcdefgeee Posts: 37 Member
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    I have a hard time getting up early to work out but it's a lot easier if you have someone to do it with. You would keep each other accountable. Find a friend who would like to start working out or already does work out in the morning and then do it together. I found that when I do get up early (4:45ish) and workout before I go to work, by the time I get back I'm ready to have dinner and hit the hay. So I think it'll definitely get you going to bed earlier.

    ETA: PLUS, when you're done, you don't have to think about working out again for the rest of the day. It's over til the next morning ;)
  • silverinc13
    silverinc13 Posts: 216 Member
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    I get up at 4:30 every morning M-F, eat my breakfast, walk the dogs and hit the gym, then home shower and off to work! I LOVE having it all done so I can spend the rest of the day focusing on everything else in my life. Not to mention the gym is WAY less crowded in the morning. I can't stand it at 5 and 6 when it's all crowded. That's the worst.
  • livingmylegacy
    livingmylegacy Posts: 17
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    I absolutely LOVE working out in the mornings! Then when I come home from work after a long day I can just relax and I don't have to worry about it.

    I have to set my alarm clock as far away from me as possible so that I HAVE to get out of bed to turn it off. Otherwise I'll just snooze for an hour and then all my workout time is gone!

    I also make sure my clothes and everything are set out so I don't have to try to find that stuff in the mornings.

    The only other thing for me is that I can't workout on an empty stomach. So I have to wake up early enough that I can get something small (like an apple with peanut butter) about half an hour before I work out. Then I go run!
  • Marcia315
    Marcia315 Posts: 460 Member
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    Morning workouts suck.
  • ruffnstuff
    ruffnstuff Posts: 400 Member
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    Sounds like you work out at home. I don't (I go to a gym) and I still only need about 15 minutes between waking up and beginning my work out. Clothes are ready, I get up, put 'em on, make a water bottle, head out the door, gym is only 4 minutes drive, so I'm working out by 4:30-4:35. Done by 5:45, head back home, shower, wake up kids, leave with kids by 6:35, drop them off, then to work. there will always be difficult days, but once you're in the routine it won't seem like such a big thing.

    A couple of years ago I tried going to the gym after we put the kids to bed (so I'd start about 8:15). I found that I just could not stick with it for longer than a month, month and a half. I felt so exhausted by 8:00 (you know what that's like with working and having kids!) that my workouts were pretty half-assed. In the mornings, I'm good to go then feel great the rest of the day. I also love it because then I can log my exercise early and know how much I can eat that day!

    Good luck making the switch!
  • walterm852
    walterm852 Posts: 409 Member
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    I love it because nothing gets in the way of it, life always happens but rarely at 5:15am.

    Get you stuff ready the night before
    Have your routine in mind

    Your body will adjust to the new time, just like daylight savings time changes. The days of wishing to get more sleep are never going away ..lol ...esp at your stage with a 15month old, but you will feel 10x better rocking yourself than letting go
  • SkinnyMel78
    SkinnyMel78 Posts: 434 Member
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    I love working out in the mornings!! Not only is it done and out of the way but I feel like I have so much more energy to tackle all the other things (like work)!!

    It is hard in beginning but once your body gets used to it you will be fine.

    I leave my house while everyone is still sleeping and returing when they are just starting to get up. I am a mother of 4 so believe me time spent with my kids is first and foremost but taking care of me has become a priority now too. Going in the morning doesn't give me the guilt that I could be doing something with them.

    Good luck to you!!!
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
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    I love morning workouts.

    But honest, it sounds like they aren't right for you. As with anything, if it doesn't fit your lifestyle, it's unlikely to stick long term. Don't overestimate your ability to change your fundamental nature.
  • scribb
    scribb Posts: 3,659 Member
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    It is the only time I can get.

    I get up at 3:30 am and drive an hour or so to the gym. A good hour long workout sets me in a good mood for the day and relieves some stress as well.

    I make sure all of my workout clothing is out the night before, so that is one less thing I need to deal with in the morning.

    Another big plus is that you do not have to take a mid day shower and bring a second set of clothes to you at work. I never liked the thought about taking a mid day shower and then put the clothes I had on all day back on.

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