Trying to become a morning person

Nike said it best!

Honestly, I hate getting up in the morning, but I know that I feel better when I get my workout done before work. And I know that no matter how much I try to convince myself that I am going to do my workout in the evening, it just doesn't happen. My problem is when I get up that early, by the time I get off work, I'm exhausted and have no energy for my family!

lemmie177 wrote: »

Drink a lot of water the night before. You'll be highly motivated to get out of bed in the morning. It may sound like I'm joking, but I've seriously done this.

Trying this tonight.

Other ideas: Set your workout clothes the night before so it's already set for you to get up and go, or better yet! Sleep in your workout gear. Set your phone (if you use it as an alarm, across the room), remind yourself and whatever ungodly hour you're waking up why you're waking up that early (what are you goals? why do you want to achieve them?), wake up to upbeat music, have a killer workout playlist that you're excited to listen to, have a morning workout buddy to hold you accountable.

And uh, your not you**

Ooh the typos.

roseml6792 wrote: »

I have a hard time finding time to workout. When I get off of work at night I'm usually too tired to get going. I would like to work out in the morning to start my day off right, but I can't seem get out of bed especially during the winter. Any tips on how to become a morning person? Thanks

I'm exactly like you. Epitome of the night owl with my energy rising as the day progresses and usually picking between 10pm-1am. Mornings are a nightmare.

There is always going to have to be a level of "just do it". You have to want to motivate yourself to do it. I've got a nice routine that's worked for me:

If it's winter, I lay out all the clothes I will need for a quick morning jog. And I do mean quick. As soon as I wake up, I make the point to immediately jump out of bed and open the curtains (if it's light outside) and before I have time to think get into my running clothes, and immediately out the door with some loud pumped up music. The key here is it's just a 5 min jog. That's all I tell myself I'm going for, and all I do. Just enough to change state, but not enough to feel like a difficult task.

After that I go inside and immediately hop into a COLD shower. When I say cold I do mean cold. As far as you can turn that handle. I usually go just as long as it takes my to rinse and clean, usually 2-3 minutes.

Then from there it's into the morning routine or whatever I need to get accomplished. And yes, if you opt for it the first few cold showers will be unpleasant. Less so if you remember to breathe deep and embrace it rather than tell yourself it sucks. Revel in being that badass that takes cold showers at 6:00am on a winter morning. And no, it's not something you have to do, but I find them very refreshing, focusing, and afterwards I always get this just real warm and good inside feeling for the next 45 mins that keeps me coming back.

That's my routine that's worked well for me.

I would also suggest that you find a workout buddy or accountability partner that will call you and tell at you if you don't show up at the gym. Our, you could use one of those apps where you actually have to pay money if you don't reach your goal.

I actually have found that one I get used to it, getting up early is actually kind of nice. I get a head start on my day while the rest of the world sleeps.

Having a workout buddy does help. My husband works during the day and I work in the evening. So the best time for us to work out is early morning. I get in bed about 10:30 and back up at 4 so we can go together. It is rough, but you just have to be determined. Once I am out of bed it gets much easier.

I get up about 4.
i have a dog. she encourages me to get up early now.
I frequently sleep in my workout clothes
habit. habit makes it easier. not easy but easier

rachelthropology wrote: »

Other ideas: Set your workout clothes the night before so it's already set for you to get up and go, or better yet! Sleep in your workout gear. Set your phone (if you use it as an alarm, across the room), remind yourself [at] whatever ungodly hour you're waking up why you're waking up that early (what are you[r] goals? why do you want to achieve them?), wake up to upbeat music, have a killer workout playlist that you're excited to listen to, have a morning workout buddy to hold you accountable.

That's a pretty good set of suggestions, the most important of which I think is having the alarm on the other side of the room. The hardest thing about getting into the habit of exercising in the morning is literally getting out of bed. (The snooze button is, in fact, the devil.) Once your feet are on the floor, it's easier to keep moving. Easier still if your workout clothes are waiting for - calling to? - you.

And even for us solitary types, a workout buddy (or buddies) can sometimes make all the difference. Twice a week I run with a group that meets at 5:30 AM, and so many times the thing that gets me out of bed is knowing that there are a bunch of other clowns that will be there, helping each other get through. Also, the hassle at the next session after skipping, but that's a different motivator altogether.

If you can keep at it for a month, you can make it a habit. Eventually, the improved energy you feel after a good workout will outweigh the feeling of being tired. Finally: If you do want to be a morning exerciser, you may need to consciously alter your bedtime to make sure you do get enough sleep. Nothing ruins a workout, or an entire day, like not getting your Zs. Good luck!

roseml6792 wrote: »

I have a hard time finding time to workout. When I get off of work at night I'm usually too tired to get going. I would like to work out in the morning to start my day off right, but I can't seem get out of bed especially during the winter. Any tips on how to become a morning person? Thanks

I have a different angle on this issue. I have a desk job and when I am chained to my chair all day, I have no energy after work. However, taking a long walk at lunchtime and moving around a bit the rest of the workday energizes me for the rest of the afternoon and the evening. I am much more a morning person, but going to the gym in the evening works better for my current schedule, and with the walk at lunch I am able to do it, plus around an hour of yoga beforehand.