Morning Workouts - Your tips for getting "in the mood"?

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cerrmann
cerrmann Posts: 19
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm going to switch from working out sporadically at night, to working out every day in the mornings (routine).

I have a home gym and usually leave for work around 7:45am. Thinking of getting up at 6:00am, work out from 6:15 to 7:15 and then 30 mins to get ready for work.

For those who work out at home, how do you get started? Do you just get outta bed and get right into your cardio? Do you have a waking up period etc? I find it hard to just get up and go downstairs onto the elliptical machine. Maybe some weights first etc.

Any advice would help on "waking up quick" ideas to get into the mood to work out asap. Like a small coffee, stretching, wash face etc?

Thanks!

Replies

  • mistyb47711
    mistyb47711 Posts: 861 Member
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    Nike says it best.....Just do it....lol
  • glittersoul
    glittersoul Posts: 671
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    bump
  • eates
    eates Posts: 334 Member
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    I've got 1 and 3 year old boys that start jumping on me about 6:15 so that's my wake up call...not sure how much help that is though ;)
    My motivation is I know if I don't get my workout done in the morning I'm not very likely to actually get it done.
  • Celo24
    Celo24 Posts: 566 Member
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    Nike says it best.....Just do it....lol

    Pretty much true. On the mornings I go to the gym, I have the luxury of waking up during the short drive there though. One thing - make sure you eat something small to give you a little energy. I like grabbing a banana and putting a little peanut butter on it.
  • kilojoule
    kilojoule Posts: 74
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    wake up every morning at 5am and fire up the coffee pot...stumble over to the laptop and surf craigslist\email while I sip two cups of Java. By 5:20 i am ready to get started and get in my gym - spin up easy on the trainer (bike) for ten minutes to get the blood flowing and either start weight training or harder efforts on the bike. Will either have the tv playing something off netflix or pandora blasting something.
  • Katbaran
    Katbaran Posts: 605 Member
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    I work out in the afternoon but today I switched to morning and liked it better. To answer your question: my hubby works out in the morning. He gets up, drinks a cup of coffee, reads the paper and then heads to the basement three days a week. He either rides his trainer with his road bike for an hour or hour and a half with his Ereader or he uses the weights and home gym stuff for about 2 hours. Three other mornings he goes to a neighborhood gym for about an hour and a half to two hours. I do want to mention that he works 3 pm to 1130 pm so he has mornings free.
  • kmarie01
    kmarie01 Posts: 44
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    I wake up and plan out my breakfast on here first then do some light yoga before a workout. Its hard for me to get up and go straight into the yoga let alone the workout but if I log on here for a few minutes I always get really inspired to go workout and then the stretching really helps wake my body up. Hope this helped!
  • mjf0461
    mjf0461 Posts: 470 Member
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    Mine or done half and half.. Half the week is in the morning and the other in the evening due to my hours at work changing. I roll out of bed grab my ddp for a wake me upper and jump on the treadmill. No problem.. When I am doing my walking I am also holding the small weights and I usually do several sets of bicep curls and such while walking. I get bored with it very easy. It's basically all in what you want to do. Set your mind to doing and just go for it... You get out what you put in...So go for it.......
  • Swilson87
    Swilson87 Posts: 139
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    I ususally wake up at 4am and begin my workout at 5 am. It allows me to wake up, and prep my mind for whats about to happen. Not saying you have to get up that early, but give yourself some time to shke the cob webs loose.
  • eversits
    eversits Posts: 177 Member
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    I used to workout in the morning. I would go for a morning run, and ahhhhhh it is the best. I had stop drinking coffee because I did not need it anymore. But lately, I have been having trouble getting up... I have to leave for work by 6:30, so I have to get up very early.
    I usually put my cell phone in the closet (I leave it open), so when it rings, I actually have to get out of bed to turn it off. Once I am out, I am doing it.
    And yeah, I just get right into it. Change my clothes, and work my butt off...Because you are going to take a shower either way. I do not eat anything before because no time to digest. It works, and you will have better days!!!
    Good luck!!!
  • BrianJLamb
    BrianJLamb Posts: 239 Member
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    Keep water by your bed. As soon as the alarm goes off, drink some water. This will get your body working before you even get out of bed. If you want to get up at 6, set the alarm for 5:45, give yourself a few extra minutes. Not saying to lay in bed the extra 15, but at least prepare for it.

    Also, I dont know how profusely you sweat, but when I do cardio in the morning, my body stays really warm for a while. If I get off of the elliptical and take a warm shower, I won't stop sweating. I have to give myself a cool down period after I am done with the workout.

    One thing that I have been using to make it easier to get out of bed is a timer switch on a lamp in my room that simulates the sunrise. My alarm is set for 5:45 and the light is set to start brightening around 5:30. By the time the alarm goes off, my body has been seeing the light, and I wake up...well...awake. I still try not to get out of bed because it is too cold, but that is a different problem.

    Also, if you are going to be too cold to get out of bed, be partially dressed for the workout when you go to bed, at least in the beginning. Finally, make sure that you have your music, videos, or whatever you need ready to go. It only takes one or two obstacles in the morning to give me a reason NOT to work out.
  • Dom82
    Dom82 Posts: 235
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    I wake up, brush my teeth change and fire up the Wii Active 2 and grab a bottle of water. So up by 5am and start working out at 5:10am. Done by 6am shower and then coffee.
  • secostley
    secostley Posts: 409 Member
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    Went through the same situation you did. My day training kept getting overcome by life, so I had to switch to the mornings. I'm up at 4 a.m. and in the gym by 5:15 a.m. It honestly took about two weeks to get my body and mind used to the concept. Here's what helped me:

    1. Packed my gym bag the night before.
    2. Planned my workouts each day in my journal for the week.
    3. When I got up, I put on my gym clothes immediately
    4. Had a good light breakfast (usually oatmeal, toast w/peanut butter). Read my workout while eating.
    5. Got my tunes loaded up on my Ipod

    I found that my mindset started changing once I was dressed and read my workout. Once I started actually working out, it took about 5-10 minutes for my body to "kick in". That lasted about two weeks. After that, I would practically wake up just before the alarm went off. Now, I really enjoy it--and I'm not a morning person!

    You'll quickly see the the advantages of the morning workout. I've lost more weight doing it this way than i ever did during my afternoon sessions.

    Keep me posted on your progress!

    God Bless!


    Shawn
  • cerrmann
    cerrmann Posts: 19
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    Wow! Thanks for the replies! This place ROCKS!

    It was my 1st post and wasn't expecting too many replies.

    Tons of good ideas above, ok I'm sold on working out in the mornings. I was scared my body wasn't ready and it would be hard on me if I didn't wake up first etc! Good call. Well my wife wakes up at 5:45 so I can get up at the same time, chill until 6:00 on the computer or something and then work out from 6:00-7:15!

    If anyone wants to add me as a friend we can check each other to see if we worked out in the mornings like we planned :) I only have 1 friend on here so far!

    Thx! Here goes tomorrow!

    Oh also, want to lose 5 lbs per month for the next 4-5 months. I'm 6' 3" and 201lbs and people call me tall and skinny at work but I got a serious ponch and muffin tops starting, especially when I wear my jeans its super weak! I don't want to get huge/muscular, I actually want to lose weight and just be skinny so mainly cardio only and a bit of weights. 180lbs would be perfect, havent weighed that for about 5 years. 170 something would be absolutely awesome! Time to make it happen!

    My confirmation will be hitting one point where my wife or people at work are like "are you on a diet or are you working out?". I'm not going to draw any attention to what I'm doing and wait for the comments.
  • danniwhit
    danniwhit Posts: 63 Member
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    I workout in the mornings...just don't have time in the evenings so I have to make myself do it in the morning. And in the mornings I am home alone so it makes it easier to workout! I get up at 410, make a green smoothie for breakfast, watch the news for about 30 minutes, sometimes more. I usually begin exercising between 5 and 530am and workout from 45-90 minutes then shower and work. Having a few minutes to drink breakfast, and wake myself up is more helpful to me then walking downstairs and having to go right to work at working out! Good luck! Having a morning workout has really been improving my day :)
  • BigBoneSista
    BigBoneSista Posts: 2,389 Member
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    4:15 I get up, hit the bathroom, get dressed and either I'm out the door to the gym or I'm downstairs doing Zumba on the Kinect all by 4:30 am. I can't eat before I exercise in the morning. I can't linger around because I will be less motivated. It took me some time to get use to getting up early but after my 1st week of doing it I haven't looked back. Its just my standard daily routine now.

    I just finished my workout about 20 minutes ago and I'm feeling good sitting here cooling down :smile:
  • kwardklinck
    kwardklinck Posts: 1,601
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    I have a little caffeine before I work out. It gives me just the right amount of "pick me up".
  • eshyay
    eshyay Posts: 18
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    When I worked out in the mornings (which I may well start doing again) I used to get out of bed, wash my face with cool water, then get into my workout clothes. I'd come downstairs, have a piece of fruit or similar, and sit down to plan what I was going to eat for breakfast/lunch (I don't plan tea because my husband almost always cooks it).
    Then I would get into working out, shower, and get ready for my day.
  • cerrmann
    cerrmann Posts: 19
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    Sweet stuff! Ya I'm thinking mornings are the way to go. When I used to get home after stressful day at work I just knew I wasn't going to work out that night then felt guilty sitting there all night. I did my 1st morning workout today, got home and was like "oh, right I worked out already!!" Plus I ate over my cal goal today so can decide to burn another 350 cals again to meet my goal. Since I burned 450 this morning I'd need to do 800 tonight which is too indimidating!

    Time to hit the rowing machine!

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