Early morning exercisers-need help!

U

usamarsha

Cathlete
I just started working out early in the morning after reading in BFFM how I can burn more fat this way. (prior to eating breakfast) Anyway, I am not a morning person and have been having a hard time exercising and not injuring myself. Yesterday I fell off the step onto my a** and this morning I twisted my ankle. Now, I am a little bit of a klutz, but not usually this bad. I know it's because I'm not totally awake when I start. Any ideas on waking myself up quickly without downing coffee or food? }(

I try to get started exercising as quickly as possible, as the kiddos hear me and decide they want to get up early too. Any suggestions would be great! :) :)
 
My suggestion would be to hang in there and you will get into the routine, but since you are injuring yourself, I won't even consider it. If you are falling and twisting your ankle because you aren't alert I would stick to a different time of day. Not everyone is able to do am excercise. If you are really determined to workout in the am, I would suggest waking up ten or fifteen minutes earlier and just using that time to wake up by starting dishes or laundry.

As far is kiddos go, I understand that! I have started putting a fan in the hall to muffle the noise that the tv makes and that helps a lot. It also works for husbands, too!

Good luck!

Missy
 
Marsha -

I understand the reasoning behind working out in the AM, but I agree with Missy that if you're injuring yourself, maybe the morning is simply not for you. I know a lot of people who cannot workout as hard in the AM as they can say mid-afternoon. I think the benefits gained by the AM workout would be lost if you cannot workout as hard or as long.
 
I would like to say I REALLY cannot face an IMAX for a morning workout! I find I stick to weight training (my favorite) at that time or an easier cardio, or maybe a CTX cardio. I know I need to do cardio & it really gives me a great vibe for the rest of the day but I know what you are saying! I am hardly awake! Maybe get up 5 min earlier and give yourself a chance to wake up. 5 min won't make a big difference in the time you need to set your alarm. I know a lot of folks have a few sips of coffee.

Jen
 
I've been a morning exerciser for my entire life and I always have to sit and drink a cup of coffee before I workout. I tried going straight to the workout from bed, but that did not work for me. The 20 minutes and the cafine wake me up and get my muscles moving enough that I can give a full effort in the am.

Tracy
 
I do that, too, but I allow an entire hour to wake up with the coffee and one of the shows I taped from the day before. Tomorrow morning I'll watch The Biggest Loser to wake up.
Just Do It! :)
 
I have a cup of coffee first too...but I allow myself 45 minutes to wake up. Any longer than that and I am late for work.

Tammy
 
I workout at 4:20 am and I am not a coffee drinker. I just make sure I get up at 4:00 am (4:10 at the latest) to allow myself to wake up. I also take giant sips of water before I begin my workout.

When I first started, I was super klutzy too, but my body is getting used to it now and I've found my balance. You may want to start with "lighter" cardio routines until your body gets used to it.

Chrissy
 
Chrissy, 4am?? WOW. That is super early. I shoot for peeling my eyes open at 5 but always seem to hit the snooze bar several times. What time do you go to bed? As I get older (I just turned 38) I find that I need more sleep than in my younger years too. This doesn't help the matter!
 
I workout in the AM. I have a coffee, check the board and then get started. I'm not a late night person, we go to bed by 11pm the latest and I don't get up until 5:30 am.
Maybe you need a little longer to get into the swing of things. Just be careful you don't end up breaking an ankle!! x( Oh that would be BAD!! It's not worth an injury.

Oh and maybe have some protein ( a hard boiled egg white or turkey breast before you go to bed) I know being sick isn't your problem, but maybe it will help. Hope so. :)

Kali
www.PictureTrail.com/kkali
 
I try very hard to get up in the am . I need a couple cups of coffe to wake up.I don't know about the rest of you (this is gross). but, i have to go to the bathroom before i workout or I am running upstairs.
Also i have to get online and check out these boards in the am.
Or the day would not be complete.
I have a hard time with tough cardio in the am.
Save it for evenings or Sundays.
Good luck!!
Anne




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When you awaken, is there something you can do to take 15 or so minutes to engage your brain? A magazine article that has been left unread or some task that you put off and could knock off? Do it with a mind toward becoming alert enough to protect your butt and your ankles and it may just work. Having a few me minutes first thing in the morning is a pleasure unto itself!
Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"

Tell me, what it is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver
 
These are some great ideas! I've tried so often to get up really early and workout, but sometimes I can only do a walk on the treadmill :) I sometimes just do some ab/core and stretching work to get myself in the mood. The next day I'm ready and motivated to do more. Go gradual if you need to. Love the fan idea - I'm going to have to try that one.

~Marcia~
 
I am not a morning person, but because of scheduling issues I have to get up at 4:30 to workout. I take out my contacts (I wear them at night and they reshape my cornea), rinse my face with cool water, brush my teeth, feed my cats, and read my email. By then I'm awake enough to workout and those are all things I would do in the morning anyway, so I'm not adding to my morning time. Just find some things you can do for about 15-30 minutes until you are really awake before you start. :)
 
You know, maybe you just need to give your body time to adjust to the new time. Before I found Cathe I would get up early to run on the treadmill, pretty safe IMO. However, when I started doing Cathe cardio I had to take it easier until I got used to it (that was any time of the day, but more so in the early AM). :) Now I can really get into it. If I do weights early I have to make sure I'm really warmed up.

HTH ~ Dallas

ETA: I've been extremely tired this past week, so getting up early just hasn't happened. I don't fret, too much, because I know that I'll be back on track soon.
 
Thanks everyone! Some really good ideas. I think I will take it easier for a while until my body adjusts. I was just getting up, quickly getting dressed and putting in Imax 3 when I hurt myself. On my good days I was just getting through this workout, I don't know what I was thinking starting out with that one. I'm going to have to give my ankle a rest for a while as it gave out on me this morning and I was being more careful. x( I'm sure I weakened it when I fell the other day. (It was already weak from an injury years ago)

Just got to set my alarm a little earlier and maybe start wearing an ankle brace! :D

Thanks again!
 
I've always gotten up at 4:30am to get the exercising in. But it took me a good 2 weeks to get used to getting up that early. I'm the type that gets right out of bed, into my workout clothes and gets the workout going. Do I like getting up that early to workout? NO! But I wouldn't be able to make myself workout after work.

Getting up early gives me such a feeling of accomplishment before the day even starts. Being able to say "I just did IMAX3, survived and now I can get on with everything else" is a great feeling!

Give it some time, your body will get used to it's early morning wake up call ;-)
 
Marsha ~

I resumed my early AM workouts 4:00AM this week. First w/ SJP and then IMAX 3. While I made it thru IMAX3, I admit some of the combos where we're turning and going around the bench had me feeling like a had two left feet and no sense of direction! Historically, I've always worked out early AM (20+ years). I never ask myself if I'm going to get up and do it 'cuz I know I'll answer myself "No." The alarm goes off, I roll outta bed, grab my sneakers & workout clothes on the way to bathroom, get dressed, put my contacts in, put my hair up and go downstairs and fill my water bottle and get working.

It is not always easy but it most definitely primes me for the rest of the day and I absolutely love having my evenings free to do whatever I want. Okay so tonight I walked the dogs, vacuumed the house, folded a load of laundry, started another load, cooked supper and made some apple crisp...uh oh! Promise to self: Sometime soon I'm going to schedule a soak in the jacuzzi tub!

Keep your wake-up time fairly consistent 7 days a week. Also make sure your diet and your sleep duration is supporting your early AM wake up call and workout. You're on your way! Good luck!

~ Kim

"Welcome the challenge...Embrace it...Don't fear it." -Cathe Friedrich
 
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