Not morning people - how do you work out in the morning?

FitFitzy331
FitFitzy331 Posts: 308 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi! I'm not a big morning person, I usually snooze the alarm long past what is considered reasonable. But this week I started a new work out plan and based on the work out length and equipment I need, I'm trying to wake up and work out in the morning. I eat whole wheat toast, natural peanut butter and a banana before going so I have some fuel but still, getting up so I can complete the work out before getting to work is not easy. I am trying the morning because the gym is pretty much empty so I have free reign over everything I need.

Is anyone else not a morning person but manage to work out first thing in the morning? How do you do it? What do you eat to keep yourself going? And how do you keep yourself from wanting to take a nap afterwards? :) Also I'm getting about 7 hours of sleep each night.
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Replies

  • stephinator92
    stephinator92 Posts: 162 Member
    Well first thing, you need to get enough sleep each night. With the exception of Wednesdays or days I have work in the morning, I'm getting 8-10 hours of sleep each night. I wake up and work out first thing and I set my alarm usually about 15 mins earlier than I need to get up so that I can still snooze. Unfortunately, when it comes to waking up and working out in the morning, you've just got to cut the crap, get up and do it. I think about the fact that I'll be done for the day after that and not have to worry about it anymore which helps! After a while, your body will adjust and you'll crave those morning workouts. Just keep at it!
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Yah no ...and I am a morning person.

    I prefer my workouts after work/before supper
  • kung_fu_red
    kung_fu_red Posts: 35
    Coffee.
  • vvendy_darling
    vvendy_darling Posts: 75
    Set the alarm. Wake up and turn it off. Get out of bed. Workout. Repeat.
  • urban_ninja
    urban_ninja Posts: 175 Member
    I'm still not a morning person per se but I prefer my workouts in the morning. Usually 10 minutes in, I'm right as rain. I just do it since I may miss it if something else comes up later in the day then I feel like crap.
  • Geminieve24
    Geminieve24 Posts: 364 Member
    I muster through the first 15 minutes of hell that is trying to wake up...have my workout clothes ready and by the bed and put them on. It's very tough to not hit snooze and enjoy more sleep.

    Once you get a routine of this going, it gets easier. Sometimes I will take a 5-hour energy to wake me up before working out.
  • aprilwilliams2729
    aprilwilliams2729 Posts: 107 Member
    If you figure it out let me know. I am NOT a morning person AT ALL - I have tried and tried to work out in the mornings because it seems like it would be so nice to just get it out of the way - but to no avail. It just doesn't work for me. If I manage to get up and get awake enough to do anything I never feel like I'm giving it 100% because I'm still half asleep.

    So I workout in the evenings (while my hubby gives our 2 year old a bath and they watch his Dora cartoon). I try to get in between 25-50 minutes. So far that is working for me. Once the weather gets better we'll be doing family walks - which will be soooo much better!! :)
  • kuderstadt
    kuderstadt Posts: 134 Member
    Just do it.

    I set out my workout clothes the night before and in my half asleep stupor I put them on.

    I drink water and I work out ~ breakfast later.

    It's not fun and I don't love it, but I feel amazing afterwards and so it's worth it. ;-)
  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
    Not a morning person at all. When I work out in the morning, I skip breakfast because the 10 mins of sleep means more to me than food. The other thing I do is put my alarm in the bathroom. I get up, go in there to shut it off .. and think .. wellllll .. I'm already here, so let's get going.
  • mbeuchert24
    mbeuchert24 Posts: 204 Member
    I too hit snooze way past when I should...I've tried the getting up in the morning, and it lasts maybe 1 day. I just work out after I put the kids to bed. I know I'm not getting enough sleep...but honestly there is just no way around it for me. I have to leave the house by 7:40 (usually ends up being 8:00 though LOL) to get the kids to school/me to work on time. I get home between 5:30 - 6:00, eat dinner then sometimes rushing off to baseball practice (kids), but normally my husband takes the older kids and I keep the 3 year old. I get her ready for and into bed...sometimes I can get my workout in then, but it doesn't usually work that way. 3 year old doesn't stay in bed right now, and I'd have to interupt my workout to get her back in bed. So then older kids & husband get home from practice and we get them in bed, and it's 9:00, 9:30 before I get my workout in. And so it's usually 11:30 before I get to bed...then up at 6:30 again.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I'd much rather sleep in, but have gotten into the habit of morning workouts. Force yourself out of bed and get it done for a week and you'll find yourself going to bed earlier, making it easier and easier to get up and get moving in the morning.

    I lay my clothes out the night before (some people even sleep in their workout gear :tongue: ), water bottle is full, workout all planned. I workout at home, so I don't have to go anywhere, but if you're headed to the gym, have your bag, water, anything you need all packed and ready to go.

    I don't eat beforehand, but that need seems to vary by individual, so if you need it, leave time for that. If not, just get dressed, grab your bag and go.

    The feeling of accomplishment is awesome and far better than the feeling of regret when I don't get my workout done, so that is part of my motivation as well.
  • macybean
    macybean Posts: 258 Member
    I put my alarm across the room so I have to get up to turn it off. No option for hitting snooze when you can't reach it. Once I'm up and out of bed I usually will go work out, although I will still workout in the afternoon/evening when I'm not working and I definitely like that better.
  • blueboxgeek
    blueboxgeek Posts: 574 Member
    Set the alarm. Wake up and turn it off. Get out of bed. Workout. Repeat.

    Pretty much this. You just have to do it. Just force yourself out of bed.
  • chelseafisher5648
    chelseafisher5648 Posts: 60 Member
    I struggled with this so I started going into work a half hour early and working through lunch. I eat at my desk a healthy meal I prepared the night before than I can leave early an have time for my workout. I found it easier to get up an go to work than the idea of getting up early to go run an than have to get ready for work there
  • Travelbug1955
    Travelbug1955 Posts: 61 Member
    I used to start my walk at 8am when my husband left for work. Now that he is retired, I don't do that anymore. I try to walk after dinner now. I just have too many things to do in the morning.
  • gkauf744
    gkauf744 Posts: 128 Member
    I am trying to get up early and work out too. This morning I hit snooze almost too much. I did wake up and I did my workout, but I'm still feeling guilty because I didn't jump up and get it done with time to spare. Oh well. There's always tomorrow. Maybe I'll buy a proper alarm clock, instead of using my phone.
  • DirrtyH
    DirrtyH Posts: 664 Member
    I don't. I've never been able to maintain a morning workout routine for more than a month. I just do better working out at night. I"m more consistent, and I get a lot more out of my workout. So I stopped fighting it.
  • happysherri
    happysherri Posts: 1,360 Member
    Yah no ...and I am a morning person.

    I prefer my workouts after work/before supper

    Yea, I have to do my workouts when I know I will be awake enough to give it my all...... and that is Not the Mornings for me!!! I have to workout after work.
  • southernsweetie_92
    southernsweetie_92 Posts: 10
    I could literally sleep all day, but this past week I've really tried to put in the effort and cut the crap (like someone said above lol) and it's become A LOT easier now that my body is used to waking up earlier and working out. Usually as soon as I wake up I turn on CMT (I love country music, you may not) something about seeing a bunch of really fit girls dancing around Luke Bryan makes me not want to be fat anymore....after that I eat breakfast usually multi-grain cheerios, I don't know if they're considered "healthy" but that's pretty much the only thing I want in the mornings. After that I do 2 miles on the treadmill (I'm going to add a mile every 2 weeks) and after the treadmill I've been doing Jillian Michaels 30 day shred. I think for me personally what gets me going is the music videos. There's just something about those sexy country singers...hahaha

    I am NOT, repeat NOT a morning person, but once you tell your body that's it's going to do something whether it likes it or not it does become easier. I promise!!!
  • TheEffort
    TheEffort Posts: 1,028 Member
    I'm not a morning person but over the last 3 years it has become a habit to get up between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. to workout before the start of my day. I try to get at least 7 hours of sleep during the work week, which helps tremendously. :smile:
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    I head out at 4am, do or die.
    hubs thinks i am nuts.
    I AM!
    I feel so so great afterwards.
    JUST DO IT!
    Its incredible the amount of people i meet out there too.
  • lbesaw
    lbesaw Posts: 267 Member
    Not happening-I am a morning person but workouts are for after work for me. :)
  • missomgitsica
    missomgitsica Posts: 496 Member
    I'm not a morning person, and I tried to get to a point where I could be for the purposes of working out but . . . nope. I've accepted that I just have to work out later in the evening before bed. Good luck though!
  • Coltsatc
    Coltsatc Posts: 36
    I hate getting up early, but I've made myself do it twice a week for the last couple of weeks and now I still struggle a little to get out of bed, but the day is so much better when I work out in the morning. I feel so much more energized and motivated all day so I just remind myself of that in the morning and it helps me get out.

    Going to bed early and having everything ready so I can just throw my clothes on and grab my bag and go helps a lot.
  • AMSmit88
    AMSmit88 Posts: 100 Member
    It's knowing how amazing I'm going to feel all day that does it for me. A morning work out literally sets me up for the whole day making it totally worth dragging my sleepy head out of bed.
  • ks4e
    ks4e Posts: 374 Member
    Sleep in your exercise clothes. I'm not talking about baggy sweats and ugly stained tees, but the nice work out clothes you love to put on. Get up and just do it before you can even think about it! I find workouts at home are easier than hauling myself to the gym when I'm exhausted, so I have a plethora of DVDs I use.
  • OllyReeves
    OllyReeves Posts: 579 Member
    Well first thing, you need to get enough sleep each night. With the exception of Wednesdays or days I have work in the morning, I'm getting 8-10 hours of sleep each night. I wake up and work out first thing and I set my alarm usually about 15 mins earlier than I need to get up so that I can still snooze. Unfortunately, when it comes to waking up and working out in the morning, you've just got to cut the crap, get up and do it. I think about the fact that I'll be done for the day after that and not have to worry about it anymore which helps! After a while, your body will adjust and you'll crave those morning workouts. Just keep at it!

    I genuinely don't understand how someone can get that much sleep!!

    I have to get up at 6.30am, so to get 8 hours sleep I would have to go to bed at 10.30pm......10 hours of sleep would be 8.30pm bedtime!!

    How on earth do you do it?

    If I was getting that much sleep, then 'cut the crap, get up and do it' wouldn't sound so unrealistic.....
  • fedup30
    fedup30 Posts: 141 Member
    I'm terrible at this as well. I just know that if I don't get my workout in early, it's not happening! I'm usually tired, and have loads I need to accomplish when I get home. I am also not a morning person, and I easily slap the snooze button 4 or 5 times! So this is what I did...

    *Set my alarm in the hallway outside my room. I have to get up, stumble to the hall to find it...(One bonus...it's super annoying and cant stand to listen to it! Makes me move quicker!)
    * I wear my workout clothes to bed (did this for awhile) now I just set them out.
    *Prep easy breakfasts for the week so I can grab and go after my workout and shower!
    * Go to bed early, turn off electronics 30-60 mins before bedtime! (It seems to keep me awake longer if I don't) I always try to get 7-8 hours of sleep.. I am not a joy to be around if I don't get my sleep! :)
    Good luck!
  • knitapeace
    knitapeace Posts: 1,013 Member
    From the time I was a teenager I was a night owl, loved staying up late reading, watching scary movies, etc. Of course once you grow up, hit the working world, have a family, things change and you have to get up early for that. But I still stayed up until 11, 12 at night because that was the time when the kids had gone to bed and the house was finally quiet.

    Since I committed to losing weight I tried exercising after work and it simply didn't work for our schedules (the kids are young teenagers now and need us to be their taxi service still). So I started by getting up at 5:30 to go for a half-hour run. Gradually, as my body improved and my workouts changed, I found myself getting up earlier. Then I added meditation to the mix and needed a few extra minutes for that...now I get up at 4:30 with very little difficulty. I just make sure I'm in bed no later than 10:00. I sacrificed those quiet evening hours when the kids had gone to bed, but it's worth it.
  • FitFitzy331
    FitFitzy331 Posts: 308 Member
    Thanks for the suggestions!:smile: I think I need to keep my alarm farther away from my bed. I already lay out my clothes and have everything ready (besides the toast). I've also been really good (so far) this week, I haven't hit the snooze button once. I'm getting up at 5am for this work out but I do feel accomplished after I finish so I guess I need to just keep it up to get into the habit of it!

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