How to make working out in the morning a habit?

Francine_rivas
Francine_rivas Posts: 77 Member
edited November 20 in Fitness and Exercise
Tips please. I lovvvvvve sleeping in but working out In the morning gives me a lot of energy. Working out at night interupts my sleep
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Replies

  • Faithful_Chosen
    Faithful_Chosen Posts: 401 Member
    I don't think I have any other tip than to just do it. The more a behavior is repeated, the more likely it is that it will become instinctive. Reward yourself with something nice after, maybe? If you need it? Good luck!
  • Meganthedogmom
    Meganthedogmom Posts: 1,639 Member
    Literally all you can do is get up and do it! Mind over matter. Every day I wish I could go back to sleep, but I have formed a habit now so I just do it. The more you get up and go, the easier it will get! :)
  • debubbie
    debubbie Posts: 767 Member
    Set your gym stuff out the night before and even sleep in your gym clothes if you have to, if it will help you get out the door in the morning. Start by setting your alarm a half hour earlier and once you get in the habit of that you can set your alarm earlier and earlier until you get the amount of workout time that you want. You will also need to start going to bed earlier to get enough sleep.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,232 Member
    Set your alarm and put it right over the other side of the room, so you have to get out of bed to turn it off. Once you're up, it's easier to stay up.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    1. Get up.
    2. Go work out.
    3. Repeat daily (except rest days)
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
    Set your alarm for 15 minutes more time than you think you need.

    Drink some coffee or thermogenic.

    Force it for 2 weeks and it will be a habit.

    That is how I did it. I needed to so I would not get busy and miss my evening workout.
  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
    Do you workout at home or at a gym?

    If you go to a gym, I pack my gym bag the night before, set out my workout clothes in the bathroom, and program my coffee maker. I roll out of bed, brush my teeth, put on my workout clothes, pour a cup of coffee into a travel mug and head to the gym.

    I will admit getting motivated to work out at home is a bit harder, but I set out my workout clothes and drink a cup of coffee first.

    It is different now that I have kids - I have to get them ready too. But preparation the night before makes a huge difference.
  • jfp420
    jfp420 Posts: 186 Member
    Get all you gear out the night before and just force yourself to do it. It really will become a habit. I wake up every weekday morning at 5:30. It was so hard on the beginning but it feels really good to get my workout out of the way.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    I am trying to set a routine...

    Get up and hit the bathroom...
    Start the coffee...
    Weigh in...
    Drink 1st cup of coffee...
    Get dressed...
    Drink 2nd cup of coffee...
    Hit the great outdoors for a walk...

    I try to get out by 7:00 so that I can get back before it starts to get too hot...

    I am still trying to come up with a routine for starting my resistance training...I do it eventually but would like to have a set time instead of just whenever.
  • Llamapants86
    Llamapants86 Posts: 1,221 Member
    It really boils down to just doing it and it will become a habit with time.
  • Francine_rivas
    Francine_rivas Posts: 77 Member
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    I am trying to set a routine...

    Get up and hit the bathroom...
    Start the coffee...
    Weigh in...
    Drink 1st cup of coffee...
    Get dressed...
    Drink 2nd cup of coffee...
    Hit the great outdoors for a walk...

    I try to get out by 7:00 so that I can get back before it starts to get too hot...

    I am still trying to come up with a routine for starting my resistance training...I do it eventually but would like to have a set time instead of just whenever.

    Wowza two cups of joe
  • htg20
    htg20 Posts: 116 Member
    Having a program like Jillian Michaels Body Revolution helps me because it is a schedule set by her that I choose to stick to.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    4712270_need-some-motivation-shia-labeouf-screaming_46e5bb05_m.gif?bg=5C9B69
  • fbinsc
    fbinsc Posts: 735 Member
    I agree with the just do it comments. You can use tricks to make getting out of bed easier, like going to sleep earlier or drinking a lot of water before you go to bed so you won't have any choice but to get up
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    I can't work out in the mornings and working out too late screws with my sleep too. Try between 5 & 7 pm.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Habits are created by doing the thing over and over. If you keep doing it, it will become a habit! :)
  • vixtris
    vixtris Posts: 688 Member
    I exercise after breakfast. By that time I am not drowzy anymore and can kick *kitten* working out. Drink coffee if you do, get some food in you, read the forums or whatever you do to wake your mind up, and then go exercise!
  • txrn123
    txrn123 Posts: 47 Member
    I work the evening shift 3 to 11 five days a week and was getting into the habit of either sleeping in or getting up early and then being a sleeping on and off couch potato til 1pm. And I knew better...I knew that I had PLENTY of time to get some exercise in on my work days. I joined a gym last week and have been setting my alarm each morning to go work out for at least an hour. I feel better mentally now because I'm not stuck in a work-sleep-work-sleep mode 5 days a week. I had to get myself OUT of the "oh, I only have off 2 days a week so I only can exercise those days" mentality.
  • Drewlssix
    Drewlssix Posts: 272 Member
    Make time for it, as in arrange the rest of your hours so it's possible. You can't get up early consistently unless you are getting to bed early consistently.

    I'm willing to bet you have other activities you have long established, is it still a struggle to get to work on a daily basis?

    If you don't take meals/breaks at regular intervals, begin/end your work day on a set schedule etc I can see setting a workout regime being a challenge. Otherwise it is simply a matter of plugging another activity into a pre existing time frame.

    I say this as someone who has failed to keep to a workout schedule, but other than usually showing up for work on time I have also struggled to manage my time well most my life aswell.
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
    I finished my allotted time on the treadmill this morning

    9827 steps

    Got some calories burnt off and woke up. Ready to roll into the day.
  • rainbow198
    rainbow198 Posts: 2,245 Member
    Planning helped me.

    I lay out my clothes and plan out the workout I'm doing the night before. This helps to save time and takes the guess work out of what am I going to do.

    In the morning I wash my face + brush my teeth, throw on my clothes, have a glass of water (no caffeine or snacks needed) and head to my home gym.

    After a couple of weeks it became a habit. It feels great knowing my workout done first thing at the beginning of the day, plus it helps to energize me. I should note that I've always been a morning person, self-motivated and gotten good sleep prior to working out in the morning so I'm sure that helped me as well.

    Good luck!
  • liftlovelunge
    liftlovelunge Posts: 23 Member
    I wake up to work out at 5am and although it's become a habit it's not always easy. Here are some things that help me:

    - Get to bed early the night before
    - Know what type of workout/routine you're going to do in the morning
    - Pretend your snooze button doesn't exist
    - Splash your face with cold water when you wake up
    - Chug a glass of cold water before your workout

    Getting out of bed is the hardest part. Don't lose sight of what motivated you to want to work out in the first place (:
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    When I hear a question like this I feel the person is not ready yet.
  • Annahasababy
    Annahasababy Posts: 60 Member
    Have a friend who does this wOrk out w you. Or have a friend or family member call you to encourage you. After 10 days of forcing yourself it should become habit.
  • demoiselle2014
    demoiselle2014 Posts: 474 Member
    Try just getting started. Make yourself do it for a week or two. I started doing C25K in the mornings and was shocked when I started walking up before my alarm for the first time in my life (I was a snooze button addict). If you are lucky, you will find the increased activity helps change your sleep needs.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    4712270_need-some-motivation-shia-labeouf-screaming_46e5bb05_m.gif?bg=5C9B69

    Looooool.

    I am so pumped right now for real.
  • JenSD6
    JenSD6 Posts: 454 Member
    What worked for me was setting a limited goal to achieve. I started 30 Day Shred and promised myself to just see it through those 30 days of getting up early and working out. Completing that goal was all I worried about, and following a set program made it easy to just get up and do it. By the end of that month, the habit had stuck, and I've been working out in the mornings ever since.
  • demoiselle2014
    demoiselle2014 Posts: 474 Member
    JenSD6 wrote: »
    What worked for me was setting a limited goal to achieve. I started 30 Day Shred and promised myself to just see it through those 30 days of getting up early and working out. Completing that goal was all I worried about, and following a set program made it easy to just get up and do it. By the end of that month, the habit had stuck, and I've been working out in the mornings ever since.

    I had the same experience with C25K. It helps to have a defined program you can check off each day. With a finish line in sight!
  • rhtexasgal
    rhtexasgal Posts: 572 Member
    All the others are correct - just do it consistently until it becomes habit. I am sooo not a morning person. I am more of a mid-day kind of gal but I know myself. If I put off exercise for the evening, chances are I am not going to do it. After a long day at work and knowing I have to cook dinner? Motivation goes out the window.

    I set my alarm for 5 a.m. get up and get my protein coffee smoothie, potty, brush teeth, change and am in the gym by 5:30 a.m. My clothes are laid out the night before and my water bottle and coffee protein smoothie is already waiting for me in the fridge beforehand. I do this Mon-Fri and allow myself to sleep in until 7 am on Saturday and take a rest day on Sunday.

    Do I like getting up early? No way ... however, I like how I feel once I step out of that gym each day and that is why I do it. Oh and also so I can eat what I want :)
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    When I hear a question like this I feel the person is not ready yet.

    Bull! OP has sleep issues, it's a legit problem for some people. In that case, it's tricky to figure out the best time for their bodies.

    Also no one has to work out early in the morning to be committed.

    I still say late afternoon / early evening is worth trying if you haven't, OP. That works for me, anyway.
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