Morning exercisers... Need help!

N

nik13

Cathlete
I have been having trouble with exercising in the evening. I either do it at 9pm and can't get to sleep until 1:00am or I talk myself out of doing it at all.

So I decided to stop being lazy about it and want to try to exercise in the morning. I need some tips on morning exercise.

I know some of you get up really early. I would have to get up at 5:45am. I have trouble with hitting the snooze button.

Please give me your suggestions on keeping a morning exercise routine. What helps you get up and stay up? Do I need extra water? what are the benefits?....etc.

Thanks in advance for your replys.
Nikki

P.s. Is there any evening exercisers who changed to morning exercise? Please tell me how you did it.
 
First, dearie, how organized are you? Maybe you could do some stuff at night to cut down on your morning "getting ready time." Like, lay out your clothes, fix your lunch, etc the night before. That will buy you some time in the morning.

I allow some coffee and computer time before I exercise...at least 1/2 hour. Then, it's to the workout room. Have your routines planned...don't stand in front of your VCR shelf trying to decide what to do. Have your tape cued and your weights lined up. Personally, I don't eat anything if I exercise first thing. That's just me....I don't have to. If I exercise later in the day, I have to be sure I'm not hungry.

The best part about exercising in the AM, is that you get it over with for the day. I'm into the 5th week of a CTX cycle, and I've done it all in the morning. With the short tapes, it's easy to do. Maybe the thing for YOU to do is to start your morning routines with the CTX tapes.

JUST DO IT!!!! You'll feel better for the rest of the day if you get your exercise in. Just my humble opinion, and I HAVE made it work.
 
:7 Try gradually moving your bed time back. For me laying in bed for 9-10 wasn't worth it. I now go to bed at 10:00. I get up at 5:00. sO i GET 6.5 TO 7 HOURS OF SLEEP.

I NEVER HAVE ANY CAFFINE AFTER 12:00 NOON.

If this is what is right for your body, you should begin to naturally wake up at the time you want to.

Dont be to hard on yourself, maybe you really are a night exerciser.
 
Nikki:
I **LOVE** working out in the morning! It's such a great feeling when you're done, knowing you've done your workout for the day!

I agree with Honeybunch...get your stuff ready the night before. Decide on what tapes you want to do, have them cued up and ready to go. Sometimes I even go to sleep the night before in my workout clothes...(for some reason sleeping in my sports bra keeps me motivated!) I keep a bottle of water and a small towel (to wipe all that sweat!) in my workout room.

I too like to work out on an empty stomach. I usually just brush my teeth, wash my face, have 2-3 saltines (leftover advice from my pregnancy days from 10 years ago), have some water and JUMP RIGHT IN!

Let us know how your first morning workout goes!

Terri
 
I'm alot like Terri. I don't sleep in my workout cloths, but everything else is ready to go. I get up get dressed, brush my teeth, drink some water and GO!!!

Try it a few times. After about a week or so you'll look forward to your morning workouts. It's makes such a difference in my day. It also feels good to know your workout is done for the day.

Good Luck.
Dawn W
 
I can Relate!!

I am NOT a morning person at ALL, but I make too many excuses in
the evenings after working all day. I decided that morning workouts would really improve my consistency.

A.M. exercise in not a habit yet but I'm improving and here is what helps (along with preparing the night before):

At first I got a little lightheaded so I ate a little fruit & water 15 minutes before working out, now I don't need anything beforehand

In order to exercise in the a.m. I have to rise at 5:30 so I go to bed around 9 or 9:30 if I go to bed any later I will not get up.

There is a "morning madness" & "snooze button challenge" for folks like us on another forum I like and it helps with accountability. Perhaps you can start one here.

Don't think to yourself "I'll try to work out in the a.m." SAY "I WILL workout in the a.m."
 
When I first started working out in the morning, my body felt drained and tired the rest of the day. I was also eating way too many carbs and way too much junk. Once I changed my diet, working out in the morning became easier. I think my body also adjusted to it gradually.

Maybe start with a shorter workout (e.g. do your abwork or if using CTX, the body part of the day) and gradually start increasing the duration of your workout. Also, maybe some forms of cardio are "easier" for you to do in the morning. I like walking/jogging outdoors when the weather is warmer. I've found that some tapes are STILL hard to do first thing in the morning. To do MIC or IMAX first thing in the morning I've got to really psyche myself up the night before and when I wake up. Sometimes before I start the tape I'll march in place (not very long - 10 seconds maybe) to get my body and my mind going. I don't sleep in my workout clothes because I need that mental prep time before my workout.

The hardest part (like most things) is getting started. Once I get going I'm fine and I always feel awesome when I'm done!
 
I have always exercised in the morning. Like everybody else mentioned, keep a workout log and know ahead of time what you're going to do. I have all my stuff set up and ready to go as soon as I get my kids off to school. The only other thing I will add is that I drink a Slimfast in the morning first. I have more energy for my workout if I have something in my stomach, but food grosses me out too early in the morning. I can down that Slimfast in about 3 minutes with my vitamins and I'm ready to go!

HTH
Lindy
 
I set the thermostat to come on 15 minutes before I want to get out of bed so it's comfortably cool instead of frigid. Plus the sound of the furnace helps me wake up.

You'll probably have to experiment with food/liquids. Depending on intensity, duration, cardio vs. weights, I eat differently in the a.m. Here's some advice from my favorite spinning instructor: If you want a great a.m. workout, make sure that the prior days' dinner was very nutritious (lots of complex carbs & adequate protein).

Give yourself time to adopt to the new routine. It will be hard at first but it's great to have your workout in before you start the rest of your day.

Debra
 
Hi nik13

I used to be an evening exerciser but since I had my first child 29 years ago I switched to EARLY morning exercising. This was the only time I could get it in without anyone having demands on me. Now this is MY time! It’s the best time of my day and I enjoy every minute of it. As everyone else said, give it a try, prepare everything the night before even the clothes you want to wear to work. This way it’s a no-brainer. Put yourself on autopilot for a couple of weeks and don’t listen to that nagging “inner voice” demanding another snooze. You will see in no time how you begin looking forward to getting up and exercising. Try it for two weeks, no matter what and reevaluate how you feel then. I bet you will never go back to another choice.

I do drink a 24oz bottle of water before exercising, but no food. That works best for me. If I ever miss a morning exercise (maybe twice a year!) I have a lot less energy during that day! Give it a try and good luck!

Much Love, Mamabear
 
Another tip

Hi nik13,

I can only echo what the others have already said...cue up the workout the night before, lay out your clothes, etc. But I do have one additional tip that makes a world of difference for me:

SET THE ALARM CLOCK ON A SHELF ACROSS THE ROOM!!!

That way, you can't just hit snooze and go back to sleep. You'll have to physically get out of bed to turn it off, and I find that once I am already out of bed, it's no big deal to just STAY up and get my workout done. Getting OUT of bed is the hardest part for me, and once that's over, I'm on autopilot--go to the bathroom, get dressed, fill water bottle, head for the workout room.

I personally also found that I would be a bit nauseous during the first part of the workout when I first began morning workouts. Drinking a small glass of OJ helped a lot with this problem. Now that I've been working out in the morning for almost 2 years, though, it's not a problem at all, and I can get by on nothing but sips of water during my workout.

Good luck!!
Renae
 
Hi Nikki--Hate to sound trite, but just do it. I get up at 4:00 am to work out and believe me, there are days when I'd rather turn over & enjoy an extra hour of sleep before heading to work. I simply MAKE myself get out of bed and do it. Move your alarm clock away from your bed so you just can't hit the snooze button and roll over. Remind yourself of the many benefits of working out---low blood pressure, strength & muscle tone, flexibility, etc. Getting it "over with" in the morning takes away a lot of stress, too. Plus, you leave the house invigorated. In the evening, treat yourself to something special for having gotten up early (a bubble bath or whatever). It really is worth the effort. Once you get into the habit of getting up that early, it won't seem so hard. Good luck and let me know if you need anyone to nag you! Suzanna
 
I was never a morning person in my life until May 1987 when I decided to change from after work workouts to mornings. I don't use a snooze button, I don't even know how it works on my clock. I just made up my mind I'm going to get up and workout....I made one decision in May, '87, there is no daily decision to be made. It's a given that I will do it. It is non-negotiable. And I have yet to oversleep on a planned workout day. Sure it was hard. Others have given you great advice. Have everything done the night before, clothes laid out, everything ready. I need about 1/2 hour to wake up then I'm raring to go. I find I have to drink a lot more water first thing in the morning. I personally don't eat first, but for some people they need to, it's an individual thing.
One thing switching to mornings taught me was that I really can do anything, as long as I set my mind to it.
In fact I rarely hear my alarm go off, I'm usually up a few minutes before. I do have a hungry cat, that helps, but about half the time I'm up on my own without my purring "alarm clock".
You can do it.
Barbara P
 
All of the above!

I agree with everything that has been said about getting everything laid out the night before, including socks, shoes, weights, cued videos, etc. I slowly worked back from short workouts at 530 am, to long workouts at 445 am. I get up at 430-435, and am moving by 445. Like Barbara P said, there is no way I will miss a planned workout. If I am out late the night before (rare with children!), I will do the workout later in the day, but that only happens a couple of times a year. I am usually asleep between 930-1000 pm during the week.

I think that I deal with it well because I do not workout on weekends. I usually sleep in on weekends, and that makes an early workout just part of the regular M-F work day. I figure if I have to get up, I might as well get up earlier!

Good Luck,
Sandi M
 
ditto!

I set the alarm for 5 til 5am and usually make it out of bed after 3 snoozes ;) Something that helps me is a varied exercise plan--something different everyday. Depending on what kind of rotation you are doing of course.

I dislike the early mornings but that eurphoric feeling you get after working out in the am, watching the sun come up through the window, or while I'm out on a power-walk, and the knowledge that I am done with my workout for the day, cannot be beat! A timesaver for me--I save ab work until the evening, right before bed.

good luck!
 
excellent

it is great to know that while i'm rousing myself up at the crack 'o dawn, the rest of you guys are doing the same! wonder how many of us are doing the same cathe tape simultaneously? haha. the next time my coworkers make fun of me for being such an early bird, i'll take comfort in knowing that are lots of us out there who are committed to being healthy. brava to all of us! suzanna
 
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