I'm a morning, afternoon, evening exerciser. It took me a good 3 months before exercising in the morning felt ok but I pushed through it and it's routine now. Make sure it's an exercise you like doing! I am so/so with running but I LOVE taking my dogs out so I combine them and run with my 2 dogs and my husband for about 30 minutes in the mornings.
Physically, I prefer to run at around 3:00-5:00 in the afternoon but seeing as I work during those hours, that isn't an option for me. When I get home from work, I force myself to do strength training because I'm usually exhausted.
The biggest benefit for me exercising in the morning is the fact that it's DONE. I don't have to worry about it for the rest of the day. There are days when I think, "oh my goodness. I haven't done any exercise today!" Then I realize, I did 30 minutes in the morning. D'uh!
Another awesome thing about running in the morning for me, anyway, is that I'm half asleep for about 15 minutes of it. Mentally I just don't check in until I'm halfway done my run and by that point, I have to do the last 15 minutes to get back home in time to get ready to go!
Before you say morning exercise isn't for you, you HAVE to give it a chance. A week of it isn't enough. Try a month or 2 months (3 to truly see results!). Just like weightloss, picking up new routines takes time and preperation. If you really want to get into early morning exercise, you can find a way. Otherwise, just do it when you want to! There's so much anecdotal evidence out there that exercise in the morning is *better* than other exercise. It really really isn't. Figure out what works for you and stick to it.
Ugh, dude I canNOT exercise in the morning. It does not work for me, at all. If I eat something, I feel sick and tired with no energy. If I don't eat anything, I get low blood sugar and feel like I want to die afterward.
My time is in the evening - and I actually do hot yoga starting at 9:45 pm!
And because I've got it set up that it's right after work so it works with my schedule, I pass by it on the way home, I've set myself up for success, I rarely miss it!
when i had to get up early this summer to work out, i bribed myself to get it done i made myself a deal that if i could get up on the 5 workdays and go run at the gym, then on the weekend i could get one of the protein smoothies at the gym that i love...so that kind of mind game worked well for me and i actually LIKED the time in the mornings...getting up early while everyone slept, enjoying the peaceful drive to the gym, and getting a workout in while watching the sunrise through the windows....and then it was done for the day
i also play mind games like this: i usually get up at 6 a.m. for work anyhow, so getting up at 5:30 wasn't all that different, right? and if i can get up at 5:30 a.m., well then half an hour earlier at 5 a.m. isn't hardly any different either right? really an hour's difference isn't THAT much....so this summer i got up at 5 a.m., worked out 5:30-6:30, got ready for work and left the house at 7 a.m. and was at work by 7:30 a.m.
when i had to get up early this summer to work out, i bribed myself to get it done i made myself a deal that if i could get up on the 5 workdays and go run at the gym, then on the weekend i could get one of the protein smoothies at the gym that i love...so that kind of mind game worked well for me and i actually LIKED the time in the mornings...getting up early while everyone slept, enjoying the peaceful drive to the gym, and getting a workout in while watching the sunrise through the windows....and then it was done for the day
i also play mind games like this: i usually get up at 6 a.m. for work anyhow, so getting up at 5:30 wasn't all that different, right? and if i can get up at 5:30 a.m., well then half an hour earlier at 5 a.m. isn't hardly any different either right? really an hour's difference isn't THAT much....so this summer i got up at 5 a.m., worked out 5:30-6:30, got ready for work and left the house at 7 a.m. and was at work by 7:30 a.m.
That's AWESOME! Way to go! I do similar mind games when I don't feel like working out too. Usually it's when I get home from work. I'll tell myself, you don't have to exercise, just put on your exercise clothes. Then you're prepared if you do feel like it later....then a few minutes later I'll put my workout music on. I still don't "have" to exercise but I'm more than halfway there. Why not keep going and just do the workout? 15 minutes into it, "hey it's not that bad, might as well keep going!". Before I know it, I'm done and sitting down to dinner.
I can only work out in the morning if I have a day off - so basically I have time to wake up, eat, digest and then take my time working out! I'm not a huge morning person so I can't imagine setting my alarm for 6:30am to workout out *shudder*
My workout times vary. Sometimes I go around lunch time after I wake up and eat breakfast (I get up around 9 or 10), sometimes I go mid-afternoon, and sometimes I go in the evenings or at night. I feel like I do best when I go earlier, though, but I feel like the important part is not WHEN you go, it's that you go at all.
If I tried to work out in the morning, I'd either eat like a horse the rest of the day and negate whatever good I did at the workout, or be utterly exhausted, go back to bed, and wake up at 5pm. Mornings and I don't really get along.
Night time on the other hand? Say, from 8-12? Bring it on! Helps me sleep. (Except for today apparently, since it's 2am, lol)
Find what works for you. Calories burned at 5am aren't any more special than calories burned at 12pm or 6pm or 11:52pm. The best time to work out is the time that you are most likely to stick with!
I don't really like exercising any time, but I'm trying to force myself to do it in the mornings. I work 8-6 (I'm a resident physician), and often get stuck staying even later, so mornings are the best time to be able to establish a routine and stick to it.
The difficulty is in establishing that routine...... I like sleep!!
I absolutely could never work out in the morning. I am barely functional before my cup of coffee. Kudos to you for even getting 15 minutes in!
I felt the same until a few weeks ago when i gave up coffee cold turkey and moved to caffeine free green tea!
I'm an early morning exerciser 6am if in the gym 7am if at home. i hate the gym in the evening too many people and more importantly too many of the look at me people. in the morning you get people who train hard don't care what your doing but there is a respect that your doing it.
In the evenings i hate waiting around for a bit of kit etc.
