Tell me how you did it, early morning exercisers!!!

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kirdyq
kirdyq Posts: 165 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've fallen off the exercise wagon. My hubs and I had been exercising in the evenings after the kids go to bed, so we'd usually start about 8:30. I only exercise for 30 minutes, it's all the time I have to work with, so at least we were not getting done incredibly late. However, things got busy, kids got in activities, and now we are back to school.

I really think that I should get up before work and get the workout in. I think that I'd need to get up at 5:00 to get it going...I have to start getting all of us ready by 6:00 to get out the door by a little after 7:00. So getting up at 5 would let me get dressed, hit play, and then have some time to clean myself up before 6am.

I just hate getting out of bed in the morning though. It is not my favorite. Haha. And maybe some of you are like this - if so, please tell me so I don't feel alone - sometimes I feel kind of crummy in the morning. Like an unsettled stomach or something, and I hate to do anything but the bare minimum. Usually by the time I leave the house I'm fine. I wonder if it's because I have a bad habit of snacking after dinner in the evening - maybe my stomach was working too hard in the night.

If you are one who switched to morning workouts, how long did it take before getting up stopped sucking?

Anyway, hints would be appreciated! I really want to get back on the wagon!
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Replies

  • brightsideofpink
    brightsideofpink Posts: 1,018 Member
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    I can only speak for myself. It never really stopped sucking. But it started getting better when I stopped beating myself up over not loving it. There might be a few double negatives there. Let me try again. My alarm is set for 4am. With two kids, frequent night meetings, sports schedules, homework, its the only time I can work out. I've been on this workout schedule for a year now. It is especially hard in the winter when it is cold and very dark and there's snow to be brushed off the car, all while the bed is nice and warm and soft. But after forcing myself to do it for a few weeks, I began to realize a few things. One- I'm not ever going to enjoy the sound of my alarm. Trying to reach a point where I would only feel worthy once I did was unattainable. So I accept my dislike of it and I'm happier. I also realized that even though the first few minutes at 4 am were miserable, the rest of the morning was great. There's something about starting your day with extra energy (and extra calories) in the tank that feels empowering.
  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,325 Member
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    I have been in the gym for 30+ years. Until lately I would always workout in the late afternoon or evening bc I had my kids and they worked out too. The last couple of years I switched to mornings and I love it now. I can actually believe I used to do this late in the day. My days are better bc of my morning work outs. Mostly its a "just do it" mentality that gets it done and the day is then great bc I did. I don't LOVE it but I do it.
  • VegasFit
    VegasFit Posts: 1,232 Member
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    I do early morning workouts twice during the week, 6 a.m. class and a class on Saturdays at 7:30. It took about 2 months to totally get used to hearing my alarm go off at 5 during the week and 6:30 on the weekend. Now I wake up usually about 5-10 minutes before and I never hit snooze. Being that it's a class and knowing others are expecting me helps and it's only three days a week. It would be a hard adjustment if it was every day.
  • br3adman
    br3adman Posts: 284 Member
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    I get up drink 2 cups water eat yogurt for breakfast then go walk. After I walk 30 mins I'm awake for the rest of the day. I go again usually during lunch. Then a few times in the afternoon.
  • MelissaH0910
    MelissaH0910 Posts: 67 Member
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    brightsideofpink wrote: »
    I can only speak for myself. It never really stopped sucking.

    Co-signed.

    I've been working out at 4 a.m. for years, and it still sucks, although some days more than others. Yeah, sometimes I tell myself I need more sleep, but that doesn't happen as much as it used to. I do it in the mornings because I work two jobs and I know myself well enough to know if it doesn't get done before work, I won't do it at all. I'm fortunate that my gym is in my basement so I don't have to go far because that would be a deal-breaker for me. I set my clothes out at night & leave myself enough time for a glass of water or 1/2 a cup of coffee, and then I head downstairs.

    I grumble about it, and the first few minutes are sometimes REALLY hard, but once I get going I enjoy it. I get it out of the way early, and I have more energy later in the day. Plus, knowing that I kicked butt in the gym when I'd rather be sleeping sort of sets the tone for my day.



  • reebeks
    reebeks Posts: 2 Member
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    I'm a competitive swimmer and we have morning practise a couple of times a week. I've had morning practises for about 4 years. It's very hard to get up at five when you hear the alarm. I always get out of bed as soon as possible because it just gets worse if I don't. However, as soon as I'm out of bed there are no problems and it's kind of nice to sit alone and eat before heading out of the door
  • LeslieB042812
    LeslieB042812 Posts: 1,799 Member
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    brightsideofpink wrote: »
    I can only speak for myself. It never really stopped sucking. But it started getting better when I stopped beating myself up over not loving it. There might be a few double negatives there. Let me try again. My alarm is set for 4am. With two kids, frequent night meetings, sports schedules, homework, its the only time I can work out. I've been on this workout schedule for a year now. It is especially hard in the winter when it is cold and very dark and there's snow to be brushed off the car, all while the bed is nice and warm and soft. But after forcing myself to do it for a few weeks, I began to realize a few things. One- I'm not ever going to enjoy the sound of my alarm. Trying to reach a point where I would only feel worthy once I did was unattainable. So I accept my dislike of it and I'm happier. I also realized that even though the first few minutes at 4 am were miserable, the rest of the morning was great. There's something about starting your day with extra energy (and extra calories) in the tank that feels empowering.

    This x100 for me!!!!! I am the exact opposite of a morning person (I hit my peak productivity/natural energy point sometime around 11 pm), but the only way to get a workout in consistently is to get up an hour earlier and "Just Do It!" (points to Nike for that). Like you said, life gets in the way too much at night and the only thing that gets in the way in the morning is sleep. It never really gets better, per say, but it does get easier and becomes a habit. After I get going, it does start my day off much better than not exercising, too. What @brightsideofpink said above in the bold is SO TRUE. I do grumble A LOT upon getting up and at the beginning of working out (sorry honey....), but after the workout I feel so good about my day.

    Here are some tips that help me:
    • Don't wait until you're getting to bed earlier to start getting up earlier. Just go without "enough" sleep a few days and pretty soon you'll easily fall asleep at the time you need to for your new morning routine. This is for me as a night person, not sure if going to bed early is hard for you or not.
    • Prep ahead of time! Again, as a night person, I find that I tend to wander aimlessly in the morning, so I prep everything the night before (lay out gym clothes & shoes, pack gym bag for work clothes, pack lunch, etc.). I even sometimes put my gym clothes and shoes right by my bed so that as soon as the alarm goes off I put them on on auto-pilot--much less likely to lay back down for "5 more minutes" with gym shoes on!
    • For the stomach issues, play around with what works for you, whether that's eating less at night before or eating a small snack in the morning just before you work out. Different people function best differently--experiment to see what helps you perform in the morning.
    • Finally: Just do it--just put one foot in front of the other. Your body will try to find excuses (upset stomach, headache, etc.), but just power through and do something (even if it's just walking for the 30 minutes) until you get used to the idea that nothing will derail your workout.

    Good luck!
  • Angelfire365
    Angelfire365 Posts: 803 Member
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    Brightsideofpink has pretty much got it. I've been doing early morning workouts for about a year now (alarm goes off at 3:45am, I hit snooze until 4:15-ish) and I still hate getting out of bed. It was tempting to quit the early morning workouts, but then I realized something. I love love LOVE coming home from work and NOT having to workout. Standing in the kitchen thinking "I don't have to hit the gym, I did it already" is really what keeps me going in the morning. <3
  • PinkyPan1
    PinkyPan1 Posts: 3,018 Member
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    I go to bed early at 8 pm most nights. I pick out my clothing and have my shoes and socks ready to climb into the minute the alarm goes off at 4:45 am. I head down stairs drink 2 cups of coffee, clip my iPod on and head to the park. I walk on average 100 minutes at a brisk pace for 6 miles. I come home shower and start my day. My grandson is usually dropped off at 8 am and I am ready to go. I can not imagine a better way to start my day. It is so peaceful and I get to witness a sunrise each day.
  • wearmi1
    wearmi1 Posts: 291 Member
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    My phone goes off at 4... then my dog starts barking and won't shut up until I take her out to do her business. I turn the coffee pot on before I take my dog out that way it's ready when I get back into my apt. Drink a half cup of coffee or so while I get my workout clothes and head to the gym. My body seems into the routine of it now and the alarm isn't so jolting anymore. Plus I find it satisfying to hit my 10,000 steps goal before my day even starts so anything from then on is a bonus!
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    it's never pleasant to get up at 430am.
    preplan what you can. i actually sleep in my running clothes. nice for the summer with the wicking and keeping me cool.
    i like being able to know i got the workout over. i like just getting it done. it doesn't get easier but it gets better.
    i think i'll pack my dry goods for lunch in the evening. i was just thinking about that this morning. i had 10k steps done for the day before i even got in the shower this morning. that is nice. and i can be lazy for the rest of the day
  • stephanieweilert
    stephanieweilert Posts: 2 Member
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    I agree with a lot of what has been said previously. One trick I used was getting a light timer - I set it so that a light in my bedroom would turn on when I needed to get up. Once I had walked across the room to turn it off it was easier to get going with everything else I wanted to do. Getting out of bed is hardest for me!
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I'm not a "just do it" kind of girl. I work with my natural peak times, which happen to be in the morning. I don't do evening workouts because, frankly, at night I am a slug. I naturally rise without an alarm clock at 4:30. Don't hate me.

    For busy parents I wonder if lunch time workouts might fit better?
  • jtarmom
    jtarmom Posts: 228 Member
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    Agree with the 'it never stops sucking'. There are days I bounce out of bed, but most days I groan. I repeat to myself that "I get more complements for working out than sleeping in", and then I just do it. I know I won't want to work out after the kids go to bed, so 5am it is.
  • YokiLenko
    YokiLenko Posts: 89 Member
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    I'm usually sleep in my workout clothes so I roll out of bed, slip shoes on, grab my water bottle and iPod, and head on over.
  • runwithtoppa
    runwithtoppa Posts: 50 Member
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    I set 4 alarms to sound 15 minutes apart. If I want to get up at 6am. I will set an alarm for 5.15am - 5.30am - 5.45am and 6am. I find this method gradually wakes me up and by the time the last alarm sounds, I am fully awake, or at least awake enough not to feel groggy and rebellious.

  • pandapotlovebug
    pandapotlovebug Posts: 59 Member
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    I was never able to get up at 5am to work out I always had two alarms set and it never worked. I'm in the same position where I have to start getting the kids ready by 6 o'clock. This week I discovered the app called alarmy. It forces you to get up out of bed and take a picture of something before to turn off the alarm. I have two alarms set first alarm at 5 a.m. take a picture of the bathroom sink. And one set at 5:08 take a picture of the treadmill. Trying to do it everyday even if I don't work out. I need to reset my sleep schedule and make it happen. Today kinda suckered because I didn't sleep well, so I ate a little and did a 7 minute hiit. I know I need to have a rest day or two but I still want to try to wake up everyday at 5.
  • VegasFit
    VegasFit Posts: 1,232 Member
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    pandapotlovebug wrote: »
    I was never able to get up at 5am to work out I always had two alarms set and it never worked. I'm in the same position where I have to start getting the kids ready by 6 o'clock. This week I discovered the app called alarmy. It forces you to get up out of bed and take a picture of something before to turn off the alarm. I have two alarms set first alarm at 5 a.m. take a picture of the bathroom sink. And one set at 5:08 take a picture of the treadmill. Trying to do it everyday even if I don't work out. I need to reset my sleep schedule and make it happen. Today kinda suckered because I didn't sleep well, so I ate a little and did a 7 minute hiit. I know I need to have a rest day or two but I still want to try to wake up everyday at 5.

    That is awesome! I have my phone set to text my GF a wake up call to meet me at bootcamp and it doesn't always work but that's genius.

  • xX_PhoenixRising_Xx
    xX_PhoenixRising_Xx Posts: 622 Member
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    I'm not a morning person but I have to be up and moving by 5.30am for work. It's not that much harder to get up at 5 and squeeze in a half hour. It works so long as I get to sleep early enough. I have my gym set up at home so I don't need to leave the house and I put all my exercise gear beside the bed each night.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    jgnatca wrote: »
    I'm not a "just do it" kind of girl. I work with my natural peak times, which happen to be in the morning. I don't do evening workouts because, frankly, at night I am a slug. I naturally rise without an alarm clock at 4:30. Don't hate me.

    For busy parents I wonder if lunch time workouts might fit better?

    +1 on lunchtime. No other times work for me, unless I get up really early. Which I won't.

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