Morning exercisers?

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Jazzyjules71
Jazzyjules71 Posts: 150 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am so NOT a morning person, and every morning hit my alarm multiple times before dragging myself out of bed with heavy lids and a foggy head......just to get to work.

But, I really want to be a morning exerciser!

My question is......are there any anti-morning people like myself that have successfully established a morning exercise routine? I need tips! How did you do it??
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Replies

  • Swopkin
    Swopkin Posts: 53 Member
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    I used to stay up until 1 AM because I couldn't sleep, but ever since I've been exercising I've been so tired that I go to bed around 9-10 PM to get a full night's rest. Consequently, I can quite easily get out of bed at 6 AM to either swim or run. My advice? Give yourself one week to get accustomed to the rhythm and try to exercise a lot so you can go to bed early.
  • fypspirit
    fypspirit Posts: 109 Member
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    I tell myself all the time "I;m gonna get up and exercise in them am" I leave for work at 5:30 M-TH and 5 on Fridays and every day I never make it. Wish I could but I am not a morning person either.
  • prettygirlhoward
    prettygirlhoward Posts: 338 Member
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    I'm a evening workout person myself, I've always preferred nights, but I too would like to do mornings. I'm thinking of trying it for 2 weeks and see what happens?
  • ALH1981
    ALH1981 Posts: 538 Member
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    force yourself - after a week you will beso energized fromthemornign excersise you wont be able togo without!
  • ForeverIrish
    ForeverIrish Posts: 232 Member
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    I used to hate getting up to exercise. It works the best for me now with my work schedule to go at 5:15 or 5:30. I hit the eliptical or treadmill for a half hour or 45 minutes, or now and then, do Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. After the first few days, I got used to it. I could never predict if I was going to get home at a decent hour to work out.

    I'm still doing the morning thing, but twice a week in the evening I work out with a trainer for an hour. He kicks my butt worse than I ever could.
  • sedosher
    sedosher Posts: 142 Member
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    I need to know this too. :)
  • cmpettey
    cmpettey Posts: 223
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    I'm up at 5:15 to exercise every morning. My advice is to get a reliable exercise buddy. You keep each other honest. I work 1-2 night shifts per week too so that should show you how I'm not a morning person either.
  • jwd28
    jwd28 Posts: 765
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    I am NOT a morning person but have been exercising with a friend at 6am 3 days/week for more than a year. The key, for me, is to know I have someone counting on me. If it was just up to me, I'd stay in bed. :)

    Best of luck to you!
  • gogospice
    gogospice Posts: 185 Member
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    I find if I have to be up at 7am to get to the gym before work I can't do it. You tell me I have to get up at 4am to go to the gym and I'm bright eyed and bushy tailed! I don't understand how that works. But the earlier I go, the more motivated I am!
  • Charlottejogs
    Charlottejogs Posts: 351 Member
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    I used to have such a hard time exercising in the am- I wanted to work out but the evenings were soo busy I couldn't fit it in...so I started working out in the morning. It was really hard at first; to help create some reliability I started going to a spin class at my gym. It required that you sign up so that helped me feel like I needed to go. They also were a tight nit group that held each other accountable. Maybe a work out buddy would help (the gym was best for me, no way my friends were going to do that:)

    Now that I have gotten used to it I feel like I work out way better in the morning. It also is a great start to my day! It did take some time for me to get used to it though; I felt much harder to work out in the morning at first also. But that was worth not getting to do it at all. Now I do Insanity in the am which is a pretty scheduled program, that helps me stick to it also.

    Good luck! I hope it helps!
  • mbajrami
    mbajrami Posts: 636 Member
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    I work Mon-Fri from 2pm-10pm and I get up Mon, Tue, Wed and Fri at 6am and am at the gym by 7 in order to be able to work out with my sister. I am sooooo NOT a morning person.

    I get home around 10:30pm and usually fall asleep around 11:30 or midnight, sometimes as late as midnight-thirty or 1am, if I'm wound up (I have a high stress job).

    It was really hard at first but I have since gotten pretty used to it. I usually sleep in one day per week, til around 9 or 10am, but it's not really "sleeping in" I guess since I still only get about 7-8 hours.

    I never thought I'd be able to do it and my body still wants to stay up late and sleep in, but the payoff of feeling better throughout the day and the weight loss are enough to keep me dragging my butt out of bed when the alarm goes off. Plus, my sister keeps me accountable and I don't like working out alone. :)
  • caseydimples
    caseydimples Posts: 173 Member
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    I have a 3yr old and a 1 yr old - thats what caused me to start working out in the morning. I'm really lucky in that the office building I work in has a really nice gym. I get to work and go straight down to the gym to get my work-out in, usually at 8am. Then I shower and head to work. Its great, I don't have to shower at home anymore during the week, which makes getting out the door w/ my kids way easier in the morning. I used to HATE working out in the morning but now I absolutely love it.
  • Byrdsong1920
    Byrdsong1920 Posts: 335 Member
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    lol! I feel you...I feel the world shouldnt start till 11 am!!

    I finally got in my morning grove after finding a cool workout partner. She works during the day, so mornings are best. Met her at 730 am today- which is super early for me. I'm such a nite owl, so if I would just take my tail to bed, I would be ok...It took me about 3-4 wks to adapt. But having an accountability partner helps! Plus, I hate the gym at nite, so packed and I'm drained by the end of the day. Atleast in the morning, i get it in, then it makes me want to eat good all day and not mess up all my hard work! lol!!

    It just takes time! happy journey!
  • mheightchew
    mheightchew Posts: 334
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    I am so not a morning person. I forced myself to do it because my evenings were getting hectic. Now I haven't missed an am workout in months. I love that I have more energy and stamina throughout the day. Plus, my workout is checked off first thing so nothing can get in my way! Try it for 1 month, you will love it!
  • tina_fay
    tina_fay Posts: 30
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    I am not a morning person either! But I do workout at 5:30 every morning. I trained myself to get up by setting my alarm 15 minutes before I had to get up, which allowed me to hit the snooze 3 times...it worked for me! There's something "special" about hitting that snooze button a couple of times knowing you get a few more minutes of sleep. I've tried to say I will workout in the evening, but it's so much harder for me because I'm just so exhausted after work. Good luck to you!
  • QueenOfShiba
    QueenOfShiba Posts: 22 Member
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    I hit my alarm multiple times too! Like you, I am NOT a morning person. However, I was a morning exerciser for years when I had a friend to work out with. It made all the difference. Ask around- work, neighborhood, church, etc...maybe you will get lucky and find someone who can manage the same schedule.

    Consider this, though: I'm currently working out alone, so sometimes I work out in the morning and other times in the afternoon. I was so surprised to find that I get a better workout and burn more calories when I work out later in the day. I guess it takes my body a couple of hours to really wake up and have the energy to work hard. Maybe experiment a little and see what it's like for you.

    That said, it IS easier to be consistent with a morning workout...but sleep ALWAYS overrules my good intentions.
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
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    Morning is really a tough battle for me. Usually I find it hard to drag myself out of bed to get ready to work at 5:30am. Not to mention that I usually sleep past midnight because it is during those times that my boyfriend & I can chat since he is far away & so I still have to battle our different time zones. I'm more a late afternoon exerciser but lately my workout routine has been affected (except when I'm at the gym) because of the hot, humid weather. Right now I'm still adjusting myself to wake up an hour earlier just to exercise.
  • waterwing
    waterwing Posts: 214 Member
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    Mornings can be hard but it's so nice knowing all day long that your workout is done! I would say it's a good idea to get your morning planned out the night before.. lay out your work out clothes.. sit your shoes by the door.. have the coffee ready in the coffee maker or whatever else goes on in your mornings. Then no matter how zombie like you feel.. you can get yourself up and working out.

    Just force yourself to do it a few times and eventually you'll love starting your day that way. The mornings I work out almost always guarantee a good healthy happy day!
  • KristysLosing
    KristysLosing Posts: 683
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    I'm starting out small. Giving myself about 10 minutes in the morning. I don't have to wake up much earlier for that. I'm not a morning person and I would love to do more in the morning. I feel great when I do!
  • phresh21
    phresh21 Posts: 132 Member
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    The first week or so was MISERABLE. I love my snooze button so having to get up at 530 instead of 7 sucked balls. But after about a week or so it wasn't to bad and now it feels funny not getting up and working out. Hell even if I don't go work out I'm still up before 6. I guess I can say that working out in the mornings has turned me into a morning person and it's kinda nice :)

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