Morning Gym Tips for a Total Sleepyhead

Amino energy. I get it from Amazon (orange, watermelon, and pineapple are my favorite flavors), and I mix a couple scoops in with my water that I take to the gym, or, if I can't even drag myself there, I start drinking it at home. I just go and go on the treadmill or lifting when I have it.

Another thought, I also used to be bad at starting myself at being active in the morning and it made me lazier the rest of the day. I got a labrador and made morning walks my routine--you don't need to go the whole nine yards and get a dog, but maybe if you find something you like better than the gym (walk, workout videos), that could help. Now, unless it's really cold, I love starting my day walking and am more productive throughout the day after that.

I convince myself every morning at 5:30 that if i train my butt off someone will give me 1000000 Bucks.

My suggestion is to take a look at your sleep habits and figure out why it is so hard to get up in the first place. Yes, some people peak in their energy in the morning, others it is more in the evening... but if you are having huge struggles waking up it makes me wonder if you are sleep deprived or not consistent in your sleep patterns and might want to make that your first goal to address, before working on the morning workouts. I used to have the same issue as you and while I can't say I'm a morning person, I can do what I once couldn't do to..when my alarm goes off, I wake up and am alert. Usually I don't need the alarm, I just wake up on my own. I used to go through up to an hour of snooze alarms and then rushing around being late, now I have time to sip my coffee and read things on my iPad before getting up to get dressed. In warmer months I run in the morning, but this time of year I move my runs to afternoon when I can. A few tips.

1. Set a fixed bedtime and wake up time and follow it strictly. Get your body and brain in a habit.
2. Create a "go to bed" routine that helps you stick with the bedtime. I have Fitbit buzz me an hour before bedtime and that's my cue to wind things down and get ready for bed. If you don't have Fitbit you can set a phone alarm. An hour gives me time to figure out what I'm wearing the next day to work, lay out my workout gear so I can just put it on, prepare lunch, dress for bed, brush teeth, etc. Then a little time for quiet activity before lights out, such as reading, meditation, yoga, or prayer.
3. Make sure you allow enough time between bedtime and wake up to get plenty of sleep. If you are consistently sleep deprived then you will definitely have a hard time waking up and it may also affect your workout quality and workout recovery and increase your appetite and make your brain foggy and make you more vulnerable to illness...all sorts of bad stuff. I started with 8 hours and have figured out that 7.5-8 hours seems about right for me (when I get less, I feel sleep deprived; more feels good but makes it hard to fall asleep the next night) but I need about 8.5 hours of "in bed" time to actually get that amount when you factor in time to fall asleep, waking up in the middle of the night occasionally, and the wake up process.
4. Create a wake up routine that helps you get out of bed at the fixed time. I have a lamp in my room that is on a timer; it turns on to make the room bright about 15 minutes before wake up. SOOO much easier to get up when it isn't dark in the room. In winter I also have the thermostat set to warm up at that time too...from 68 overnight to 73 before wake up. Easier to throw off the covers and climb out of bed when it is getting unpleasantly warm under them! I have a clock radio ACROSS THE ROOM that turns on first, set to NPR. I like that bc it sometimes engages my attention and helps me come awake. It isn't annoying like a buzzer so won't want to get up and snooze it. Finally, when it is really time to get up, I have a loud obnoxious alarm in the bathroom which is close enough to the bed that I can hear it and be awake and annoyed. I have to get out of bed and go into the bathroom to shut it off. At that point I'm up, so I just do a few things in the bathroom and then go get my coffee and breakfast in the kitchen... the Keurig is set to kick on at wake up time, too.

Once you master the staging of a good nights sleep and a refreshed wake up, then putting on the workout clothes you laid out and heading out to exercise should just be a simple decision that a workout is the next thing on your schedule to do that day.

Go to bed earlier first. Reduce your caffeine intake.

I guess the thing here is that you're supposed to find sustainable habits, and if it's that hard to get start, I'm not sure how long it's going to work. You say that your roommate prevents you from going in the evening... why? Does your gym close early or something? I'd just go on the way back from work/school/whatever you do in the day.

Again, it needs to be sustainable. And sleep is extremely important, and making yourself miserable getting up an hour earlier to work out if you end up not getting enough sleep... not necessarily a good trade off.

I got a sunrise simulation alarm that gradually lights up. THat helps, especially in the winter. I suppose it has a snooze but it's kind of complicated and I haven't ever figured out how to do that (I know how pitiful that sounds but in 2+ years I haven't ever snoozed). I used to put my old alarm clock across the room.

cvstokke wrote: »

Hi everyone - as a New Years Resolution (I like them, okay?), I want to start working to become a morning gym person. I fluctuate widely with my evening gym habits. I have all the best intentions, but plans come up and I miss my goals. Becoming a morning gym person would ensure I've already done my workout in case things come up.

HERE'S THE PROBLEM - I am THE WORST at waking up in the morning. I've missed flights. I've been late to work. I can talk myself into ANYTHING at 6:30 AM (yeah, take an Uber this morning, $22 is totally reasonable, you deserve it). What are your best tips for waking up early in general and for becoming a morning gym person specifically?

Thanks in advance!

Set your alarm?

Other than that ... there is nothing anyone can do to make you want to not hit the sleep button but you.

I agree - get everything ready the night before. Lunch in fridge ready to grab, things for post gym shower packed work clothes, work bag etc on a hanger or if your car is safe already in car and your gym stuff literally lying on the floor so you can't get out of bed without falling over it! Then wake, drink of water, quick tooth brush , into gym stuff and go - shower night before and again at gym. Sounds a lot but I keep most of it packed and you just need a routine. I think you might to better just thinking you'll do am gym for a week, then another week etc breaking it into small goals It is a great feeling having a coffee at 8.30am knowing you are all excercised for the day and anything extra is a bonus! Good luck

cvstokke wrote: »

Quick update for anyone that cares

Today was my first morning gym of the year! I went to a 45 min barre class and made it to work on time. For the first month, I'm aiming for 3-5 total gym days per week with 2 of those being mornings. Eventually, my goal is 5 mornings per week. I don't feel great, but need to get better at sleeping earlier.

A few things that you suggested that helped:
- Sleep app (sleep cycle) wakes me up at the lightest part of my sleep
- Laying clothes out the night before
- Turning a light on immediately when I wake up (I got one for by my bed)

I'll update again with hopefully positive results!

Awesome nice work! Keep us updated

I am NOT a morning person, but I have succesfully had a morning routine for a while. What worked for me, was that I signed up for a run, a much longer one than I was used to so I needed to train, and suddenly I 'had to'.

I trained with 2 friends, and we took it in turns to call the others to wake them in the morning and made sure they got up. That worked really well, because the one on duty that week took his job really serious and if 1 of us really could not make it (illness f.e.), the caller would say: 'Noooo you can't ditch me as well! I am speaking to you, you are awake and alive, get your *kitten* over here in 30 minutes'

So my tip would be to get some friends who kick your *kitten*

1fit_mamma wrote: »

6. In bed before 10am, even if you read or whatever

That makes for a pretty short day

I have tried numerous times to become a morning workout person. The longest I stuck with it was about 2 months. I LOVED the free time that I had in the evenings, but the mornings were the worst and because I would hit snooze and not get up right when I needed to, I ended up working out less efficiently and for less time!! Not only that, but I do not like to work out on an empty stomach and I do not like to eat first thing when I wake up. I also would not be able to wake up early enough to eat something and then let it digest and then work out, so I decided it just was not going to work for me. I hope it works out for you.

SemperAnticus1643 wrote: »

Get a significant other that gets up for work at 5:00 AM. My husband and my son, who sleeps in our room, both wake up around 5:00 AM. So I'm up with them. I take a pre-workout before I head to our garage to workout. By the time I'm done with my workout, my son has put himself back to sleep in his bouncer, while he's in the garage with me, and I'm able to get my two older children up and get myself ready for work.

My husband gets up for work at 4:15, I sleep right through it!!

Maybe start with saying you'll make that 7am gym class once a week and go from there- that way every time you make it you're celebrating your success rather than feeling badly all those mornings that you hit snooze. Also- try drinking a large glass of water before bed, nothing says incentive to get up like nature screaming!