Mornings and exercise

I'm pretty much in the same boat. Definitely not a morning person. I do on occasion force myself to get up and get on the bike and go for a ride. Usually 30-45 minutes, then home to shower and head to work.

I have to be at work by 7am, so that means up by 5am and out the door to ride. I really wish I could force myself to do it everyday. Hopefully I'll get there.

I hear it takes 21-23 times doing something before it becomes habit. That could mean a few weeks of torturous early mornings before it gets any easier.

I set my coffee pot to start 15 minutes before I get up. At 6am, I have a glass of water and a small cup of coffee. Then I get a 35-45 minute workout in, drinking water during the workout (water helps wake you up almost as much as coffee- a fact I just learned). After my workout, I do a quick shower (I do not rewash my hair, as it is naturally dry and usually looks better after the workout), and then get ready, having the rest of my coffee on my way to work. I then go for a quick walk in the evenings, just so food doesn't sit in my stomach. I have an elliptical and a bunch of dvds I love, so I can get my am workout in at home. That helps a lot!

Good luck!

BTW- I'm a teacher, and my students have occasionally been able to tell when I HAVEN'T done my morning workout, b/c it is now such a regular part of my routine. I just feel off if I don't do something before heading to school.

I'm pretty much in the same boat. Definitely not a morning person. I do on occasion force myself to get up and get on the bike and go for a ride. Usually 30-45 minutes, then home to shower and head to work.

I have to be at work by 7am, so that means up by 5am and out the door to ride. I really wish I could force myself to do it everyday. Hopefully I'll get there.

I hear it takes 21-23 times doing something before it becomes habit. That could mean a few weeks of torturous early mornings before it gets any easier.

Really it takes 7 days to form a habit but thats besides the point I too am in the same boat. I hate mornings but I believe that is because I get about 2 hours of sleep per night. My 3 year old has sleep apnea everytime he stops breathing (2-3 times per hour) it wakes him up in a panic so I spend the majority of the night calming him back down. Hopefully once they figure out how they are going to treat him it will be easier.

So I am doing the 30 day shred currently I do it around 7 at night and then my and my son go out for a 45/min walk. I would really like to be about to work out in the morning before work so that I can settle down more at night.

i get up at 4:30 tues-friday to either run or lift. my trick is

1) get to bed early (like before 10)
2) pack everything you will need the next day (food, clothes, stuff,etc.) the night before and set out ready to go
3) put your alarm in another room (bathroom) and stick it in/on/near your shoes <---this trick works every time!

after about 1.5 weeks it gets "easier" to get up, still sucks but is easier. Once you start a routine and feel good about activity then you'll be hooked and its great that you dont have to worry about getting a work out in later.

good luck!

I am about the same. I get up at 4:30 (ish) and head to the gym around 5, workout for 45-60 min and then shower and head to work. I try to have all my stuff together the night before - clothes and breakfast/lunch - I have something to eat on the way to the gym and then something for afterwards at work. I'm usually in bed around 9:30. I have an hour drive to work (and the gym) so I keep my stuff packed to get ready there.

I'm NOT a morning person (just ask my hubby!) but I am HOOKED on how great it feels to work out in the morning. I absolutely love it. We have three kids, age six and under, and both work, so my work out time in the morning is my time. It feels sooooooo great to look at the clock and think, Hey, it's 7 am and I'm done with my workout and I feel great! I put my clothes out the night before, make sure my shoes are set out by the door, iPod and phone are in gym bag. I like to, but don't always, fill my water bottle the night before and put it in the fridge. The kids are asleep most of the time I'm gone, so I'm not missing time with them or my hubby. In the evening I want to see my family, and...I'm tired!! :yawn: You'll be surprised how quickly you get used to waking up early. I've started waking up on my own before the alarm even goes off.

Hey all,

I wanted to get some feedback on how folks work exercise in to their schedules in the morning assuming you're going to work or have engagements afterward.

Just a little background - I'm *not* a morning person and I know I'll have to find a plan that would work for me but I'm curious about how others do it. I am pretty much limited to mornings and evenings because of work and weather (okay, mainly the heat!). This would mean a big lifestyle shift for me and I'm curious if I could hack it...

So - what do you do? When do you do it? How long? When do you get up and when do you usually go to bed?

TIA!

I'm not a morning person at all and I don't usually feel alive until noon at best, so I workout early morning to get my day going. I absolutely miss my workouts if I oversleep or something; I love how it sets me up for my day. A good friend of mine isn't a morning person either and typically works out at night, too each their own.

Soooooo...it worked for a couple weeks but then the sun started rising later and later and, well...yeah. I'm going to give it another go, especially since DST will be over soon and sunrise will be sometime after 6 instead of 7!

I hear ya', I just started having to put a jacket on in the morning because it's cold early now. It's still well worth it.