Getting up at 5 or 5:30 to exercise - HOW?

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  • vickyrobles
    vickyrobles Posts: 1
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    I dont like to wake up early, but I really needed it. So went to the health store a got something called melatonine, (dont worry it is natural and is not addictive) the best one is the liquid one, I put one dropper under your tongue by 8:30 pm and by 9:00pm I am already sleeping. My alarm is set at 4:40 am and I wake up like if I slept for 15 hours, completely rested, and not sleepy at all. I feel like a 90 years old woman going to sleep at 8:30 but when I work out I need the 8 hours of sleep and I have better mood when I work out at 5am so it works for me. Dont try to work out at 5 am if you have not gotten your 8 hours of sleep, I mean you can do it for few days but in the long time your body wont resist, and you will break you habit. Good luck
  • lclarkjr
    lclarkjr Posts: 359 Member
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    It takes a lot of motivation and once you find a routine you enjoy, the dedication makes it easier. I struggled for years with trying to wake up early to fit in exercise. I would get all ready the night before, alarm set and everything but when it went off the next morning at 5am I couldn't do it. What changed for me was this year I decided I was going to train for and run a marathon. Since my son is less than a year old, I knew the only way I was going to fit in my training runs was if I did them early in the morning before everyone got up. Those first few runs were pretty rough. But once I got into a training groove, it became easier. Some days I was too tired to get up. But I knew if I was going to complete my training runs, I needed to get up anyway. I rescheduled a few of my runs but for the most part I got up when I was supposed to and did them. Now fast forward 5 months to now. With the sun coming up earlier, I have to get up an hour earlier than I did back in January to fit in my runs before my son wakes up with the sun (Not training at the moment, but just love running!). So alarm is set for 4am instead of 5 on my running days. Then 2 days a week I go to the gym and lift weights and run which has me waking up at 3:30am. I actually really love those workouts so much that I am amped the night before thinking about it when I set my alarm. On days when I'm not exercising, I sleep in until 6:30 or whenever my son wakes up. And I don't get to bed too early. I'm in bed at 10pm most nights.

    Find something that you are passionate about and the motivation to do it becomes greater. The greater the motivation, the easier it is to wake up early for it.
  • swordsmith
    swordsmith Posts: 599 Member
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    I am a huge nightowl but now get up at 5:00 AM mon-fri to go to the gym.

    My secret- I have a gym partner. WHo is also a nightowl. But nothing like feeling guilty about not getting up and going because your partner will be there without you.

    I have been doing this for 11 weeks now and its a) easier and b) when my partner went on vacation fora week I found it easy to still get up at 5 AM and go in as its now a habit.

    But oh my do I sleep in on Sat and Sun!
  • emiskins
    emiskins Posts: 92 Member
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    Thanks! I like the starting on a weekend idea. I have managed to get up early in the past a few times but only when I had plans to meet someone for a workout. Unfortunately, it is rare that I can do that because my son is not quite old enough to stay home by himself, so going outside is also out if the question. My husband leaves around 6:15 for work and the latest I can sleep to make it to work on time is 7. My spouse has tried waking me before but he showers and everything at work so he just rolls out of bed, throws some jeans on, and heads out the door. Anyway, I am going to follow the idea of putting my alarm in the guest room, it may just do the trick! I think it's all about being asleep by 9:00 too. Thanks everyone!
  • bluegirl10
    bluegirl10 Posts: 695 Member
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    I get up at 4am Monday thru Friday... Definitely not easy, but I make sure I have my clothes out the night before.. When the alarm goes off I turn it off and sit up that way I won't go back to sleep.. Going to bed early also helps too! The more sleep you get the easier it is to get up when the alarm goes off! :)
  • KevlarKid
    KevlarKid Posts: 5
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    I am signing up for the Susan G Komen Walk For the Cure and fitness walking with some other ladies where I live. I am finding that being accountable not only to the other walkers but also to the training for a charity walk is a great motivator.
  • Blackninjadroid
    Blackninjadroid Posts: 1
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    It's NOT easy at first, but after a couple weeks of getting up early to exercise you'll look forward to how great you'll feel all day long!
    I set my alarm for 4:45....roll out of bed around 5'ish, then I take my dog on a 4.5mi walk; He loves it, I love it......and it's very peaceful at that time......the world is starting to wake up for the day, and you're already up and about, getting good blood flow through your body........burnin' calories & meltin' fat!!
    Best of luck to you, don't give up on it, don't talk yourself out of it, because when you don't feel like going is when you need to go the most.
  • jenthestrawberry
    jenthestrawberry Posts: 93 Member
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    Thanks for this post. Because of reading it last night it I set my alarm to 6am today ;). Then when I rolled over and read the clock at 5:30 I got up early and went running! Weee...
  • kr3851
    kr3851 Posts: 994 Member
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    I have the alarm set on my cell phone to say, "SKINNY TIME". I laugh and get up.

    There are mornings though where I just reset the thing and end up working out after work though.

    Mine says 'Time to get up Fatty' and another one 10 minutes later that says 'Seriously. It's time"
  • TiffyBear415_xx
    TiffyBear415_xx Posts: 77
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    I wish I had some advice but I dont. I have the same problem. :( I wish more than anything I could get up in the mornings but I just cant seem too. I'm gonna keep trying of course cuz I always end up doing my workouts before bed..and I dont like that.
  • TiffyBear415_xx
    TiffyBear415_xx Posts: 77
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    I have the alarm set on my cell phone to say, "SKINNY TIME". I laugh and get up.

    There are mornings though where I just reset the thing and end up working out after work though.

    Mine says 'Time to get up Fatty' and another one 10 minutes later that says 'Seriously. It's time"
    Thats what I need!! Where did you get those ringtones??
  • kr3851
    kr3851 Posts: 994 Member
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    I have the alarm set on my cell phone to say, "SKINNY TIME". I laugh and get up.

    There are mornings though where I just reset the thing and end up working out after work though.

    Mine says 'Time to get up Fatty' and another one 10 minutes later that says 'Seriously. It's time"
    Thats what I need!! Where did you get those ringtones??

    Mine isn't a ringtone - it's the normal tone, but on iPhone you can give alarms labels so it flashes up on the screen. I also have one at night that says "Kill the babies" to remind me to take my HBC. Quite offensive, I suppose!
  • TiffyBear415_xx
    TiffyBear415_xx Posts: 77
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    haha I want an iphone. :(
  • ejohndrow
    ejohndrow Posts: 1,399 Member
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    I can easily get up to work out early when I have to for work, however, I'm usually tired from working out the night before so I half *kitten* my mandatory PT in the mornings. So, my secret, is that I have to.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
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    I have to get up at 3:30 to be at the gym by 4 and be done working out by 6am. It's hard, no doubt. I don't sleep well either which makes it difficult and I am a bit of a night owl, or at least I was. I just make sure I'm in bed by 9pm / 9:30pm. It was hard at first but my body has adjusted and I'm usually falling asleep by 8:30pm now. But if I'm up any later than 10pm I have a hard time getting up.
  • KKJ24
    KKJ24 Posts: 19 Member
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    This is my problem! I have to get up at 5am for work (only 6 days a month) and as I am driving to work I think to myself "why can't I get up this early everyday!!!" but I just want to sleep till the kiddos get me up and then my day is shot!

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