Yesterday I told you in this post here why I like working out early. Pretty much every morning I contemplate sleeping through my alarm, and the first five minutes I’m awake I want to head back to bed. But, once I am up and going I never regret waking up early to workout. Whenever I fall out of my normal routine of waking up early to workout, it can seem so dang hard to get back into the swing of things. Here are some tips that I have found to help make it easier for me to get up in the morning and workout:
1) Set out my workout clothes the night before so I’m not stumbling around in the dark, trying not to wake anyone else up while I find my clothes.
2) Write my workouts out the night before. When I know what to expect in my workout that day it always seems easier to get up. (Side note: I always keep a workout journal to keep track of my workouts for the day and to also track my progress to help encourage me to keep increasing my weights.)
3) Set three alarms. I know this doesn’t work for everyone, but it works for me, and I make sure the last alarm is really obnoxious.
4) Measure out my coffee so it starts brewing at 4:50 and is ready for me to have a cup as I make my pre-workout protein shake (I use MRM brand vanilla whey protein, spinach, almond milk, flax seed, chia seeds, and cocao nibs)
What other tricks do you guys have to help you get out of bed in the mornings and get your workouts in?
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Natalie Hodson is a mom of two showing how to balance family, fitness, and a healthy lifestyle. www.nataliehodson.com
17 Comments
I do the same thing with the 3 alarms and it works most of the time. Your tips are great and I enjoy reading your blog!
I used to be a dedicated morning exerciser but 1 1/2 years ago I broke my leg during a Tough Mudder and haven’t hardly exercised since then. I am determined to get back to my morning routine though b/c I love how I feel when I am done at 6:00 AM. What I have done is tell everyone I know that I’m going to get up and exercise XX morning and I don’t want them to ask me about it and me have to tell them I didn’t do it. I also give my husband permission to be mean to me and kick me out of bed if necessary. HA!! This morning he said in a very stern voice as soon as my alarm went off “GET OUT OF BED!” And I DID!!! WAHOO!! Doing it again tomorrow morning. I CAN DO THIS! I WILL DO THIS!!
That’s really helpfull and perfect timing! I just started yesterday working out before work in the morning and it was definitely tougher yesterday than it was today. Tweaking my routine to make it work. And I feel so much more energy throughout the day! Its awesome:)
Dawn, you broke your leg DURING a tough mudder race?? Oh my gosh! So crazy! How did that happen? I did a tough mudder a few years back in Vermont and it was tough!
I was reading this on fb, and in my head, I said “setting out my workout clothes the night before”! Happy to see that was your first tip! The decision to workout is already made by then, and it makes it easier to get going. I love your pre-workout shake recipe…must try it. Thanks for all the encouragement, really enjoy reading your posts. 🙂 – fellow balancing-act mommy
Hi Natalie! I love your blog and always look forward to your posts…..I love working out in the morning as well.I had my fourth baby 5 months ago and I’ve always been a clean eater and a gym rat! (with the exception of my pregnancies) – I ate a lot more treats and worked out a lot less;) Anyway, my question is I’m finding it a lot more difficult to get the baby weight off this time, I’m doing all the right things but its at a standstill. How long do you do your intervals for when your trying to lose fat? I’m lifting heavy weights as well. Thanks!
Everything you said, plus a nice full water (one less thing to do). Also, when my alarm goes off a second time I read my work email (loosely inspired by the alarm clock app that makes you solve a math problem before shutting off). Gets my brain going just enough to fully wake up, then I’m off. Here’s another app that looks pretty awesome if you have a particularly hard time: http://www.wired.com/2013/07/design_06272013_evilalarm/
I just wear my workout clothes to bed. I teach classes in the morning, so my absence would be felt! Wearing my clothes already leaves room for less error. 🙂
This is GENIUS! I am so glad you linked to that alarm because it seems like the only thing that could actually get me up. Just downloaded it. thanks!!
Drink 2 glasses of water as soon as you wake up to wake up your body.
I also use my cell as my alarm but it charges across the room. I have to get up to turn it off, so I’m already up and might as well stay up.
LOL. I do this as well! My friends all think I’m so weird, but it works:)
I set my alarm on my iPhone with a different title depending on what workout I’m doing, when I see what it is the next morning, I get excited and it helps me get up. It also helps to tell myself that if I don’t get up and workout now, it will not get done. As a stay at home mom like you, time alone is precious and working out is when I get my ‘me’ time.
I’m currently breastfeeding and the crib is right next to the bed. And my 9 month old is a very light sleeper.
What has helped so far is leaving my workout clothes and runners in our basement along with our mini workout area. Plus I keep extra bottles of water and towels down there. Don’t have to keep going back to the kitchen to get anything. So the bonus to this is that when I wake up I can go quietly without waking anyone up and everything is prepared for me to go workout.
I tell myself if u don’t get up now the next opportunity is 9 pm after the kids go to bed!
It gets me up every time! Plus I meet a girlfriend at the gym and feel guilty if I’m a no show!
I recently bought an “old fashioned” alarm clock that I set across the bedroom, forcing me to get up and turn it off. And usually QUICK because it is so obnoxious I worry it will wake the baby sleeping across the hall. I found I am more likely to get up using this method than I am with a cell phone alarm, where I easily hit snooze. (10 times) Also, my husband works as a nurse 7p-7a, so I have him call me at 4:30 am to wake me up. It’s nice to hear how his shift is going and also motivates me to get up & get moving.
Same here! its the best way to get time alone and it really does make my day better. If I work out early it actually starts everyone’s day better. I am not a morning person though :p I would sleep till noon if I could. No more of that now!