Seeking Tips from Morning Exercisers

H

Humanhair

Cathlete
I'm a morning exerciser -- but a very reluctant one. It's just the only time of the day when I can do it. I find that actually getting out of bed is the most difficult part. Then I drink my coffee and I typically like to "transition" for about a half hour after I wake up. Once I start my video, I'm pretty much fully into it after about 15 minutes.

I really need to finish my routine by 7:15 in order to get my son ready for school. So, that means waking up at 5:45 - YIKES! I'm finding that getting up and giving myself the hour that I'd really like to have (instead of just a half hour) is pretty challenging.

I'd love to get some motivational tips from other morning exercisers out there.

Thanks!
Caroline
 
What motivates me is that I get it over with and nothing else can get in the way for the rest of the day! Plus it helps you wake up and generally feel better.

"You can't win them all - but you can try." - Babe Zaharias http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/musik/music-smiley-004.gif[/img]
 
Hi Caroline,

How long ago did you start early morning workouts?
I started morning workouts 5:30 am about 1.5 years ago.
One thing I can recommend is start with a moderate or not
to intense or dancy workout. Try this for a few weeks then
attempt something more advanced or complicated and see if your
energy level keeps up. I took me a few months before I could be
up and "running" with enough energy for an intense workout at
5:30 am so give yourself time to adjust.
 
I always prefer to work out in the morning for many reasons but the top ones are it gives me energy for the rest of the day.....don't have to keep changing clothes and fitting in extra showers, like I do when I workout in the afternoon. Also,it's easier to be consistant with. Later in the day things seem to pop up , the phone rings.....life happens. But it's not too often people are stopping by or calling or I have a early morning appointment so it gets done!!!

Just put out your clothes & shoes the night before. Get dressed in your workout clothes as soon as you get up and then you'll be in the frame of mind to get started.

HTH's:D
 
I am the same way. I have to be done with exercise and shower by 7:30 to get my son up for school. I've had a hard time lately since it is now dark when I get up. But, I keep track on a calendar on my dresser and it's good to see the weeks fill up with what workout I did that day (or didn't do) and for how long.

Up at 5:45 (no coffee until I get to work)...tall glass of crystal lite lemonade... me and my cat and Cathe.
 
Hi Caroline!
I also get up at 5:45 to get ready for school. It starts at 7:30 and out at 1:40. I do a morning ab routine that takes a half hour. Then I get dressed, do my hair, brush teeth, and go. I have breakfast before I start. A nice 8 gram of fiber english muffin and coffee w/ protein powder. My modivation tip to you would be...

"If you exercise when you know youn should, than you'll have a better day." You won't feel cranky, tired, mad, fustrated (although may still feel stressed because come on its work x() Just do it and don't think about anything else.

Take Care,
~Adri~
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5:45, I'd love to sleep in that late!! ;-) I've had to become a morning exerciser also. I run first thing & meet my 2 friends for a 5AM run so I'm usually up by 4:40 or so, get dressed, grab a drink & a bite to eat & out the door! I'm training for a marathon & I also have to be home by 6:15 for my dh to leave for work, I'll come home & do a Cathe DVD, then wake my dd's up at 7 to get ready for school.

Fridays are my *sleep in* days when I sleep til about 6:45. I love Fridays!

It's hard to get used to at first (believe me, I never thought I'd voluntarily get up at the crack o' dawn) but you get used to it. Try getting up just 10 or 15 min earlier every few days until you get used to it & then getting up another 10 min earlier until you're up at 5:45 regularly. I find that laying my clothes & shoes out the night before & having everything ready to go helps me just hop out of bed w/out even thinking about hitting snooze! And I love having my workout done so early, the rest of the day feels so much smoother knowing that it's done!

Hugs,
 
Well, I'm right with ya needing the motivation! We just moved two months ago and are on a totally new schedule. I realized rather quickly that if I don't get up and get it done in the a.m., there's a VERY good chance it won't happen. Another factor is that it's just too darn hot later in the day - we have a pool, now, and I'd much rather spend evenings after work in the pool.

The catch for me is that I need to get up around 4:30 - the baby needs a morning bottle and the car need to be pulling out of the driveway at 6:45, so, there you are... The video needs to be running at 5:00...a.m....<ugh>...

My tips, at least what I've found in the past month or so: *I started out by forcing myself to get up and be awake for the hour, with no workout, just to get used to the sleep shift. Then I did some light workouts, and finally am at a point where I do either Cathe or Cardio Coach. *Wear workout clothes to bed or p.j.'s that I can work out in. *Allow a few days of lighter workouts as a reward for getting up on time for a few days (i.e. if I do good wo's M and T, then I get easy ones R and F) *Drink water and take vitamins before bed - gotta wake up decently hydrated *start the coffee pot (I have it on a timer) before the cool down - the smell is HEAVENLY! *Some days, I split the workout - cardio or weights only in the morning and a short wo later with the other. *Focus on the fact that you can 'suffer' through this and then have the rest of the day to enjoy - I like to think that my body isn't awake enough at that hour to really feel the pain...

After a few weeks, I have gotten to where I *kind of* like the quietness when no one else is awake (let's not focus on the fact that it's because they're ASLEEP and I'M NOT!!!) No, really, it can be a beautiful hour of just you and your goals...kind of a reward in itself...I love being the first to the coffee pot :)
 
Hey Caroline,

We are pretty much on the same schedule - I have to get up at 5:40am on days when I am working out in the morning. Right now, I am doing 2 days during the work week (in the morning), Friday night, and Sat & Sun anytime. This gives me my minimum requirement of 5 days each week without having to get up at the crack of dawn more then 2X per week.

For me, getting out of bed is also the hardest thing. However, like you mentioned, once I am about 15-20 minutes into my workout, I feel so exhilerated. Also, I feel mentally proud and healthly all day, due to my discipline! This is what I do to get motivated to get out of bed...I envision how good I will feel once I am "into" my workout and also how good and proud of myself I will feel for the rest of the day. I also try to treat myself with new workouts, new music selections, and yummy breakfast treats as an extra incentive (I workout with the TV volume all the way down and play my own music CDs). These things help me to drag myself out of bed in the morning but yeah, it is still a challenge and I never have been, am not, and probably never will be a morning person! Good luck. :)

Dianna

http://www.picturetrail.com/Luv2WorkHard
 
Caroline,
I have the same schedule. Need to workout from 6-7 give or take in the am to get my boys off to school on time. I set my alarm for 5:30 and hit the snooze twice before I get out of bed (I should also mention my clock is ahead by about half and hour) This way I'm never sure what time it actually is and the thought that I may be late for my workout and then not be able to workout that day, gets me right up!!! Yes, I know, you're thinking if I know my clock is set ahead then I know I'm never late. My DH doesn't get it either:) But it works for me. Maybe it may work for you.
Deanie:)
eta: basically its the fact I may miss a workout that gets me going. If I don't workout in the am before the kids go to school, I don't workout.
 
I try to do a 5:30am at least 3 days a week. Here are the rules I have to follow or it won't happen.

1. I actually sleep in the clothes I intend to work out in (except for sports bra)or at very least keep them on the floor by my side of the bed.

2. Put shoes and socks next to the bed.

3. PUT YOUR FEET ON THE FLOOR THE MINUTE THE ALARM GOES OFF. DO NOT THINK ABOUT IT!! DO NOT HIT SNOOZE.

4. Have video or DVD and weights all set to go.

5. When you put your feet on the floor do 5 jumping jacks then you will be awake and you definitely won't go to bed.

Good Luck. Commit to two days a week and see what happens.

KIM
 
Well, the alternate is doing it late in the day, in which case I am sapped of motivation and energy. Although it's freakishly early, it is so nice to be on the endorphin high for the rest of the day. Usually if I am waiting to do a workout later in the day I get antsy and crabby. That probably doesn't help any but it's how my mind works :p



“In the beginning there was nothing. God said, 'Let there be light!' And there was light. There was still nothing, but you could see it a whole lot better.” --Ellen Degeneres
 
Deanie - We operate in a very similar way...my alarm clock is 20-something minutes ahead (I don't know how many for sure ;-) ). Now that I don't have to be to work until 8AM (in the summer I have to be to work by 5:30 or 6AM) I can get back into my morning routine again, which I greatly prefer to the afternoon/evening sweatfests in 90+ degree weather, with no A/C, at the end of a very long, hot, already sweat filled day! Hmmm, I wonder why I fell off the workout wagon for the last month or so :eek: ;( . Besides, I love carrying that feeling of accomplishment with me through the rest of the day.

I also find that if I put the coffee on a timer set for 5AM I WILL get up and not snooze. I have my first little cup and a hardboiled egg white with guacamole and I'm ready to workout from 5:30-7:00. Then I have the second half of my breakfast (a great 5 grain cooked cereal that I absolutely LOVE) and my second little cup while I check in here and then I'm off. Especially with the dark mornings I find that the smell of coffee wafting into the bedroom in the morning is enough to get me moving.

Wendi
 
Caroline,
I didn't exercise at all last year other than the occasional walks with my son. I used to exercise at least 4-5 times a week before I had my baby in March, 2005. I work full-time, so by the time I got home, I did not want to exercise. And, as much as I told myself I would do it when he went to bed, it didn't happen then either. Because I am a teacher, I have my summers off, so I thought it was the perfect time to train myself to get up earlier and earlier to exercise. I'll admit that I only started doing this 3 weeks ago, but now I am into a routine of 4-5 times a week of a good solid hour of exercise, and I feel SO much better. I wake up at 4:28a.m., get changed (I have everything laid out in the hall outside my DH and my bedroom). I feed the cat who won't leave me alone until I do, eat a peanut butter snack, grab a glass of water and start. I make sure to put my DVD out the night before and get all my equipment ready too. That way, I don't waste any time. When I'm done, I still have an hour or so to myself, so I take a shower, actually get to put make up on, get dressed, eat breakfast and talk with my DH. When my son wakes up, I can get him and I have a lot of time to play with him before he is off to his babysitters.

I know it's early, but it is so worth it. Exercise is not weighing on my mind anymore like it used to. To tell you the truth, I don't really love to do workouts, but I know that they are very beneficial to me both physically and mentally. That is my motivation (not to mention some recent compliments from co-workers. That helps motivation too:7 ). Good luck!
-Jen
p.s. Obviously I have to go to bed around 8:30p.m., but that's fine with me. Since it is already 9:30p.m., I will NOT be getting up tomorrow. It's my day to rest.
 
I'm with you on the early morning workouts. I won't get my workout in if I don't do it first thing in the am. I have two watches
with alarms, an alarm clock, and my cell phone with an alarm. All
of these ring at various times beginning at 5:40. I put one of my
watches on my dresser, which I have to get up out of bed to reach.
Once I'm up, I sit at the computer and read these forums to get
some quick inspiration and motivation. Then I go put in a dvd and
tell myself I have to do it! I think that getting exercise into
your routine is very helpful. After you successfully work out in the am
for a few days in a row, you'll get it into your system and will
hate to miss a day.
Good luck with your efforts!
 
You've gotten a lot of great suggestions!

I've been getting up at 4 a.m. or 4:30 a.m. for years to exercise -- insanely early, but it works for me.

a few more ideas:
-I think it's key to change your bedtime, so you get enough sleep at night to make you able to wake up regularly at an early hour.

-adjust your eating so that it supports exercising in early a.m. I eat something small when I get up and transition into exercising -- gives my body a small chance to warm up. As I'm 43, I can't just hop out of bed to run or exercise. A little wake-up time first works well for me.

-Also, I try to visualize my workout the night before, so when the double alarm, plus watch alarm goes off, my plan is set.

Good luck figuring out what works for you!
-Barb:) :) :)
 
I have been an early morning excerciser for 6 years now so it is habit for me. Because I have to leave for work at 5:45 AM it means a REALLY early alarm! Mine goes off at 2:45 - insane for sure - but it is habit now! I do hit snooze once in a while! I do sleep in until 4:30 on my non-work out day (1x week). On weekends, I am usually up before 5:30 and working out before 7:00. I find early morning my time before everyone is up so I don't mind.

Like others, I sleep in "most" of my exercise clothes - shirt/shorts and sometime socks - much to the chagrin of my DH! I have my sneakers and sports bra ready to go so I grab them when I arise.

I MUST drink coffee to wake up first, so my coffee pot is auto-set. I drink my coffee and plan my food meals for the day, and head down to work out by 3:30. I try to get 70 minutes of Cathe or 60 min treadmill in 4 days during the work week.

I also try to get to bed, sleep, by 9:30. Once I get my boys (9 & 12) down it is my turn. I get ready when they are so that I can hop in bed when their lights go off.

Another motivator for me is when I am done. To think that I have either gone 4.5 miles or did a Cathe w/o by 4:45 AM is a great thought!

In general, I think it really needs to become a "HABIT" to wake up so that you don't think about it. If I thought about what I do too much, I would realize that everyone who tells me that I am nuts is right!

Good luck - once you get used to it, it won't seem that hard.
Karyn
 
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