Getting up early to exercise...

radioloren
radioloren Posts: 26 Member
edited September 28 in Fitness and Exercise
...is becoming super difficult!!! I used to get on my treadmill at night after work only...but I would put it off for so long that by the time I got on there, it was almost time for bed! So I decided two weeks ago to try exercising in the morning before I start my day! The very first day I did it, it seemed easy and dare I even say, fun! The sun was shining through my window, I was watching one of my favorite shows on DVR and it seemed easy and enjoyable. The next day was ok, then every day after that just got harder and harder to get out of bed early to exercise. I thought it was supposed to get easier! I try to remind myself of how great I felt that first day I got up early to exercise, but it doesn't seem to help. Today I wanted to stay in bed so badly that I started having dreams about the treadmill! Eventually, I got up at the last possible second and did my normal 1/2 hour on the treadmill, so I didn't disappoint myself :). Are there any tricks you use to help motivate yourself to get up earlier to exercise? I've never been a morning person, so actually the fact that I've been able to do this for two weeks straight so far, is a miracle lol....but I'd like to continue! The only thing I can think of, is go to bed earlier the previous night....I could give that a shot I suppose ;). Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks!!

Replies

  • ecmcnamee
    ecmcnamee Posts: 317 Member
    I do this as well and let's face it 5 a.m. is just an ugly hour to motivate yourself to get out of bed ... especially on days when it's raining, or cold, or sunny :) I don't have any good answers except that some days are easier than others. I usually just make myself get up because I know how guilty I'll feel if I don't. I don't make it up everyday but I do try to get up and work out more days than not. Good luck!
  • tabitha_raye
    tabitha_raye Posts: 2 Member
    I would love to help you but I have the exact same problem :/ I can be soooo motivated before bed, thinking "I'm gonna get up at 6 and workout!!" and then there's just something about that comfy bed that causes me to argue with myself for 2 hours while hitting the snooze button. Also, I'm worried about the noise from my treadmill waking up my kids... I think I'm just making lame excuses...
  • Tereztaylor07
    Tereztaylor07 Posts: 200
    I hang up skinny clothes on the back of my bedroom door. When I wake up and see them, I remember why I want do this. Sometimes I even hang my fat clothes up there, to motivate me not to go back lol.
  • dakoerber
    dakoerber Posts: 308 Member
    I always get up in the morning and workout but that was not always the case. It is hard at first but give yourself a few weeks. Your body will adjust to the new time. At this point I am so used to getting up at 4:45 that I have a hard time sleeping in past that. (Except on the weekends! LOL)

    Just keep at it and give yourself time. I do think going to be a little earlier helps.. Maybe start with just 10-15 minutes earlier.

    One thing I do is when the alarm goes off I say to myself - I AM UP, I AM UP - and I keep saying it til I get up. I don't let myself think about going back to bed. Its just not an option. I have also slept in my workout clothes but don't do that too often. It saves me time in the morning.

    You can do it!
  • MsKeelah919
    MsKeelah919 Posts: 332 Member
    Yep! I dont allow myself ANY time to think about it. I get up at 5:30 and at 5:30 and 2 seconds, I'm on my way to the living room to push PLAY!! The times where I've given my mind or body time to think about whether or not I 'wanted' to do it...I didnt. And I missed out on that EMPOWERING feeling that comes from actually getting up and getting it done! Good luck!
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    For awhile, I was forcing myself to get up "early" (I work second shift - so early for me isn't early for other people.. lol) and go to the gym to do cardio on an empty stomach.

    I gave that up. I don't care if it burns more fat. I don't care if it burns more calories. I would rather sleep. I now workout at night - after work. lol.

    I hate mornings. I respect anyone who gets up super early - goes to the gym and then goes to work too. Kudos! I can't do it. lol.
  • msjeannettea
    msjeannettea Posts: 18 Member
    Just calculate the # of hours you need in order to get that "good night sleep" feel. As for me, i'm doing a Team Weight Loss class at my gym, and we are on the treadmill at 6am, that means i gotta get up at 5am. I know for me, anything less than 6.5 hrs of sleep will not make for a great day the next day. So i know i gotta be in bed, no later than 10:30pm.

    Also, the night before, i already have my work clothes packed and in the car, so I have no excuses. I'm done with my class at 7am, i shower in the gym, and i'm out the door at 7:45am and at my desk around 7:55/8am.

    It works, if you think about all you need to do to be fully functioning the next day.
  • megamix12
    megamix12 Posts: 16
    I am totally not a morning person either so I feel your pain. Last week was an off week for me, I only made it to the gym one morning. If I don't make it to the gym in the morning though, I almost never go after work like I tell myself I will. Something always comes up. There is always an excuse. I don't like to go right after work because its too busy and hot. So I tell myself I will go around 7:30 or 8. Then that times comes along and I am too tired. So I have been trying really hard to stick to this morning routine. I feel so much better once I am finished my morning workout knowing that I have the entire rest of the day to no make excuses. I get up at 4:45 to be at the gym. It's not easy. Often I lay in bed and convince myself for 5 - 10 minutes just how much I really WANT to get up (yea right! i rally WANT to keep sleeping). Once I actually get out of bed and turn a light on I am usually ok. I find it also helps when I lay out my gym clothes the night before. Anyway, I find that going to the gym in the morning helps me stay more aware of what I am eating and makes me stop and think twice, or even three times before putting something in my mouth. I figure if I am making the sacrafice to get up so early, I am certainly not going to blow my effort on junk. My boyfriend as commented on my new commitment to morning workouts and that helps push me too. Knowing he is proud makes me want to keep going.
  • Vcaser
    Vcaser Posts: 36
    I absolutely have NEVER been a morning person, and I just don't see how it can be done. On the days that I MUST work out in the early morning due to my work hours conflicting with when my local Curves is open, I'm just sleep-walking through the circuit, I'm not bringing it. (They don't open until 6:15, and they close at 6:00 pm on Fridays!) The only way I can even do that occasionally is to lay out my workout clothes and shoes the night before and have everything ready and out where it's highly visible. I even plan out what I'm going to wear to work, how I'm going to fix my hair, etc, because I have very little time to get ready for work if I exercise in the morning. It's just not worth the hassle to me unless I have no choice.
  • hroush
    hroush Posts: 2,073 Member
    I commend you for even being able to do it in the first place! I am a night owl, so I prefer to go run at night. I went for my run when it was almost 10:00 last night and went to sleep around 11:30. My legs didn't like squatting this morning, though, at 8:30.
  • mariafriscia
    mariafriscia Posts: 1
    I commend anyone for getting motivated to exercise at all. I am still having a hard time setting aside a block of time that is devoted to me taking care of "ME". But as I am reading your post, I heard that you were watching one of your fave shows on the DVR. Sounds like a reward for getting up early to me...wake up, watch the favorite show and work out while your doing it. Use that show, one that you love as your reason (with the exercise as a secondary reason) Maybe that will help with the motivation you are looking for. Good Luck!
  • TriumphNow
    TriumphNow Posts: 526 Member
    If I don't workout in the morning, it won't get done. The results keep me motivated. I think of it as time just for me before my kids wake up and I feel good about that accomplishment when I'm done. I hope you find the time that works for you. :)
  • udallmom101
    udallmom101 Posts: 564 Member
    I have never really been a morning person either. I started getting up early to exercise when I had to get the kids off to school. It was nice to have the peace and quiet before the hectic day started. When I was getting up I would turn the news on, eat a Kashi bar, wait about 15 minutes then get on my treadmill. It relaxed me and gave me the added boost I needed to get through the day..
  • gatorgirl7
    gatorgirl7 Posts: 103 Member
    hey girl, i hear you. i get up between 4:45-5:30 every morning to hit the gym...and it is brutal. luckily, i'm a morning person so it's not as bad as it may be for you. i'll admit, when that alarm goes off, that there are days when id ont' want to get up but here's what i tell myself: first and for-most, i'm busy every day after work so there is no way for me to do it after. also, i meet a friend at my gym, so we do it together (that really helps)--especially if we need a wake up call! also, it takes 3 weeks to make a habit, so stick with it. i always feel better after i get up early and work out, it gives me energy for the day and is a major stress relief. if i oversleep and i don't get it in, my whole day is off. my ex-bf (we recently broke up)--but if i had overslept, he'd push back our plans b/c he knows what kind of mood i'd be in if i skipped ;-)
  • radioloren
    radioloren Posts: 26 Member
    Wow!! Thanks SO much for all of the great responses and feedback! I feel better already! It's great to know that I'm not the only one who has trouble getting up early and wow, even some of you are getting up earlier than me! 445am, I know I couldn't do it....I should consider myself lucky that the earliest I'd have to get up would be 6am!

    Yes, sometimes I specifically don't watch my favorite shows at night, so I can watch them in the morning while I'm on the treadmill! I used to work out with my MP3 player...and while music can be great to get me moving, I get bored fast...I MUST have the tv on to be able to stay on the treadmill any length of time....and I get bored with the morning news, so DVR it is! Actually, I think I found a new trick that I'll share with everyone!! If you happen to have a good chunk of time to exercise at home....treadmill, bike, elliptical, whatever it is that you use, try popping in a movie or watching one that is on tv! You'll get sucked into the movie, forget that you are exercising and before you know it, boom, you're all done! I did this Saturday night. My boyfriend was out for the night, and I didn't feel like exercising, but felt so guilty for not...so I put on a movie ('Obsessed' with Beyonce...it was great!) and off I went! Before I knew it, I was sucked into the movie and I did an HOUR on the treadmill!!! Yay!!!!

    Thanks so much again everyone, what a great motivational help you all are!!!! :)
  • shanolap
    shanolap Posts: 1,204 Member
    I am a morning person but don't really desire to workout first thing. So I set my workout clothes out the night before, make sure I have a bottle of water in the fridge and a bowl of cat food ready to put out. (I know cat food has nothing to do with working out, but since I workout in the am at home, those cats can be a huge pain if not fed!)

    I get up at 5:30 and throw my clothes on and put my hair in a ponytail. No brushing teeth though I do put my contacts in. I don't go for an huge burn, minimum 300 cals or more if I am really feeling it. My goal is to move! I do 30 minutes on my elliptical listening to my ipod and reading a fitness magazine. Then I do 30 minutes of yoga or something that helps strenghten and tone. It's more ME time. I like to light candles where I do my yoga or burn essential oils. I get my hard workouts in after work at the gym.

    It's all about the routine. If you get the routine down it will all come together in a few weeks.

    Good luck!
  • radioloren
    radioloren Posts: 26 Member
    I am a morning person but don't really desire to workout first thing. So I set my workout clothes out the night before, make sure I have a bottle of water in the fridge and a bowl of cat food ready to put out. (I know cat food has nothing to do with working out, but since I workout in the am at home, those cats can be a huge pain if not fed!)

    I get up at 5:30 and throw my clothes on and put my hair in a ponytail. No brushing teeth though I do put my contacts in. I don't go for an huge burn, minimum 300 cals or more if I am really feeling it. My goal is to move! I do 30 minutes on my elliptical listening to my ipod and reading a fitness magazine. Then I do 30 minutes of yoga or something that helps strenghten and tone. It's more ME time. I like to light candles where I do my yoga or burn essential oils. I get my hard workouts in after work at the gym.

    It's all about the routine. If you get the routine down it will all come together in a few weeks.



    That's what I've been hearing, after a while it will become a routine! I hope so, cause it's a great routine to get into! :) Oh and trust me, I hear you about the cats lol! If I don't feed my kitty within a few minutes of waking up, all I hear it Meow! Meow! Meow! until I do, hahaha!
    Good luck!
  • shanolap
    shanolap Posts: 1,204 Member
    I am a morning person but don't really desire to workout first thing. So I set my workout clothes out the night before, make sure I have a bottle of water in the fridge and a bowl of cat food ready to put out. (I know cat food has nothing to do with working out, but since I workout in the am at home, those cats can be a huge pain if not fed!)

    I get up at 5:30 and throw my clothes on and put my hair in a ponytail. No brushing teeth though I do put my contacts in. I don't go for an huge burn, minimum 300 cals or more if I am really feeling it. My goal is to move! I do 30 minutes on my elliptical listening to my ipod and reading a fitness magazine. Then I do 30 minutes of yoga or something that helps strenghten and tone. It's more ME time. I like to light candles where I do my yoga or burn essential oils. I get my hard workouts in after work at the gym.

    It's all about the routine. If you get the routine down it will all come together in a few weeks.



    That's what I've been hearing, after a while it will become a routine! I hope so, cause it's a great routine to get into! :) Oh and trust me, I hear you about the cats lol! If I don't feed my kitty within a few minutes of waking up, all I hear it Meow! Meow! Meow! until I do, hahaha!
    Good luck!

    Ha ha! Those damn cats will get all up in my yoga if I don't feed them first! And I get real pissy with them and it pretty much ruins the whole experience. They just don't understand!!! LMAO!!!
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