How do you motivate yourself for early AM workouts?

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Replies

  • weightless143
    weightless143 Posts: 9
    You could try waking up to upbeat music. Something that makes you want to get up and dance. That usually works for me.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    I get motivated to get up and get moving in the morning my enjoying my evening with my family and friends. Whatever I get out of the way in the AM gives me extra time to hang out with the people I love in the PM.
  • gjulie
    gjulie Posts: 391
    id say do what suits you I couldnt workout in the evening im in the gym by 6.45am thats just me
  • peteb79
    peteb79 Posts: 386
    Any ideas to get myself out of that bed an moving?

    Find a new alarm clock app...

    I found an Alarm Clock for Android that requires you to GET OUT of bed and bring your phone to your wireless router!.. It uses Wifi signal strength to determine how far away you are. Once you get 'near' your wifi router the dismiss button shows up so you can turn the alarm off., and no the sound is not 'on' the entire time you are walking to your router... the sound disables for a few seconds when the phone is picked up.

    https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sygel.goobalarm&hl=en
  • kayl3igh88
    kayl3igh88 Posts: 428 Member
    I haven't read the posts so maybe repeating some people's opinion but here we go regardless. I take it step by step. I'll get dressed, sit for a minute, make a drink, drink it, sit for a minute, put my shoes on, get my water, set up my workout (music, weights, whatever), then take a few minutes before just doing it. Unless I slept alot the day before it usually takes me half an hour or so to do what I could do in 10 mins later in the day. I'm just not a morning person :laugh:
  • catwoman131
    catwoman131 Posts: 55
    I'm really terrible in the mornings, but I notice that being active early not only forces me to wake up and get energized, but actually keeps me more focused and energetic throughout the day. I need to start morning workouts regularly too, maybe then work won't be so hard to get through. Sometimes I ride my bike to work too... I is about five miles and just enough to get a nice "just worked out" feeling
  • catwoman131
    catwoman131 Posts: 55
    Any ideas to get myself out of that bed an moving?

    Find a new alarm clock app...

    I found an Alarm Clock for Android that requires you to GET OUT of bed and bring your phone to your wireless router!.. It uses Wifi signal strength to determine how far away you are. Once you get 'near' your wifi router the dismiss button shows up so you can turn the alarm off., and no the sound is not 'on' the entire time you are walking to your router... the sound disables for a few seconds when the phone is picked up.

    https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sygel.goobalarm&hl=en

    That's too cool!
  • MeanSophieCat
    MeanSophieCat Posts: 200 Member
    A couple things PPs have said that really help me:

    - Putting the alarm clock far away. Then, you have to get out of bed to turn it off. Once you are out of bed the hardest part is done!
    - Prepping clothes, lunches, and even my water bottle the night before. The less I have to do in the morning the easier it is for me to start my day.

    It will be hard at first but soon you'll come to love it. I also find I eat better during the day if I've worked out in the morning. I don't like to "undo" the hard work!
  • shmoopsee
    shmoopsee Posts: 7
    I think it starts by getting to bed at a decent hour the night before.

    Amen! I'm still working on that. Morning workouts got to be very trying as I was so wiped out and it was so difficult to get out of bed. Have increased my protein intake and I'm noticeably not as tired. I'd much rather do my workouts in the morning so I have the benefit of the burned calories to start my day with. :smile:
  • mnishi
    mnishi Posts: 419 Member
    bump
  • Dudagarcia
    Dudagarcia Posts: 849 Member
    I have every thing in the bathroom ready for me the nite before. This way ur not looking for stuff and wasting time. Also set alarm and get up!
    Before I retired I used to wo at 4:30am now that I'm retired I wo at 5:30 . Love my am workouts!!
  • NoxDineen
    NoxDineen Posts: 497 Member
    I try to roll out of bed before I can fully wake up and think about reasons why it's okay to hit snooze. Plus, thinking about the added calories I'll get to eat back is motivation enough for me.

    It doesn't hurt that I have a 50 lb dog who knows once the alarm goes off breakfast isn't far behind. She'll jump all over me if I try to go back to sleep.
  • narci1503
    narci1503 Posts: 12
    Thanks for all the tips. I have been trying to get to my gym in the mornings, but never make it on time. I am going to start this Monday. Thanks again!
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    There is no way that I would ever stick to a morning routine, unless I started working a night shift. :noway:
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I used to be an early morning workout girl. I don't know what happened. I just can't seem to fall asleep before 12 anymore.... I can lay down at 10... but that's it -- I just lay there. How do ya'll go to sleep so early, to feel rested?

    On nights I feel "restless" I take a 3mg melatonin about 30 minutes before I want to go to bed. Works like a charm. Melatonin is naturally produced in the body and regulates sleep. You can find it in the vitamin section.

    ETA: melatonin leaves no sleeping pill "after affect" either

    I would say that melatonin affects people differently. I tried it one time, and I slept, but then it was hard to get up, and I drank 3 or 4 Red Bulls and was still exhausted all day.

    I hate that stuff. For me, it's worse than street drugs.
  • n8na
    n8na Posts: 76 Member
    don't think about it just go!
  • birdieaz
    birdieaz Posts: 448 Member
    Ok you guys are making me feel like a lazy butt for whining about waking up at 6:30 to work out. Wow so impressed at how committed some of you are. My biggest problem is I'm a night owl, there is no way for me to fall asleep before 12am even if I do wake up at 6am. Most days I'm avg. 5.5 to 6hrs sleep max
  • Brandicaloriecountess
    Brandicaloriecountess Posts: 2,126 Member
    When I go to an early class I know I am done for the day. That helps
  • lleabrooks
    lleabrooks Posts: 87 Member
    Bumping to read later.
  • Runs4Wine
    Runs4Wine Posts: 416 Member
    For me not working out in the AM means it' won't happen. So I set my alarm early enough that I give myself time for one snooze button so I feel better about not feeling rushed if I don't want to.

    I have my clothes laid out ready to go.

    I just get out the door.

    Doing it enough times I actually wake up before my alarm on most days "itching" to get out.

    It's also the only time of day I have completely to myself without family/work pulling me in different directions.
  • betrayalunknown
    betrayalunknown Posts: 63
    "EXERCISE IN THE MORNING....




    .... BEFORE YOUR BRAIN FIGURES OUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING!!!!!"


    :)
  • breakingthecyclept2
    breakingthecyclept2 Posts: 29
    I motivate myself by telling myself that no one can do this for me. Early AM is the only time I have since here in Texas the temps have been above 100 for the past month or so.

    Hang in there! :-)
  • jmayweather24
    jmayweather24 Posts: 11
    Working out in the morning is like sex in the morning. It makes the whole day soooo much better lol. But seriously, I love a tough workout before going to work. I can focus better and I have more energy than a morning coffee can give.
  • ChrisGoldn
    ChrisGoldn Posts: 473 Member
    i work 2nd shift so im up in the morning getting my son ready and off to school and then im off to the gym usually by 8:30, and i love it. During the summer months we move to morning shifts.. forcing me to go after work and i hate for 2 reasons... i'm tired from working and don't feel like being there alot of times and the gym is usually packed making my workouts even longer then usual.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    I get up 15 minutes extra early and enjoy a cup of coffee. When my alarm goes off, if I think, "urrrggh do not want workout", I just change that to "mmm, yummy coffee is waiting". Then, when I've already had some coffee, I can't go back to sleep so might as well work out!

    I'm the queen of tricking myself into stuff :)

    ETA: Also I take Unisom to get me to sleep on time. It works great for me but I'm sure different people have different methods (or aren't completely useless when they're tired, like I am). I also get in bed a little early and listen to podcasts, to keep my brain from going into stress-land. Anything about natural history or science...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
  • 3liza
    3liza Posts: 32 Member
    Just posted this on another forum:

    Just changed my exercise routine to mornings because of advice from my RD. She says that if you work out on an empty stomach in the morning, then the exercise burns fat because that's the only fuel readily available. If you workout during the day or evening, it will burn sugar for fuel. Do what's right for you.
    Actually you might want to research that. I was told the same but read on way too many websites that if you do exercise on an empty stomach your body feeds off of the protein of your muscles instead of the fat storage. So this isn't true at all. Also you might burn a lot of fat during the workout(not from where you want*) but you won't get to burn extra calories throughout the day.
  • kirdyq
    kirdyq Posts: 165 Member
    I have to say, it is motivating to read about how many people DO get up at 5am or earlier to start their workouts. It just seems like most people I talk to at work don't have to get up as early because they are not in the same morning situation as me - husband gone before I have to leave, which means I'm getting myself, a 4yo and a 1yo ready for the day.
  • moisyrocks
    moisyrocks Posts: 38 Member
    Bump
  • francineb4
    francineb4 Posts: 20 Member
    Workout buddy is key. Every week I met my neighbor at 6 am. First thing I did when the alarm went off is check my.phone and pray she bailed. But she never would.I would be pissed Like others said, after a month or so it became a habit I dint even think about. Now in am the bi##h that never bails on my new workout buddy.
  • kirdyq
    kirdyq Posts: 165 Member
    Getting back to it, and love reading these! :smile:
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