Morning Workouts...

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Replies

  • bjhallen
    bjhallen Posts: 4 Member
    I have guilt at night when I can get my workout in. This pushes me the next day to put it first thing.
  • tjcuts339
    tjcuts339 Posts: 188 Member
    It does truly set mind in a positive state for the day!! Doing this for years now..And feel great!
  • SuzyH
    SuzyH Posts: 196 Member
    Morning is "my time"! Even on Saturdays my body now wakes up early! Many years ago when my kids were young, I started this crazy habit because hubby was home in bed and I could get a bike ride or walk/run before the kids got up. Now the kids have their own kids and I'm still doing this! For me, if I don't get a work out done in the morning, it probably won't happen. Bonus: after working out, I'm ready to go and wide awake! My desire was (and still is) to work out and this seemed to be the only way. If you can find someone to work out with you, it might help because you know they will be waiting for you and you have to be there!
  • runem2011
    runem2011 Posts: 34 Member
    I don't workout at any other time I love mornings, set the alarm for 6am and i'm up and away :smiley:
  • I had the same issue. I'm not a morning person at all! The big mistake I made at the start was relying on motivation. Motivation isn't always there and relying on it was setting myself up to fail. T

    Same here. Motivation alone was not dependable for me. I have goals and there are things i need to do in order to achieve them. Exercising for me is a daily binary operation ( 1 or 0 ). Either I did it or i didnt do it. It does get easier as time goes on and it becomes a habit.

  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    first, it does not need to be an all-or-nothing situation. you do not need to start waking up at 4:30am every morning next week. start with one morning. do it on tuesday, because i know you'll probably not want to do it on a monday morning.

    going to bed early is key as well. if you're planning a 5am wake up, going to bed at 11pm might not be good enough. if you're like me, it takes you 30 minutes just to fall asleep. that's barely over five hours of sleep, when every study out there says people need about 7-8 hours a night, at minimum six.

    avoid caffeine after 5pm, and alcohol within an hour or so of bed. this will allow you to fall asleep and go into deep REM sleep quicker. also, avoid watching tv in bed or on the couch before bed. try reading some fiction in bed. i promise, you'll be asleep in less that 30 minutes.

    one thing i do in the morning is give myself an extra 20 minutes to drink a cup of coffee while i wake up and get dressed.


    but then again, i do all of this because i know that my motivation and conviction to exercise in the afternoon is less than in the morning. if you can work out in the afternoon or evening, why do you need to change?
  • MrsSullivan08
    MrsSullivan08 Posts: 274 Member
    I tell myself to workout out even if I don't feel like it in the mornings when I wake up because I tend to feel better throughout the day overall. I tend to have more energy and I too wait until after I workout to eat. I don't eat back my calories from this most days (or try not to), however, my calories are set to 1650 which is sustainable for me. I only workout in the mornings Monday-Friday then I get the whole weekend to relax. It has been a lot easier on me knowing when I workout and knowing that I only have to do it 5 days a week.
  • tjcuts339
    tjcuts339 Posts: 188 Member
    SuzyH wrote: »
    Morning is "my time"! Even on Saturdays my body now wakes up early! Many years ago when my kids were young, I started this crazy habit because hubby was home in bed and I could get a bike ride or walk/run before the kids got up. Now the kids have their own kids and I'm still doing this! For me, if I don't get a work out done in the morning, it probably won't happen. Bonus: after working out, I'm ready to go and wide awake! My desire was (and still is) to work out and this seemed to be the only way. If you can find someone to work out with you, it might help because you know they will be waiting for you and you have to be there! Never could KEEP Friends true to the game! [Thats whe MFP is so nice...All you are still loving the. Journey.....
  • tjcuts339
    tjcuts339 Posts: 188 Member
    Agreed. Susie
  • blakexx3
    blakexx3 Posts: 89 Member
    brenstar05 wrote: »
    How do people who work out in the morning motivate themselves to get up out of bed and to the gym (or outside or in front of the DVD player, etc.)? I have such a hard time waking up in the morning when the alarm goes off. No matter how prepared I am... clothes set out the night before, bag packed, go to bed early... nothing helps.

    Looking for suggestions on how to train my body to wake up earlier....

    I'm not sure how early you're talking about but I work out in the morning (usually around 8-9) and my biggest motivation is knowing how much better I will feel about myself after I work out. Even if I have a "bad" gym session (asthma attack or not doing as much as I know I can) knowing that I still went makes me feel better. I also eat healthier for the day when I workout. There's also a lot of research evidencing that you burn more more calories throughout the day when you go to the gym in the morning vs any other time of the day.
  • rainbow198
    rainbow198 Posts: 2,245 Member
    edited March 2015
    Prepping the night before really helps me. I lay out my workout clothes, plan out my workout and meals for the day.

    The next morning wash my face, brush my teeth, drink a glass of water and head to my home gym and get it done.

    It became my routine after about 2 weeks of being consistent. Now it's second nature to me to wake up and get a good workout in and it gives me energy.

    Also it feels great to get my workout in first thing and be done with it. No excuses. It's too easy for things to get in the way the later I wait.
  • jules777_us
    jules777_us Posts: 31 Member
    My dog forces me. If I'm not up by 6:30am she jumps on my bed and licks my face until I get up. I in turn thank her with a 6-8 mile walk. I used to get super bored walking that long and that far but I use it as work time and social time. I usually call my mom and gram and check in with them, I speak text a list of things to do for the day on my phone all while speed walking miles and miles all over town. I've been doing it for a little over 2 weeks now and it's gotten so easy now and I feel awesome logging in 900+ calorie burn before lunch. My only issue now is making up the calories burned with food, since I've started controlling my portions better its a pain to eat my daily allowance and add in 900+. I've only lost 6lbs so far but I have dropped inches everywhere. I would rather do it slowly the right way than use a magic pill and gain it all back again like I seemed to do the last few years when I was dieting.
  • tjcuts339
    tjcuts339 Posts: 188 Member
    Hey Jules ..My dog does the same .. That certainly. Does get us moving...Mine is a similar. Burn .At least 2 miles fast 15 incline..The mental aspect of this are Amazing! ! I call it.recess . But after recess we are so ready to take Life!
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
    I get up at 520AM M-F. I start my workout at 6AM alternating between treadmill, Leslie Sansone Walking DVD and HIIT DVD's. I usually work out 5-6 days weekly. I like having it done early so it is over with for the day. The rest of the day I focus on H2O intake and making healthy food choices.
  • tjcuts339
    tjcuts339 Posts: 188 Member
    4 am Tread/ Elliptical. Stair climber/ I have a physical. Hands on job that require s you to stand so THATS my lifting daily.. 6 days a week. Walk / Bike on the7th.....
  • landfish
    landfish Posts: 255 Member
    SuzyH wrote: »
    Morning is "my time"! Even on Saturdays my body now wakes up early!
    This is how it has become for me too.

    Every once in a while, my wife is up and around when I'm getting ready to leave for the gym or just back and eating my breakfast and I find myself being resentful of the intrusion.
  • trish56832
    trish56832 Posts: 43 Member
    brenstar05 wrote: »
    Thanks everyone!! These are all great tips and words of encouragement. I definitely want to become a morning "worker outer" because, like many of you have said it is so hard to make yourself work out after a long day of work... and I really just want to go home and relax at the end of the day. So, I appreciate all the tips!!

    I took the first step this week and put my alarm clock across the room. I also only set it for 30 minutes earlier than I "normally" get up so that it wasn't such a shock to my body. So far, I am 1 for 2. One morning I was able to get up and get myself moving and the other, I reset the alarm and went back to bed. I think I just need to keep at it and like you all have said, after awhile it will be second nature.

    Thanks again, MFP Friends!! :smiley::heart:

    I struggle to get up in the morning. I have NEVER been a morning person. I finally bought a treadmill and an elliptical and workout after dinner while watching a show with my SO. On weekends I enjoy late morning workouts. Hopefully you will become a morning person and master the am workout but for me I always felt terrible by dinner and I was crabby as hell when I tried the morning workouts !!! Keep us posted on your progress :)
  • tjcuts339
    tjcuts339 Posts: 188 Member
    tjcuts339 wrote: »
    4 am Tread/ Elliptical. Stair climber/ I have a physical. Hands on job that require s you to stand so THATS my lifting daily.. 6 days a week. Walk / Bike on the7th.....

    I look so forward. To this everyday!
  • kali_baby
    kali_baby Posts: 3
    edited March 2015
    I taped motivational quotes everywhere I look frequently or walk past! I have one in particular that I try and keep in mind when I'm having trouble waking up...

    "Discipline is knowing what needs to be done, even when you don't want to do it."

    You'll never regret waking up early when you finish!
  • tjcuts339
    tjcuts339 Posts: 188 Member
    kali_baby wrote: »
    I taped motivational quotes everywhere I look frequently or walk past! I have one in particular that I try and keep in mind when I'm having trouble waking up...

    "Discipline is knowing what needs to be done, even when you don't want to do it."

    You'll never regret waking up early when you finish!

    Love it!! Mindset can acheive anything we desire!! Lack of it can cause life to pass us by?? Then regret is sure to follow..We are in control of are own destiny! !