Advice needed from you early birds!

Hey everyone,

For those of you that do early morning workouts, please tell me how you do it. On days I work I have to be at the gym at 4:30 am, so that I can make it to work by 6:30, the last few times I have set my alarm, I just press snooze until I have to get ready for work.

I am always dissappointed because at night I plan so hard to make it to the gym early, but it never happens. Some mornings I even unplug the alarm clock. I really want to get to the gym tomorrow morning. :)

Any advice on how you do it is greatly appreciated!

Wow, 4:30 is REALLY early .  With travel to the gym, that must mean you have to be up by when?  4 at the latest, I am guessing?  I work out in the morning, but I honestly could not do that.  My father used to run at that time in the morning - he had to catch a 6:30 train into the city.  I often think of his long days.  He loved it, though, he used to talk about seeing Venus and other stars.

Ok, sorry for the tangent.  Here's what I do:  1) home gym equipment - I have a treadmill, so that is my constant activity.  I have it set up with a TV and wireless headphones so that I don't have to blast the TV to hear it.  I record my soaps and watch them while I walk.  The skinny actresses motivate me to walk harder.  2) I sleep in my work out clothes - all but socks and sneakers.  When the alarm goes off, all I have to do is put on my socks and sneakers and grab my water, and I'm good to go.  No trying to find a sports bra or a clean pair of gym shorts in the dark.  I don't know about you, but just the fact of having to gather a piece of gym clothing will make me turn over and go back to bed - any excuse!

That's it - those are my only tips.  I hope they help.  If you don't have money or room for a home gym equipment, then you could always take up running or walking outside.  Or do tapes at home.  I forgot to mention that I also have free weights (just 5, 10, and 15lb set) to do upper body work, and I do crunches and push ups every day - so I'm not really doing any weight training.  I did have a weight bench at one time, but then I got pregnant with DD1 and there went the "fitness room".  I also have a STEP, but having used that in a while, but I have some tapes, etc.  for when I start to get bored of the current routine.

I wake up at 4:30 every day during the regular work week, but it's more because of my commute to work.  However, I do manage to workout at least 3-4 times in those mornings for about half an hour.  I don't go to a gym, so I don't have to factor in extra driving time, and I have all my clothes layed out and ready and the DVD already cued up in the player.

My motivation varies.  I'll tell myself:  1) It's either now or tonight after a long day of work and it will cut into alone time with hubby or 2) get it out of the way now, eat light for most of the day and I get to have ice cream after dinner.  If I just can't do it, then I don't, and rack it up as one of my "relax" days where I eat very light to stay under calorie target. 

When all else fails, and I know I need to get up to exercise, I move my alarm clock to the other side of the room the night before (even if I don't hear it, I get kicked by hubby).  Also, there are times where I wake up a little achy, and I think about how good some yoga will make my back and hips feel (I swear it's better then Tylenol sometimes).

Move your alarm across the room so you have to get out of bed to turn it off. At that point, you are already up and can make the choice to get to the gym.

It is all about choices and if you make it as easy as possible to choose exercise, you'll get into the habit of working out--and then you won't want to miss it.

So do things like have your stuff all pulled together the night before, pack your lunch at night (if you take your lunch) etc, etc. And move the alarm.

Don't make it easy to stay in bed.

You just do it!

I get up everyday  - Monday thru Friday at 4am - have a cup of coffee and I am off running by 4:30am! I work 7:30 to 5pm Mon- Fri plus I have a 15year old daughter and a 1 year old son so we are out the door by 6:45am at the latest! It is hectic but I feel so much better getting up and doing it. Plus by the time I get home at 5:30pm - I have to get dinner cooked - feed and bath the baby and get him to bed and by that time - who wants to exercise - not me that is for sure - that is why I do it that early in the morning - my son has no idea I am gone and I can spend time with him in the evenings - we often go for a walk, but I don't consider this exercise. On weekends I sleep in and take the baby with me and he loves it!

It is hard some days but once you get going you will feel better -  it is a habit for me at this point! 

Good Luck I know it is hard!!! 

I get up at 4:30 to work out from about 5-6 (I wish my gym opened earlier than 5 some days). On days that I get a later start and don't think I have enough time, I will run near home (although now it's always dark, so not sure how long I can keep it up).

That being said, some days I also have trouble getting out of bed. The biggest thing I have noticed is the time I go to bed. I like to be in bed by 9, but realistically don't usually make it until 10 or 10:30. As long as I am in by then, I usually can get up. I have also noticed that once I am out of bed, I never regret it. I also lay out my clothes the night before, and pack my gym bag which I set out next to my keys and a banana for the ride to the gym.

Good luck! I think it's totally worth it. I have more energy for the day, and I don't have to find time to work out after a long day at work!

I also get up at 4:30 every morning to go the gym. I'm at work by 6:30. I find that it's easiest to get up, when you decide the night before, that you are going...not if you get out bed..you are getting out of bed and going.

Also, I lay my clothes out the night before, have my gym bag packed and in my car and just grab my water out of the fridge and go. Eventually it just becomes habit and your day just doesn't seem the same if you DON'T do it.

 By the time I get off work, all I want to do is go home. I know that I won't make it to the gym after working 10 hours. Hope this helps. You can do it

 

Hi, I'm a new early riser who previously couldn't get up and get to the gym before work to save my life! You've already got some good responses above, but as a new convert I thought I'd let you know it's possible!

To restate things above: what really did work for me was moving the alarm clock across the room, packing my lunch and breakfast the night before, and laying out all of my clothes for gym and work beforehand. That way I just get up, put on what's lying there without having to think about it, grab my lunch out of the fridge, and jump in the car.

You can do it! If I can, you can. Believe me, I'm the worst morning person EVER.  

 

I do something similar to kayyayer, I have my work out clothes out, my work clothes out. I know what i'm doing for breakfast the next day and so on. When my alarm goes off I sit up in bed before touching it. That way I know i'm "up" before turning it off. Here is the key: Don't think about it. I can find a ton of reasons NOT to work out in the morning but after work I pick my son up from daycare, start his dinner and help my wife give him a bath and get him ready for bed. By then it's almost 8pm and I have an hour or two with the wife and it's bed time. Plus I feel horrible if I don't do it. That helps.

I agree with archer531, just try not to think about it. If I wake up and lie there thinking about how I have to get up, put on my workout clothes, get my music player and then go run up and down the hills in my neighborhood I'll never do it. Instead I tell myself "I'm doing this" and then I just go through the motions. Before I know it I'm already running and by then it's too late to turn back.

I am up at 4:00am, have a quick cup of coffee made for the ride and at the gym by 4:30 - home by 5:30 so my husband can take his turn.  We have a new baby so its harder to make myself get up.  Sometimes he'll turn the alarm off and I fall back to sleep and never remember even hearing it !  But - I tell myself as I lay there that I will regret not going and feel sooooo good after I do go.  Its not possible for me to go after work and I would be even less motivated then so I just DO IT !   Also what works for me, silly I know, but I tell myself if I go to the gym, I get to eat a little more that day.  That ALWAYS works for me.

I too am an early bird. I have two alarms that go off, one is actually just outside my bedroom so By the time I turn it off I usuaolly can't go back too sleep. Might as well workout. Then I get myself and five kids out the door everymorning for school by 6:30 . when I get in at 5 the last thing I think about is exercise so its a good thing I already got it in. Besides morning is one of the best times to workout any way. Revs your metabolism for the whole day!!

I get up at 5AM every  morning and have to be at work at 7:30AM. I am a zombe when I first wake up, I have coffee first.  And I eat something light so that I am coffee'd and fully awake by 5:30 AM.  I work out at 5:30 to 6:30AM and then shower and get ready for work, leave the apartment by 7AM.  Seems to work for me.  I have to have the coffee before the work out, I am just too stoned when I first wake up to excercise. 

Maybe I will try what that one person said, sleep in my work out clothes and work out as soon as I wake up.  Then I wouldn't need coffee.  But  on the other hand, I enjoy my quiet time, me and the kitties, drinking coffee, and watching the news to wake up.  I think that it depends on the individual.  I am in bed asleep by 8PM everynight though.  I love to sleep, one of the greatest pleasures in life.

Wow, thanks for all the replies! It is quite motivating to hear that so many of you not only excercise in the mornings but get it over with, so you don't have to deal with it later. :)

Great suggestions & I can't wait to try them!

As a runner  the only way I get up at 4:30 to get my runs in is that they are part of my training for a goal race.  If I didn't have the training plan for each day to reach the goal I wouldn't be able to motivate each day.  When I just run for exercise while recovering from a long race, I tend to get lazy and lose motivation.

Like mentioned before, having the close set out and a plan for that day's workout really helps too.

I am lucky in two ways; The wife is an early bird and I have learned that too. Plus my office is where I work out, we have a gym and it is free, double bonus. Oh yea I have flex time, so when I get in is when my day starts. I am up at 5AM eat my breakfast, get dressed for my workout, take my work clothes in with me workout shower and clean up there and walk to my wonderful cube about 7:30 or so. Really it makes for a good start of the day at work all refreshed.

Ditto the "just do it" mentality. If I want to work out in the morning, I tell myself that as I go to bed. If I go to bed thinking, "Well, I'll see how I feel in the morning," I usually bail. When the alarm goes off, I don't allow myself to think "okay, just one more snooze and I'll be ready to go". In fact, if I start thinking anything at all, I have to immediately tell myself to stop thinking and GO. If I'm that tired that I know I have to bag it, I reset my alarm and go back to sleep. And about half the time when I'm resetting the alarm, I realize I'm awake enough to get going.

The other big motivator for me was signing up for a race. In December '05, I signed up for what would be my first triathlon (Pat Griskus Tri, June '06). I had just started running in September of that year, and I could barely squeak out 3 miles. And let me tell you, March in Connecticut does present some pretty dismal weather at 5 AM. But my mantra was "skip today if you really want, but in a very short time you will be on the beach waiting for the horn. Race day is non-negotiable."

And don't beat yourself up if you didn't get up today. You only fail when you stop trying tomorrow. 

I get up at 5 am so I can eat and be at the gym by 7.

Personally I like waking up and commuting in the dark- weird, I know. 

You have to develop the habit of waking up early- it takes about 21 days to develop a new habit - so you need to wake up early every day -- even weekends.  I personally love getting up early and having that alone time.  If you can't do the gym after work then I would invest in home equipment drop your gym membership- just walk when you can if you can't get up early and that is the only time you have to work out.

I must have been born without the "just do it" gene.  Nothing has ever been that easy for me.  I need logic and reasons for my motivation.

I also think that 21 days to develop a habit must be an average.  I think I'm more in the 60 day range :-)  Seriously, I've been "back" to working out in the morning for 40+ days and it's still not a habit for me.  I still "struggle with the sheets".

But, I do agree about not thinking about it - if you can keep from listening to that voice in your head, and just get up and start, then you will do it.