[Aunty Jam]

I'm busy most evenings so I really want to start getting up in the morning and working out or go for a run. I've managed to a few times, but 8 out of 10 times I don't make it. I usually end up sleeping through my alarm with my husband getting PO'd because it wakes him up. I am really, really not a morning person and I never have been. I've always said if "I get up at 11:59 it still counts as getting up in the morning!".

If you exercise in the morning how do you do it???? Should I give up?

[curvynotlumpy]

Preaching to the choir, Aunty Jam! I'm in the same boat. My goal nearly every day is to work out in the morning, but by nature I am a night owl. I don't necessarily have a problem waking in the morning but it's because I know I'm getting ready to go to work. However, in order for me to get a workout in I would have to rise even earlier. Some days I succeed especially in the early part of summer when dawn is breaking. However, with fall and winter quickly approaching, it is increasingly more difficult because the sun isn't up. I enjoy running and I sometimes think about all the things that could happen running alone in the dark. I actually scare myself out of exercise. Ultimately, for me, I will always fight my body clock and will just have to do it (as Nike says) if I'm truly committed to morning exercise. HA, easier said than done.

Years ago I read Bob Green's Make the Connection, the book he co-wrote with Oprah. He is a strong advocate for morning exercise for two reasons: psychologically it prepares you for the day and doesn't allow for excuses. Also, once it's done, it's done and you don't have to worry about getting in a workout later in the day. His second reason is to get your metabolism warmed up so that it works more efficiently during the day. I am not an exercise physiologist or doctor so I can' speak to that point, but I do know I feel much, much better if I work out in the morning.

My advice to you is if you truly want to exercise in the morning, don't give up. Maybe part of our issue is that we approach it as "all or nothing" deal. Could you get up earlier for a quick 15-20 minute workout and then do the rest of your workout later in the day, over your lunch hour, etc.? I've been thinking about this for myself.

A couple of questions: do you find yourself skipping exercise altogether if you don't do it in the morning or do you get it in some other time of day? I think if you're consistent with later day or evening workouts don't rock the boat! That's awesome and you should feel proud about yourself and getting it done! Also, are you getting enough sleep? Honestly, due to being a night owl I go to bed later than I should if I want to make those early workouts. I KNOW I'm sleep deprived and it's my fault for not being disciplined enough to get to bed.

Anyway, that's my take. Good luck to you and kudos for trying to figure out what's best for your body

[savynaturalista]

I was not a morning person for a very long time. Now after about 3 months its sencon nature for me to get up at 5:30-6:00. 6:30 is pushing it!! My theroy is if it gets done in the morning you have the rest of the day and I need the rest of the day for studying.. I would not give up after a few weeks your hubby will get use to you getting up.. Just ignore him and get up an get going!! You can do it..

[berryblondeboys]

My husband is not a morning person, but he's turned his mornings into workout times. He did it by forcing the issue of WHEN he had to get up. If was 'just' for exercise, he would skip it, but he found a way to force it in other ways.

Our high schooler needs to be in school by 7:25 am. My husband gets up, has breakfast, drives the teen to school and then goes to the indoor pool next to the HS and swims for an hour. He's done by 8:30, showers and then drives to work, getting there around 9 am. Which, coincidentally, was the same time he got to work before. Just before "I" got up to wake the teen while my DH continued to sleep.

This way he gets in 3 good swims a week (and then does 2 days of weight training with me).

See if there's something like this to 'force the issue' of waking up.

[Candeka]

I am not a morning person at all. I used to easily stay up until 3am, wake up at noon, and one days I could, I would take a nap at about 5pm.

However, I have FORCED myself to start going to bed at 10-11pm. I have also discovered that if I don't get up when I naturally wake up (around 7.5 hours) - I am exhausted for the rest of the day. Usually I would wake up and just go back to sleep for another 3 hours but when I do that, I am a walking zombie.

After searching the internet for suggestions, I have read things like sleeping in your workout clothes, alarm clocks on opposite sides of the room, caffeine pills next to the bed with some water. You should try some of these things and maybe see if they make a difference.

[FrouFrou]

I am not and never will be a morning person even though I have been getting up early since my kids were born. If I could sleep till noon or later I would but I FORCE myself to get up. I set 2 alarms, 15 minutes apart and put it away from the bed so I at least have to get up and turn it off. Once I am up just can't go back to bed for some reason even if I am half a wake, lol. you just have to force yourself to do it and WANT to do it bad enough i guess, JMO

[Goddess Jessica]

I am a SUPER morning person but I can't exercise in the morning. My work schedule is such that I am usually in the office at working by 6:30AM so I can get out by 3PM and spend some time with my daughter.

Instead, I exercise at lunch. It breaks up my day and gives me something to look forward to in the morning. Plus, it prevents me from finding excuses. I make my schedule very clear to my coworkers and people know where I am from 11-12.

My point: The best exercise is the type you keep doing! Morning, noon, night, whatever. Motivation works great in the beginning but commitment is what gets you there every day. So when can you commit to exercise?

[wiredkell]

I am a morning person... BUT I very much dislike waking up and having to work out right away.

My thoughts are, fit it in when it works best for you and your schedule.

[Brandis]

I think walking to the bathroom to pee at 5 in the am counts as exercise... right?

I'm still counting it. Say what you want. I do a squat to get back in bed,too... I am definitely counting that!

[CherryPie99]

I hate, hate, hate, hate mornings. I won't even speak to DH until I've been up at least 30 mins. If I tried to exercise in the morning it wouldn't happen.

I wish I was a morning exerciser, because I would love to have it done first thing. But I also - my opinion - don't think that working out before your body is well warmed up is very smart. That's inviting injury.

I exercise on my lunch hour and when I get home before dinner. I agree with Jessica - the best time to exercise is when you'll do it!!!

[alaskanlaughter]

i am NOT a morning person never have been...however due to my work schedule this summer i had to get it done early...i got up at 5-5:30 a.m. for the gym, doing half hour weights, half hour running intervals...i would never run outside in the dark, too many bears around here anyhow...it SUCKEDDDD to start getting up that early but i did it anyhow...got my gym bag ready the night before and just got up and headed to the gym...i always felt good afterwards though...

[sontaikle]

I'm a morning person but I CAN'T just get up and exercise. I need to be awake for a bit before I can even consider it.

I figured that I would be getting up early to exercise, so why not get up early and get ready and THEN exercise? So I wake up, eat breakfast, get ready, etc. and then head to the gym and then go to work. Taking a shower just before I work out is enough to stave off any unpleasant scents

[Dreamer2012]

I am actually a morning person. This is due to mostly been up 6am - 8am during the week for college so I get used to it. However, I would not get up earlier than that to exercise. Luckily, I'm free in the evenings so I can exercise then. During the summer it's been split between afternoon and evenings.

I wouldn't say give it up. Like everything else, it is something new to you and it's something you will struggle with at the start. It's like starting a diet, the first couple of days are always the hardest. Same with quitting smoking or another addiction like coffee. This is on the same lines. It's something that will be hard because you are simply not used to it right now. I would suggest to try ease into it for a few weeks. Maybe try every second morning getting up for a couple of weeks and you then might even find it easier getting up. Then once you feel like you can get up every second day, try getting up one day, then the next day and maybe not the next day but the following day. So like, go two days getting up and one day not. Easing into something you're not used to is what I believe is the key to being successful.

[Aunty Jam]

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions.... I guess my main problem is I go to bed thinking to myself "Yes! I"m going to get up tomorrow morning and work out..." but when 530 comes I either sleep through my alarm or hit snooze and go back to sleep. I have zero resolve in the morning!!!

I think part of my problem is that I'm in the habit of hitting snooze, maybe if I moved my phone it would wake me up enough to get up and do something.

I don't really want to set multiple alarms... it already ticks my husband off to no end to be woken up by my alarm.

I really want to work out in the morning, I've liked it the few times I managed to get up! Also, I'm trying to run 3 days a week, I have 2 very active dogs and I take them with me. I really want to get them out there for those runs, it's good for all of us. The dogs do have other outlets for their energy, but in the evenings... I would love to be able to give them an outlet first thing in the day so they're not so hyper while I'm at work.

I really do not want to take pills or energy suppliments

[grneyedmustang]

Add me to the list of people who want to work out in the morning but aren't morning people. On the weekends, when I don't work, I usually work out between 9 - 11 am. I'd love to do that during the week but I'm working.

I keep saying I am going to try and set the alarm for 6am, but 6am is painful!