Early Morning Work-Outs - HELP!

LauraSchaller
LauraSchaller Posts: 106 Member
edited October 3 in Fitness and Exercise
I recently started 2 new jobs .. one is an office / desk job, and the other is a Serving position at a restaurant. I work at the Desk Job Monday - Friday, and about 4 or 5 nights a week at the Restaurant.

I don't have time to work out in between the two, and by the time I'm off at the Restaurant.. I just want to go home and relax!

Lately, I've been trying to get up at 6am to hit the gym.. before bed, I'm super pumped about going - but when my alarm goes off, I hit the snooze, fall back asleep.. you get my point.

So it's just not happening. I'm on Day #4 of epic failure with this, I've tried going to bed earlier.. but that leads to being unable to fall asleep.. and if I go to bed at my normal time, I'm not getting enough sleep.

Any suggestions on how to motivate myself to get out of bed when the alarm goes off - or sleep schedule changes? I feel lost and I hate missing my gym time... :(

Replies

  • pjbercot
    pjbercot Posts: 30 Member
    Find someone to meet at the gym. Even if you do not work our together you will have a secondary commitment.

    Paul
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
    - Put the alarm clock on the other side of the room so you have to get up.

    - Go to bed earlier. Get 6-8 hours of sleep each night.

    - Have some discipline.
  • Katemarie34
    Katemarie34 Posts: 144 Member
    I have this same exact problem!! I always shut my alarm off... I now moved it from right by my bed to on my window ledge so I HAVE to get up and shut it off- I've been working on just staying awake the last 2 mornings and then i'm going to slowly work my way into doing my 20 minute workout in the morning and then eventually get up earlier and do my work out... I think you need to first train yourself to actually wake up and then start your morning work out. I think it's too much too soon if you think you're going to go from never working out in the AM to doing your whole workout in the morning... That's what i'm doing, and i've been actually getting up, so tomorrow i'm gonna actually do the 20 minute workout and see what happens.... Hopefully you can! It's exhausting working 40 hours at regular work and having to serve at night.. I feel ya there. Good luck! :)
  • Init_to_winit
    Init_to_winit Posts: 258 Member
    One tip that helps me is I have a glass of water by my bed. When you wake up in the morning your body is dehydrated and it makes you feel more tired. So I set the alarm and get up and drink the water, then I lay back down and snooze for about 5 or 10 minutes and mentally psych myself into it.

    I'm horrible at waking up early and that's really the only thing that helps me!
  • LilynEdensmom
    LilynEdensmom Posts: 612 Member
    If possible maybe try exercising later in the day, I'm not a morning person so attempting to get up and moving in the morning isn;t going to accomplish anything except make me feel like a failure, but after work or in the afternoon I have no problem doing it.
  • jase69
    jase69 Posts: 46
    If you work out hard...you will be tired and be able to go to sleep earlier...trust me! You need to break your current pattern / habit. There is no way to make you get out of bed, unless you decide it's time to do it. You will always be your own worst enemy...so once you defeat yourself, its a lot easier!
  • bethvandenberg
    bethvandenberg Posts: 1,496 Member
    I keep my alarm in my bathroom that way I have to get up. Maybe just try a couple days a week to get up and workout. Two jobs is a ton and the waiting tables is a workout. :) Cut yourself some slack and go with a reduced workout schedule till you figure out your schedule.
  • MellyPfromVT
    MellyPfromVT Posts: 869 Member
    I struggle with this on a daily basis. I am a teacher and a mom of two young kids. If I don't get out of bed to exercise at 5:00 AM, I miss my opportunity. My suggestion: put you alarm clock across the room so you have to get up to turn it off. Also, think about slowly easing into it by adjusting your going to bed and getting up time by 15 minutes until you've readjusted your bedtime. It will take awhile to get in the hang of it and pretty soon you're body will get on the schedule and you'll want to get up and exercise. I still get up late at least once a week and can only do a short workout but I always get something in! Do intervals if you don't have a lot of time.
  • SunshineAndLove
    SunshineAndLove Posts: 194 Member
    Three words.

    Just. Do. It.

    :-D
  • arykh24
    arykh24 Posts: 64
    Just do it. Once you get in the habit of getting up and going to the gym, it will get easier.
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
    Three words.

    Just. Do. It.

    :-D

    Spoken like a true prodigy.

    OP- Listen to this person please.
  • KMSForLife
    KMSForLife Posts: 577 Member
    Put the alarm somewhere that you have to get up to turn it off. Beside the alarm, have a picture or something that reminds you of your goals and why you got up in the first place. Once you get in the habit of waking up - it will get easier because you'll have more energy throughout the day - then you will have that feeling to keep you going. I get up at 4:30 am to work out before work - I'll admit some days it is tough but I feel terrible all day when I don't - actually feel tired and sluggish. Good luck!
  • LauraSchaller
    LauraSchaller Posts: 106 Member
    You guys are amazing :) Thanks for the tips & suggestions! Readjusting to a new work schedule is tough, let alone with 2 jobs :)
  • peteb79
    peteb79 Posts: 386
    Do you have a smart phone? .. I use an alarm clock app that requires me to solve a math problem to snooze or disable it. You can even specify the difficulty of the math problem.
  • IamEric
    IamEric Posts: 67
    My day is packed with school, work, family, etc. The only time I have to exercise is in the early morning hours. I wake up at 4:00 to go jogging and then by the time I make it around my neighborhood, I arrive at the fitness center at 5:00 for 1/2 hour of weights.

    The only way I am able to do this day after day is because I know why I'm doing it. I have a wife and five young kids that need their husband and father around for a very long time. Just something like that can make you do wonderful things.

    Find your reason of why you are exercising.
  • LauraSchaller
    LauraSchaller Posts: 106 Member
    Printing this off to keep with me! Thank you for that reminder!
  • simplycee
    simplycee Posts: 29
    I was like you when I started. So I decided to make my workouts at 4am. I am done by 4:30am, take a shower and lie back down until 6:15. This way I get my work out in, get my shower out of the way and have a chance to lie back down before I have to get ready for work. It's been working for the past 3 months.

    I should mention that I am rotating a couple videos so I am working out at home. My workout schedule is workout Mon, Tues, rest on Wed, workout Thurs and Fri, off Sat and Sun. When I say rest Wed, Sat and Sun this means I don't get up that early on those days. I do jog on Wed evenings Works for me and I actually make it out the door on time every day.

    Hope this helps.
  • MzMiller1215
    MzMiller1215 Posts: 633 Member
    I recently started 2 new jobs .. one is an office / desk job, and the other is a Serving position at a restaurant. I work at the Desk Job Monday - Friday, and about 4 or 5 nights a week at the Restaurant.

    I don't have time to work out in between the two, and by the time I'm off at the Restaurant.. I just want to go home and relax!

    Lately, I've been trying to get up at 6am to hit the gym.. before bed, I'm super pumped about going - but when my alarm goes off, I hit the snooze, fall back asleep.. you get my point.

    So it's just not happening. I'm on Day #4 of epic failure with this, I've tried going to bed earlier.. but that leads to being unable to fall asleep.. and if I go to bed at my normal time, I'm not getting enough sleep.


    Any suggestions on how to motivate myself to get out of bed when the alarm goes off - or sleep schedule changes? I feel lost and I hate missing my gym time... :(

    First, your issue with being able to fall asleep earlier can be fixed by winding down earlier and lessen any stimulating activities such as watching TV before going to bed so that you can easily fall asleep. Secondly, I am NOT a morning person by any means, however, I absolutely love the benefits from working out at 4 am, i.e. not having to deal with a crowded gym and having a lot of energy to start my day. What I did in order to stick with my morning workouts is telling myself that I don't have any other option because my days are too busy to try to workout in the evening. You must want to see results from working out more than wanting to sleep in. I've been doing this for quite a while now so, it has in essence, become a habit for me that I am unwilling to break. :happy:
  • runnermel
    runnermel Posts: 278
    I so feel your pain! it is so true that it is a cycle and takes discipline. but, that is so much easier said than done. I use my morning workouts as an extra workout because I have so much weight I want to lose. so, when I set my alarm, I use my iphone and put a message with the alarm. for example---Get up! Jean weather is coming up!! something along those lines. that helps me remember my focus!

    also, don't know if you are a Christain or not, but I started praying and asking God to help me be more disciplined and faithful to my workouts. that really helped as well!!!!

    Best of luck to you!
  • Nanna1962
    Nanna1962 Posts: 3
    I can get up every morning at 5:30 am however, I am still confused about whether you should eat 1/2 before you exercise or if you should eat after you exercise? If I eat prior I get tired faster. HELP!!! signed confused.
  • RollinDawg
    RollinDawg Posts: 235 Member
    Do you have a smart phone? .. I use an alarm clock app that requires me to solve a math problem to snooze or disable it. You can even specify the difficulty of the math problem.

    Ok, I would never be able to get that damn alarm off.
  • runnermel
    runnermel Posts: 278
    Do you have a smart phone? .. I use an alarm clock app that requires me to solve a math problem to snooze or disable it. You can even specify the difficulty of the math problem.

    Cool! what is the app called??
  • VeganGal84
    VeganGal84 Posts: 938 Member
    I'm in a simular situation (work full time then have class full time, it's insane), and my body naturally loves evening/late night workouts. I have had to FORCE myself to get up and do it. After doing that for a couple of weeks, my body has become used to it for the most part. I still don't really like it, but... if I don't get up and do it, it won't get done, and I will probably gain weight. Which is not cool.

    There is usually one day a week that I still hit "snooze" for too long (ummm.... this morning!) but I plan for one DOR a week, and that morning that I just can't get up is the day that exercise doesn't happen.

    YOU CAN DO THIS! :flowerforyou:
  • jase69
    jase69 Posts: 46
    I was like you when I started. So I decided to make my workouts at 4am. I am done by 4:30am

    What kind of workout is this? A good workout will require a warmup and cool-down...so that leaves about 15 or 20 minutes tops for a workout...
  • VeganGal84
    VeganGal84 Posts: 938 Member
    I was like you when I started. So I decided to make my workouts at 4am. I am done by 4:30am

    What kind of workout is this? A good workout will require a warmup and cool-down...so that leaves about 15 or 20 minutes tops for a workout...

    Really, you are going to judge someone else's workout? 30 minutes is enough time for a great workout for some of us! I consider the warm-up and cool-down to be part of my workout. There is no time for a long warmup/cooldown in my morning workouts. I go straight into high intensity because of time restraints.
  • peteb79
    peteb79 Posts: 386
    Do you have a smart phone? .. I use an alarm clock app that requires me to solve a math problem to snooze or disable it. You can even specify the difficulty of the math problem.

    Cool! what is the app called??

    There are a lot of them that have the same feature, the one I use is "Alarm Clock Plus" on Android.
  • n_unocero
    n_unocero Posts: 445 Member
    Do you have a smart phone? .. I use an alarm clock app that requires me to solve a math problem to snooze or disable it. You can even specify the difficulty of the math problem.

    omg this exists!?! i would love waking up if i had to do math!
  • jase69
    jase69 Posts: 46
    I was like you when I started. So I decided to make my workouts at 4am. I am done by 4:30am

    What kind of workout is this? A good workout will require a warmup and cool-down...so that leaves about 15 or 20 minutes tops for a workout...

    Really, you are going to judge someone else's workout? 30 minutes is enough time for a great workout for some of us! I consider the warm-up and cool-down to be part of my workout. There is no time for a long warmup/cooldown in my morning workouts. I go straight into high intensity because of time restraints.

    Since when did asking what type of workout become judgmental?

    And also, regarding "not enough time"....this person goes back to bed...I dont care what they do if it works for them, but just to your point of not having enough time.
  • LauraSchaller
    LauraSchaller Posts: 106 Member
    So after worrying about this.... and praying about it too..... my hours at work changed yesterday! They have me coming in a 1/2 Hour earlier in the mornings now, and in turn, will leave a 1/2 hour earlier in the afternoon. This gives me ample time to get in a great work-out between jobs and still have that extra 30 minutes to shower and such! Yaaay! Thanks for everyone's advice though.. those are some great ideas if I ever decide to work out in the wee hours of the morning.. not to mention.. I bet your advice helped someone struggling with this same issue. Great job MFP'ers!
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