Adjusting Workout to Early Morning

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thirteeninches
thirteeninches Posts: 61 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am struggling with moving my workout time from mid morning (8:30-9:30am) to early morning (6-7am) and I am have NO success. I typically wake up about 5 am, and lay in bed and think, "Oh I should get up. There went another snooze alarm. Get up. I have to get up. GET UP!" but I don't do it until 6, and by then the window has closed.

Please allow me to pick your collective brains a bit and ask for suggestions. If you do this successfully, how did you get there, and how do you maintain the habit?

Caveats:

I need at least an hour to wake up with a cup of coffee.
I don't eat before exercising.
I go to bed by typically between 9:30-10 pm the night before
I'm naturally a morning person.

Thanks. :)

Replies

  • rbiss
    rbiss Posts: 422 Member
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    I moved my workout time from 530pm to 600am because I found that I was just making excuses to skip later in the day. What I do is pack everything including all of of my food the night before so I have no skipping excuses. Then as soon as the alarm goes off, I get my *kitten* out of bed. Now this sometimes includes screaming obscenities, but once I'm out of bed, the problem is solved. I then put on my planned outfit, start my coffee, etc (this morning routine is about 1 hour) then head to the gym.

    For me the key was not to think about it, just do it.
  • poedunk65
    poedunk65 Posts: 1,336 Member
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    It's called get off yer butt and get outta bed! lol
  • Adc7225
    Adc7225 Posts: 1,318 Member
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    I get up at 4:45 for my morning workout, I only have coffee prior to working out on the weekends.

    I don't know what gets me up other than the fact that morning is the better time for me to workout . . . it gets my day started with a much better attitude, I love the fact that the gym is not crowded and I can find parking :smile:

    Maybe try offering yourself a reward for getting up and doing your morning workout after a certain number, like if you workout 3-4 mornings a week, offer yourself a reward after 10 workouts! I think once you start and find your niche in working out in the morning it will get much easier.
  • SMFRN
    SMFRN Posts: 108 Member
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    I just do it. I wake up around 415 and working out by 430. If I don't get up and do it, I won't get it done (the joys of parenthood). I only drink water before hand, start my coffee, then work out. I have my clothes ready so I can "jump" into them. I don't have a gym membership, so I have my dvd ready to go.
  • Rochester_mom
    Rochester_mom Posts: 100 Member
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    I put out my workout clothes and everything's would need the night before right next to my bed. As soon as the alarm went off (5:20 am) I would just swing my legs out and go into auto pilot. The key really is not to think about it. By the time I was arguing with myself about working out, I was already in my basement doing the warm up portion of the DVD and by that time it was too late to stop. Good luck!
  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
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    Sorry....but pretty much you just have to do it.

    I get up at 5, put on my workout clothes, have a cup of coffee and then I'm in my gym by about 530. You really just have to create the habit. Once you start doing it, it will no longer seem so difficult.
  • kinmoratree
    kinmoratree Posts: 125 Member
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    Unfortunately it is both as easy and as hard as what everyone else has said.

    The best thing to do is to get everything ready the night before so you can just jump into your workout clothes. If you have a timer on your coffee pot, get it set up and have it start brewing five minutes before your alarm goes off. When your alarm goes off, sit up. Don't lay there thinking about it.

    You can do this.
  • weird_me2
    weird_me2 Posts: 716 Member
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    Like the other posters said, you just have to do it. I would say first to stop trying to get up at 5 right of the bat. Try getting up at 5:30 and skipping your cup of coffee until after your workout. Once you get used to getting up at 5:30, then you can work on getting up even earlier, but you may be surprised that you don't need that coffee first thing once you start working out early in the morning.
  • culo97
    culo97 Posts: 256 Member
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    If you work out to a DVD or video, make sure you pause it at the beginning of the routine the night before. It took me a while to learn that step. I would waste up to a half hour trying to get my sleepy brain to work correctly enough to get the DVD going in the morning.

    I agree with the advice about getting your workout clothes and shoes ready the day before, then you literally just have to step into them in the morning.
  • kevingrant1
    kevingrant1 Posts: 21 Member
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    I just get up get dressed and do it. I drink coffee before, during and after the workout.
  • dudehitscar
    dudehitscar Posts: 17 Member
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    I heard there are alarm apps for your phone that force you to get up and take a picture of something to turn it off. You can set it to take a picture of your workout area.
  • thirteeninches
    thirteeninches Posts: 61 Member
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    It's motivating to read that you are all doing this successfully. Many good suggestions. Tomorrow I'll give it another go, altering what I do with the following:

    * get workout clothes ready night before
    * prepare/cue up workout video before bed
    *get up at 5:30 as soon as alarm goes off
    *set coffee on timer and grab cup/sip during workout
    *get my lazy butt out of bed! Don't just lay there thinking about it!!

    I'll report on my success (or lack thereof) tomorrow.
  • MagicalLeopleurodon
    MagicalLeopleurodon Posts: 623 Member
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    I tried one morning workout. Halfway through i realized my workout pants were inside out.

    Never again.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    I need at least an hour to wake up with a cup of coffee.
    I used to think the same thing, but now I grab water, get my gear on, and I'm working out by 5am. Coffee and breakfast come after the workout.

    Also this:
    * get workout clothes ready night before
    * prepare/cue up workout video before bed

    My clothes are out the night before, ready to go. My workout is planned, and either in the DVD player or ready on the laptop, whatever I'm doing for that day.

    Get yourself going this early for a few days in a row, and bed times will come earlier, making it easier and easier to get yourself up and moving in the early morning. And for me, the feeling of having my workout done by 6am most days is just awesome - sets the tone for my day, and no regrets later because I've run out of time or just didn't get it done.
  • tziol
    tziol Posts: 206 Member
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    "Oh I should get up. There went another snooze alarm. Get up. I have to get up. GET UP!"

    haahhahaha it's exactly the same with me many times. You just need to force yourself to get up, and I suggest to go to bed earlier than usual. After few days your body will start to use to it and it won't be that hard to get up in the morning.
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
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    I'm a morning person anyway. I've never used the snooze button, once I'm awake I'm all the way awake. But my routine, three days during the work-week, is this:

    Alarm at 6:00.
    Get out of bed, make the bed, pee.
    Breakfast with a book at 6:10.
    Facebook and MFP browsing 6:30 until 7:00.
    Workout at 7:00
    Shower at 7:30.
    Work at 8:30.
  • thirteeninches
    thirteeninches Posts: 61 Member
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    Well that sucked rotten eggs. But I did it.

    Once I made the decision to get up, that was a snap, but the intensity of my workout was only 3/4s of what it usually is, and I didn't hit my stride (that lovely endorphin rush) until 40 minutes in. It usually hits me 15-20 mins in... time doubled for the reward? Oh dear. I also missed the little extra 15 min. window of time for cool down and stretching.

    Yes, before you ask (or demand, lol) I'm going to try again tomorrow. Everything worked to get me up and going at it, but the intensity level absolutely has to get back up there, and I need an extra 15 min... so, I'll do everything the same, except I'll get up at 5 tomorrow and hope 45 minutes is enough to wake me up and get that coffee in my system. The caffeine really enhances my workout, I guess. Being fully awake helps, too, I think. :yawn:
  • Hell_Flower
    Hell_Flower Posts: 348 Member
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    You just do it.

    I once figured out that it takes me around 3.5 weeks to start a new routine/habit. Once I've pushed past that barrier, I dont think about it/moan about it/not want to do it any more. It just happens. Not without any effort of course, but it's really not a big deal any more.

    I'm a morning work out person. I can't deal with the crowds straight after work, I can't wait to get home after work and I am more of a morning person anyway.

    Morning work-outs are the best work-outs! It also helps with my food choices. If I dont get to the gym first thing and end up going to the gym in the evening, I'll maybe eat more treats, thinking "oh I'll just burn it off". But if I've been in the morning, I'll think "I worked damn hard this morning, that danish pastry is not worth it".

    Weird, but hey.

    Good luck with the mornings!
  • michele0101
    michele0101 Posts: 90
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    Great ideas!! I am motivated to do my workout in the morning now! I used to do mornings but got out of the habit. These posts have reminded me how good it feels to get the workout out of the way. I use DVDs (Leslie Sansone - walk away the pounds). Great idea to have the DVD paused and ready. Feeling motivated!!

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