getting up early to exercise?

Kerry0785
Kerry0785 Posts: 31 Member
edited October 3 in Fitness and Exercise
My goal for the past month has been to get up early enough to take my dog for a run. She is a big American Bulldog and LOVES to run. I feel so guilty because I haven't been able to get up early enough to take her. The reason it has to be in the morning is because I work 8-1 and after work I am always crazy busy with kids etc... and my husband works 2nd shift so I do dinner, bath bed all that. ZERO time to walk her afternoons and can you imagine trying to get a good run in with a four year old tagging along - umm I think not. I want that time alone to run with headphones on just me and the dog and the fresh air. but HOW DO I GET UP EARLY ENOUGH. does anyone out there have any tricks or tips for me. I'd appreciate it. I think the exercise would be great for me and Lucy (the dog) also, do any of you guys continue running through winter - outside I mean - obviously.

Replies

  • FlyEaglesGuy
    FlyEaglesGuy Posts: 436 Member
    Try to find some Melatonin tablets. They are a natural sleep aid. So they are not harmful to your body. And you will not wake up feeling groggy.

    When I see my bedtime is coming, I take 3 of them, and 15 minutes later its NIGHT NIGHT !!! lol
  • leyanelson
    leyanelson Posts: 7
    If you want to get up early it helps to go to bed early as well. Try sleeping in your workout clothes if you can and keep your shoes by the bed. It also helps A LOT to have a buddy, it's harder to go back to sleep if someone is expecting you. Could you keep the leash by the bed? I know if my dog ever heard the leash her begging and whining would have prevented me sleeping in until she had her walk. If all else fails its only hard the first few weeks then its just a part of your normal routine.
  • Hannerling
    Hannerling Posts: 18
    Hi,
    I'm new to myfitnesspal but not new to early morning runs. The only way I've been able to get up early consistently is to put all my running gear in my bathroom the night before, put my alarm in the bathroom , and when it goes off in the morning I go into the bathroom and turn on the light. That way even if it takes me 10 minutes to get my eyes to stay open, I am awake enough to remember that I WANT to run, not sleep.
    The other thing I try to do is on mornings that I don't run I still try to get up at close to the same time (as running mornings) so that my body is used to being up.
    Good luck! I know you can do it!
  • SheriWerth
    SheriWerth Posts: 17 Member
    I used to get up at 7:30am and I had to be at work at 8:30am .LOL. I just made up my mind to get up at 6:15am and have to be dressed and out the door no later than 7. I usually do 30 min of walking. Now.... I feel guilty when I don't take my dog out for her walk. If I didn't get up early I wouldn't do it. As far as walking through the winter this will be my first winter exercising. I am going to do my best to walk outside as much as possible.
  • mlb929
    mlb929 Posts: 1,974 Member
    I get up and workout early but don't got out at 5:00 when I get up because of the darkness and I live in the country. Sounds like you need to figure out a way to take the kids or pay for an hour of daycare if you want to run with the dog. Assuming the 4yo is in preschool, maybe switch from Am to afternoon so you can run while the child is still in school? I'm all for getting up to work out early but in winter with shorter days and less light, I stick with indoors and my runs on the weekends.
  • patiencez2
    patiencez2 Posts: 160 Member
    I don't run But I am up at 4:30 am have Breakfast and me and My Dogs are out the door at 5 am .
    It was hard at first. its still dark but I have a German Shepherd.we have a nice little Jog and it Jump starts both are days.

    I will have to do this in the winter I am sure but I am not going to like it .
    Good Luck it just takes a little getting use to.
  • Kerry0785
    Kerry0785 Posts: 31 Member
    Thanks for the advice. I definitely need to go to bed earlier. It is hard because my husband doesnt get home till 1130pm and it is the only time I see him so I try to stay up to have 10-20 minutes of time with him. We do this crazy schedule so that one of us is always with our 4 yr old. I use to teach preschool so I work part of the day and spend the afternoons with him doing our "preschool" routine. We take Lucy for walks together but it is definitely not a workout - we do alot of stopping and looking at things so it is more for them then for me lol. I am nervous starting this so late in the year because by the time I get adjusted it will be winter and still dark when I wake up. I also live in the country surrounded by winding roads and cornfields. Ugh I might just have to stick with afternoon walks and maybe running on the treadmill in the early morning - at least during winter. Getting up early is my challenge - challenge accepted. Bed at 10:30 tonight and I'm going to try sleeping in my workout clothes - I agree that once I am in a routine my body will be adjusted to it and waking up at 6am will be breeze lol.
  • Kerry0785
    Kerry0785 Posts: 31 Member
    I don't run But I am up at 4:30 am have Breakfast and me and My Dogs are out the door at 5 am .
    It was hard at first. its still dark but I have a German Shepherd.we have a nice little Jog and it Jump starts both are days.

    I will have to do this in the winter I am sure but I am not going to like it .
    Good Luck it just takes a little getting use to.

    Yeah my dog is an American Bulldog - she is very big and very protective : ) I love German Shepherds - that was my second choice when picking a breed but I fell in love with Lucy from the minute I saw her.
  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
    My husband and I wake up at 4:50 each morning so we can have a cup of coffee and go to the gym for a good workout, come home, have a shower and breakfast and go to work.

    How do we do it? We set the alarm and we get up. Once you do it for a few days, your dog will click into the schedule and may wake you up to go for a run.


    In the words of Nike...Just do it
  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
    We walk our dogs in the evening... we have a German Shepherd, a Shepherd/Husky cross and a Black Lab/ Border Collie cross.

    These dogs all need their exercise!
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