Morning Gym Tips for a Total Sleepyhead

cvstokke wrote: »

@Carlos_421 yeah agreed, i don't need to do it every day. but i would like to be able to motivate myself to morning gym when I know I have an evening activity and I really struggle with that. which was the whole point of this thread, not 12 people telling me to not bother.

sorry, this isn't to hate on you as I appreciate your suggestions. it's just frustrating when you post on MFP and a bunch of people jump down your throat about your idea being stupid.

I think you're taking things way out of context...it's not that your idea is stupid and nobody is jumping down your throat...some people are looking at this pragmatically...I'm most certainly not a morning person and while I've tried to exercise in the early AM, it just doesn't work..because I'm not a morning person and thus my workouts totally suck or I just skip them altogether...

cvstokke wrote: »

@Carlos_421 thanks for the idea. I do actually bring a gym bag to work and am pretty good about going on my way home (gym is between my metro stop and home). However, things will come up like dinner with a family member or a work event. I want to find a balance in having a life and being healthy. Even if I could just gym in the morning once or twice a week, I think it would help.

I think what you're describing is balance...I schedule most of my workouts in the evening or at lunch...sometimes things come up and I miss workouts...I'm still pretty healthy and fit.

I am a morning exerciser myself, and I do find that very few things interfere with my early morning schedule. Habit is key I think. Going to the gym in the morning is hard for the first few weeks, but after that you just rollout of bed and don't think about it. I used to go to the gym/ride my exercise bike at 5 am, but now I've got a dog and walk her for an hour instead. Sure it's cold out, and sure my bed is warm. But getting out of bed is so much of a habit at this point that I don't even think about it till I'm out walking.

Arapacana1 wrote: »

I am a morning exerciser myself, and I do find that very few things interfere with my early morning schedule. Habit is key I think. Going to the gym in the morning is hard for the first few weeks, but after that you just rollout of bed and don't think about it. I used to go to the gym/ride my exercise bike at 5 am, but now I've got a dog and walk her for an hour instead. Sure it's cold out, and sure my bed is warm. But getting out of bed is so much of a habit at this point that I don't even think about it till I'm out walking.

I also think you need to make this a habit. I don't think it will work going in the morning some days but not others. I'm up at 5:15 for ~30 mins on the treadmill in front of the tv. I do that every weekday and change it up on weekends, but it has become my habit. It is also a short trip to the basement for me, so a lot easier than going to the gym.

Even if you don't go every morning, I'd try to go the same days every week.

janejellyroll wrote: »

My suggestion: begin waking up earlier to do something that you enjoy without reservation (favorite website, read a novel, make an incredible breakfast, watch a TV show, whatever). It may feel weird to do something fun right after waking up, but go with it. Get into the habit of waking up earlier without tying it to something that you might need to motivate yourself to do even if you were awake. Once you have the habit of waking up earlier, it will be much easier to get right to the workout. This is what I did to become an early riser -- I wake up with something fun and then I exercise. Once I got in the habit of exercising, I was able to just do the fun thing for a few minutes.

^^^ this is a great way to start. I realised I was waking and hitting snooze, or looking at social media or MFP in the mornings, when instead I could be getting up and DOING something. So I gradually started getting up earlier to go for a walk or now run. Tips include:

Having everything ready the night before. For me this includes my lunch for work, my workout gear and a smoothie or similar to grab before I run.

DO NOT HIT SNOOZE. Alarm goes off and you need to be in your gym clothes and OUT OF THAT DOOR before your brain has figured out what’s happening. The minute you start debating should I?/shan’t I/ you are doomed. A quick glass of water and get going.

Have a plan. Have a running target, have a gym routine, have a class. I don’t want to have to negotiate people first thing, so a gym class isn’t an option. By the time my brain has figured it out I’m twenty minutes down the street and the only way back is to run back. Then the sound of nature distracts me and all is well.

Keep a daily routine. I wake up early most weekdays, except for one day where I have a ‘lie-in’, and earlier at weekends. Over time you will start getting tired and start going to bed earlier. It won’t be easy but it will happen if you make it happen. Doing one or two mornings a week won’t be enough to stop the excuses such as ‘there’s always tomorrow’, so make a morning workout the normal thing.

However, as other’s have said, if you have missed flights and been late to work then chances of you getting into a morning routine through choice rather than as something you HAVE to do is unlikely to happen.

Alternatively, go easy on yourself. Say no to family dinners. Adjust your life to take into account your working out. Be flexible with social events but still aim for regular workouts. There may be times you can fit a short workout in and still do the social stuff.

You know, for me - it's just a habit that has developed, it's a total routine. When I get home from work, I unpack my gym bag, then pack it again with everything I need for the next day and then - PUT IT IN MY CAR. That way when I wake up - everything is already out there and it gives me one less excuse not to go

I also make it a habit (now) of getting into bed between 830-9. When my alarm goes off at 5, it's not quite as rough You can do it! It will just take some time for it to become a habit.

emdeesea wrote: »

I wouldn't.

Look, I'm pragmatic. I am not a morning person and I'm old enough now to know that will never change. So there's no point in me making some lofty resolution that I know I won't maintain.

If you want change to stick you need to be realistic with yourself. And if that means admitting that you really just aren't into the morning thing, that's perfectly okay. Just make a commitment to something you have a better chance of actually doing.

I agree with this. There is nothing wrong with not being a morning person, just as there is nothing wrong with being a night owl. You have to find something that works for you. If you have missed flights because you can't wake up then I think you are going to set yourself up for failure by trying to force something that is outside your natural rhythm.

I think it is possible to transform from a night owl to a morning person but it takes a lot of work. Meaning there is no "magic wake up early fairy dust".

Start small.

Start with getting up at the exact same time every day, even weekends. Once you can do that consistently for a couple of weeks, then move your alarm 30 minutes earlier. Rinse and repeat until you can consistently get yourself up THEN start working out.

Or you can do what my night owl friend did and ask her boss for later work hours and get her workout in at 8am. She covers a shift that her boss needed covering and hasn't been late for work anymore.

Bottom line, you just need to hold yourself accountable. Either you get up or don't. I learned this the hard way and I know how guilty I feel when I don't. Having a buddy helps, but in the end, it's how bad do you want it.