Trying to be a Morning-Exerciser

I set out my clothes the night before. I use my laptop to write notes about my workout so I try to set that up the night before in my workout space as well. You'll want to get up 15-20 minutes before your workout is going to start, just to give you time to go to the bathroom, dress, stand there thinking "am I really going to do this?", drink some water, etc. I won't lie. It's hard the first several days but it does get easier. I am a morning person and it took me about a week to be able to hear the alarm at 5:15 and think "let's go!" instead of "can't I sleep a bit longer?" If you aren't a morning person it'll take a bit longer but being able to finish your workout early and then go on with your day knowing you've already achieved something gives you a little boost.

Tell yourself tomorrow you just have to do it once, as a test. Then do it. Then afterward, take note of how good it feels to have it done and out of the way and how your whole day is better after starting it off that way. Then weigh that feeling against how hard it was to not snooze.

Not that I've ever had success with it long-term but when I do, I think it does improve my day. And morning exercisers are (on average) more consistent because they get it done before life can get in the way or before we find ways to procrastinate it.

I am not a morning person by nature, but for several months now I have been getting up at 5:30am m-f to workout for 90 minutes. I prepare EVERYTHING in advance the night before. Truly EVERYTHING: I set out my weights/yoga mats, have my clothes sitting out, water ready, and even my clothes and food for after the shower. I get out of bed, stumble downstairs, get dressed, and start the workout. If I don't have everything ready, I tend to think I won't have enough time or that its too much work (silly I know) and I will pass on it. The first week was rough, the second wasn't bad, and now its pretty easy to roll out of bed and start the workout.

I am SOOO not a morning person. But I've been waking up early to work out the past 3 weeks, and it's so nice. Tips:

1. Definitely set clothes, water, food up the night before. Those extra few minutes at night will save you in the morning. I don't know about you, but when I first wake up, I move really slow, so everything takes a lot longer as my brain wakes up. So what takes 2 minutes to gather everything at night turns into 10 in the morning if I don't plan ahead.

2. Eat SOMETHING before you start working out. I just have a Quest bar and some water, but for me (this isn't true for everyone), I have horrible workouts when I don't eat something. And if I keep having horrible workouts, why would I keep getting up early to workout?

3. I got this app for my phone called Sleep Cycle. It costs about $3 I think, but it wakes you up at the best time in your sleep cycle. So I have mine set to wake me up sometimes between 5:20 and 5:40 AM. Waking up at the lightest part of my sleep, plus waking up to a soothing alarm, makes is SO much easier for me to wake up. I actually woke up this morning (kind of) to turn in my sleep, and right then is when my alarm went off. I wake up so much happier now. It's so silly, but for people that sleep super deep, having to pull yourself out of your sleep to a super annoying alarm at your deepest part of the sleep cycle = horrible. This app made it so I didn't have to.

I am definately a morning person. I have tried working out after work and I can never committ to it, once the work day is over I just want to go home, spend time with my family and relax. I recently switched back to the am this past month and it has been working out great for me. I wake up 4:45 ( grant it I'm dragging) hit the gym for a good 45 mins (after 5 minutes or before I am in my zone and fully awake) then gohome to do a routine at home for about 30 minutes take my shower and I am good to go. I eat and drink after my workout. If I eat before I will make an excuse not to go and my tummy hurts. I'm refreshed for the rest of the day. Now when I get up in the morning its like second nature!

I have 3 kids and a husband who also works out before work, so I have to go at 4. Like others, I plan the night before what I'm going to do and have my gym things ready. I totally drag some mornings, but others I wake up before my alarm. It will take a few weeks to get used to it, but I promise you will get used to it. Now if it's not the first thing that I do in the morning, I never get around to it later in the day. Too much going on after work with the kids and their sports and daycare pick ups and the occasional social life. I'm one of those that can't eat before my workout though. Also, I'm fortunate enough to live 1/2 mile from the gym, so I don't need to deal with packing my work clothes and items for the shower. I come home post workout and then I get ready for work. If you have this flexibility, it will be much easier.

Do you workout at home or at the gym? If at the gym - do you know anyone else that goes there? I workout at 5am 3x a week with one of my MFP friends. We don't workout together and aren't near eachother once we get to the gym, but it helps to have someone to text you at 4:45am to make sure your butt is out of bed

The first week was rough, now I look forward to my early morning workouts. The gym is empty.

NOT a morning person. I could sleep til 11am easy, every day if life let me.

I cheat, by slugging down some Red Bull, Rock Star, 5 Hr Energy, or a preworkout mix or pill, then hitting snooze. By the time the snooze alarm goes off, the caffeine has kicked in and I'm ready to kill a 5am workout. :drinker:

I generally view myself as a night owl, but I LOVE to workout first thing in the morning. I get up at 4, get to gym by 4:45. I do a quick run, a 5:15 cycle class, and weights (mon, wed, & fri), and back home by 6:45. I can shower and get a few things done before my girls even wake up. I love that I am done with my workout before most people are even waking. It makes me feel powerful.

If you do well working out in the evening, why switch? You found something that works. Stick with it.

I have a plan (beginning tomorrow morning) to exercise *before* work (about 6am) instead of after. My problem is that I have a hard enough time getting out of bed just to get to work, let alone any earlier. In my half-asleep state I almost always hit the snooze (usually without any memory of doing so!)

SO

Are you a morning person? Is it easy for you to pop out of bed in the a.m.? Can you share any tips on how to do so?

Have you had success transitioning from night owl to early bird? What helped you make the change?

Thanks!

Morning is my favorite time to work out. Getting up and doing it, it's done and you have the rest of the day knowing it's done! I get up a bit earlier and do it. Every person has their preference but I get up, eat breakfast and then workout. That way I've gotten up and woken up a bit to get going.

I actually just got a new job that has me work shifts such as 9-6, 10-7, 11-8. So I'm usually too tired from standing all day to go to the gym afterwards. I've started getting up early and going to the gym. I thought it would be impossible since I'm really not a morning person, but honestly I just pushed through, got up, drove to the gym with my eyes barely open, and did it. Once you're at the gym you're good to go. Just stick with it and don't allow yourself to sleep past your alarm.

I try to wake up around 6 or 7 so I have solid time to spend at the gym. I head home, shower, and get ready for work. It honestly does make you feel a lot better during the day.

I think the main thing you have to strive for is motivation. If you're motivated, you'll get up. It's going to suck, you're gonna want to sleep in, but you can do it.

When I was younger, I used to LOVE to work out after work. Get all that tension out of the body. But once I got into my mid-40's, I just couldn't do it anymore. I was exhausted after work. Since I am a natural morning person (love those sunrises!), I tried doing my workout before getting ready for work. OMG! What a difference! I am filled with pep the rest of the day! I get up at 5, brush my teeth, throw on my exercise togs and do a 40 minute workout. Then I get ready and walk the mile to work.
I think - try different times of the day to see if you like it better. But don't try to fight your natural tendencies.

I go to gym before work, I rock up at 6:30 when the gym opens.

The only tip I have is 'just go' does not mater how tired you feel, when I am half awake and tired and that is most mornings I push myself to go.

Once there I wake up and feel a hell of a lot better afterwards awake and full of energy.

Goof luck!

I used to refuse to get up early to work out, but now I'm up at 5AM Monday-Friday without fail to get my workout in. I wouldn't say I'm a "morning person." At first, the motivation was that I would not have to do it after work, which I consider a huge pain in my butt. That was enough for awhile and, when I started to get lazy, I just took on the Nike mentality - "Just do it." I didn't think about it or ponder getting in a few minutes of sleep. When that alarm goes off, my butt is off that bed and into the bathroom to change into my workout clothes and throw my hair up. I lift at home, so I don't have to trek to the gym or anything, which is preferable for me. Now it's a habit, and something I look forward to. I usually wake up before the alarm goes off these days. Working out in the morning gets my day off right and it's such a relief to do it early and not worry about doing it at 8PM after dinner. When I get home, I want to cook, eat, and relax with my husband and dog, or maybe take a little evening walk, and then hit the sack by 9.

People I know think I'm absolutely nuts for getting up at 5 to work out, though.