[KatTheAmazon]

So for the morning exercisers- how do you get up in the morning to work out?

I am NOT a morning person. At all. However, i have decided that this is probably the best time for me to work out. I usually leave my house for work between 7:15-7:30.. and i wake up between 6:45 and 7. I have to be up at 5:15 to leave enough time to work out in the AM.

The times that i have worked out in the morning, i feel more refreshed and accomplished throughout the day... but most days i just can't get out of bed.

So how do you non-morning people work out in the morning? When i'm half asleep, nothing else matters but sleep for me. My husband currently has control of the alarm clock because i turn it off in my sleep..

Tomorrow morning i will try putting several (annoying) alarms on my phone and set it on a surface far enough way for me to get up.

If and when i devlope a routine, it should be easier- right?

Any advice is welcome

Kat

[JulieJ08]

The only trick that gets me up is sitting and standing up immediately, even instantly, and walking right into the bathroom to pee, weigh, have some water and change. I may even do all those things (except reading the scale ) with my eyes closed. But any extra *moment* in bed is death to getting up early, for me. Thinking about whether to get up only ever has one outcome. So I'm like one of those pop-up books in the morning .

Having your clothes/equipment laid out makes it easier. Also, knowing I have breakfast and lunch stuff ready makes the day easier to face.

And surprisingly, at least for me, a clean bedroom and kitchen makes it easier too. When I have a mess, I just want to hide out in bed in denial.

For me, it's more of a mental thing: Extra alarms won't stop me if I really don't want to get up. And if I have committed, I don't need extra alarms. If I "hope" I'm going to get up early, I won't. If I know I will get up in the morning, I will.

[iriswhispers]

Julie, thanks for that post - I am having trouble getting up in the mornings in general, so I'll have to give "springing out of bed" a try! =)

[VernDern]

I am sooo not a morning person either. On the days I dont have school Im lucky to be out of bed by like 2 in the afternoon. The boyfriend works till midnight everynight so by the time he gets home and were ready to go to bed its already 3AM atleast. Ive been sleeping like 11-12 hours a day which is good for my calorie intake and not so great for the healthy me. Im dieing for a good schedule because I love working out in the morning...

Back in the day when I had to be at work by 8 putting the alarm across the room, in which it would go off until I woke up to turn it off, was a great idea! Actually getting out of bed to turn it off was usually all it took for me to be awake enough to know better to get back in bed even if I didnt open my eyes till I was at the gym! lol

Good luck! You can def set your mind to it.

[Lyria]

I am another for just jumping out of bed as soon as that alarm goes off. I'll throw the covers off and roll out before my mind has time to register it's not in its sleepy comfort zone any longer!

Once I am up I am fine. It's just the initial process of moving from bed to out of bed lol.

[mkroyer]

Ditto the "jumping" right out of bed part!! Also, i immediately go to the Bathroom and wash my fash and brush my teeth. It washes the sleepy from me I also am a coffee drinker, and have the coffee pot set to go off approx 10-15 minutes before i get up, so right when i wake up i can smell the coffee, and wanting a cup motivates me as well...You get used to it, rather quickly actually.

[Thighs Be Gone]

Yes, have your gear laid out and ready to put on. I restroom, brush teeth, hair in ponytail and go.

Before I started my journey I was always up at 1 and 2 in the morning--I have always considered myself a nightowl. NO MORE! When I get myself up early and get my exercise I feel better all day AND am ready to go to bed by 10--sometimes earlier. Going to sleep earlier lets the mornings be a whole lot easier.

Also, have everything ready to go for yourself after your exercise. Work clothes, lunches, whatever it is you are going to need. It will make your whole morning easier.

[Palestrina]

If you make sure you get enough sleep your body will eventually get in the habit of waking up earlier. But you have to go to bed earlier. You can't be up until midnight and expect to get out of bed easily at 5am. This might mean missing your favorite 10pm show but it's worth it.

I set my alarm clock to the radio station - NPR - As soon as it wakes me I'm listening to the news, the weather forecast, etc. It seems like as soon as I engage my brain with listening and thinking my body follows suit. Wake up your mind, and your mind wakes up your body.

I don't put my robe on, or comfy slippers. I immediately put my sports bra, workout clothes, and sneakers on before I even leave the bedroom. I spend the next half hour sipping coffee and listnening to music or watching my favorite show at 6:30am (Euromaxx), and then I'm out the door exercising.

Although hard at first this has become a natural routine, like brushing your teeth.

[Shannon in ATL]

I desperately want to start getting up in the mornings to exercise again... I have everything laid out every night, but every morning I make another excuse for why I can do it in the afternoon...

[KDuffer]

I thought I wasn't a morning person either, but only time I have to workout is at 5am. So, I get up every morning at 4:45am. Here are some things I do:

1. Get to bed early. I know it's so obvious but I really had to change my mindset and force myself to go to bed before 10am.

2. Have everything ready the night before. Have your workout clothes laid out (actually for first couple of weeks I just wore my workout clothes to bed). Have your shoes out. Have your bag ready with keys, etc.

3. When the alarm goes off, get up. No arguing with yourself. No snooze. No waiting. Just get on your feet and drink a tall glass of water (you can have to ready next to the bed).

After couple of weeks it's just automatic. Now I get up even before my alarm goes off.

[WaterRat]

Originally Posted by KDuffer

I thought I wasn't a morning person either, but only time I have to workout is at 5am. So, I get up every morning at 4:45am. Here are some things I do:

1. Get to bed early. I know it's so obvious but I really had to change my mindset and force myself to go to bed before 10am.

2. Have everything ready the night before. Have your workout clothes laid out (actually for first couple of weeks I just wore my workout clothes to bed). Have your shoes out. Have your bag ready with keys, etc.

3. When the alarm goes off, get up. No arguing with yourself. No snooze. No waiting. Just get on your feet and drink a tall glass of water (you can have to ready next to the bed).

After couple of weeks it's just automatic. Now I get up even before my alarm goes off.

This is exactly what works for me as well. I cannot allow myself to question whether I want to get up or not - because I know what the answer will be. I put all my clothes/gym stuff in the living room so I don't wake DH by turning on the light in the bedroom.

I find I need 7-8 hours of sleep a night. That means that I absolutely must be in bed by 10 pm in order to get up at 5 or 5:15 (my gym opens at 5:30, and I can be dressed and drive there in 15 minutes). I'm home by 7, and can shower, have breakfast and go to work (a 5 min drive).

Now, let me tell you this worked really well all summer. THen I went on vacation the first two weeks of September, and have not gotten back into the routine. Frankly, it took me 10 days after I got home to get back to exercising regularly. Now it's dark until nearly 8 am, and cold (below freezikng many mornings), but at least it hasn't snowed yet. I would like to get an autostart for my car which would at least mean it'd start getting warm while I dress..... This week I've got no evening commitments so after work is good, but on the whole mornings are better 2-3 days a week. Need to remember how good it feels to be done with working out by 7 am!

[Shannon in ATL]

Pat - I'm with you on the no afternoon commitments thing, but that is quickly changing. I really need to get going in the morning! I would have to be more efficient in the AM as well, so I think I would get a better workout.

And, my gym is my garage so I have absolutely no excuse...

[KatTheAmazon]

Going to bed early has never been my problem (have i mentioned that i enjoy sleeping?). I usually get into bed between 9-10:30 on a work night.

This morning went really well. I set 2 alarms on my phone set 5 min. apart and in place where i have to get up to reach it. While i was falling asleep, i kept telling myself over and over that i HAD to get up in the morning ASAP. I used to do that back in when i showing (horses) and it always worked.

Anyway, i got up this morning with pretty much no problem. I made myself pop right out of bed- i was looking forward to working out! I even laid back down for a few min. of snuggly time with the kitty (he loves morning time snuggle...) without go back to sleep.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys!

[festivus]

It gets hard for me when the seasons change and there is no light outside until after 7am. Sooooo I recently ordered a sunrise simulator. Hopefully it works, the damn thing was expensive!