For over a week now, I've said I was going to get up early to do my exercise in the mornings. For over a week now, it hasn't happened. I'm so used to staying up til anywhere from 11:30pm - 1am that by the time I actually get to sleep, when the alarm goes off (5 - 5:30) I am way too tired to think about getting up, so I reset it for my normal time and just do the exercise in the evening. Which is ok for now. But I volunteer as a Girl Scout leader, and w/school starting again, we'll start meetings every other week (I have my meetings in the evenings w/my work schedule.) plus I will have more leaders meetings, and area-wide activities so my evenings won't be as free. (and, I will admit it...I'm hooked on a couple of shows, so when they start up again I can't be doing a video...gotta see my Lost and Grey's. lol) So, it would be great if I can start getting up to do my exercise in the mornings. I know...I need to just bite the bullet and DO IT. I guess my question....are there any of you who transitioned from working out in the evenings to the mornings, and what did you find helped? I have to be at work by 8am, and when I work out, I sweat, so I have to allow myself enough time to shower, dry my hair, etc. Any ideas? Besides the obvious, which is get your butt out of bed and do it.
Prepare everything the night before so you can just throw on your stuff and get started. I go to a gym near work in the morning so I have my bag packed and ready to go, and I'm on the bus or the bike before I have time to think about it. All I need to do is get out of bed, put some clothes on and leave the house. The same principle applies if you're exercising in the house. If you're doing a video put it in the machine ready to go, get any equipment or clothes you need ready, and make sure that your stuff for work is ready to go so that when you've finished and showered you can grab it and go. Preparation is key (and makes it a bit more of a concrete plan than a vague thought that you'll work out in the morning).
I had to force myself for thw first week or so. After that, it just became a habit. I am working out within 20 minutes of waking up so I don't have time to talk myself out of it. I will say AM exercising is addicting. It's awesome to know that I have it over with by 7 am and I feel great about that all day!
If you find the secret, let me know! I have been a night owl all of my life and find myself exercising at around 9:30 or 10 in the evening. Like you, I can't miss my Grey's or Heroes so I have to say the DVR comes in handy!
It may be tough if you're not a morning person. I never was a morning person before, but was kind of forced into it. Now, I have trouble staying awake through the news and weather!
But I agree, you have to FORCE yourself to get up. After a week or so, it gets to be a habit and now is a great way to start the day.
Dang. I sound like my Dad now.... (who knew how right he was all this time! It only took 43 years to figure it out!)
3 weeks ago I wondered the same.
For 2 weeks I tried it and here is what I found.
Going to bed early IS possible
(Record the shows if necessary I do not have TV hence I don't watch them)
In the morning just brush your teeth and put the clothes on (too sleepy to think or conteplate going or not)
While driving decide the course for today
After 15min body starts pumping[it 'pumps' at higher rate in the evening but after 15min it is the same in am and pm]
Have everything ready at home, so you only shower, change and do hair.
When moring excercise is done, some evenings I crave the 2nd round!!!!
p.s. my routine is that I start the electric teapot before the shower so it is all ready to go when I come out, while my hair starts to dry. While having breakfast I check my work email for any urgent messages.
Gonna say the Nike thing here.....JUST DO IT! I get up early every morning to get mine in, and it is 2nd nature now. The days (which are rare) that I don't - my day just doesn't seem right. It gets your metabolism jump started for the day, and you just feel so much better! It'll just take a week or so of getting up for you to get used to it, once you are - you'll love it!
Christy ~ I have so many of the same issues that you do! I am a GS leader and we have our meetings on Thursday evenings. Monday evenings are booked solid too. I also have to be at work at 8am. I was going to start this week getting up early to walk/jog before work. But when the alarm goes off at 5:45...I want to stay in bed more than I want to fit into a size 12! lol School starts here on the 27th. And I will be helping my kids get up for school in the morning....so I need to be up and awake to do so.
SO...Do we want to set a start date and JUST DO IT? I'll join you...if you want...and we can help each other accomplish this goal. Anybody else wanna join in too?
I'm not a morning person at all, and I was able to make the switch to exercising before work every day. Going to bed earlier was/is really difficult for me.
One reason it works for me is that I meet my friend at the gym every morning at 6:00am (or 6:15, or 6:30). I'm not always consistently on time, but I'm always THERE with enough time to work out! Having to be accountable to another person each morning helps me a lot, also having a social activity before work is fun.
I still play around with morning schedules. It's easier for me to do this every day than to do this just a few mornings a week. I wake up at 5:00, snooze till 5:18. I get up and put on my already-chosen workout outfit, and I grab my bag that was packed the night before. I grab my lunch that I already packed, and eat a quick breakfast - usually peanut butter toast and fruit, often leaving the fruit for a post-workout snack. I also hate leaving the house without coffee (or caffeine), but I don't feel I have the time in the morning or the desire to do yet ANOTHER thing the night before. My solution to this has been to grab some plain brewed ice tea (sun tea) to drink in the car, then after my workout I grab a cup of coffee on my way to work.
I agree completely that it's GREAT to start your day after a workout! The days I don't work out, I feel the "sleepies" well into the morning. My mornings are so much more enjoyable after a workout.
Christy ~ I have so many of the same issues that you do! I am a GS leader and we have our meetings on Thursday evenings. Monday evenings are booked solid too. I also have to be at work at 8am. I was going to start this week getting up early to walk/jog before work. But when the alarm goes off at 5:45...I want to stay in bed more than I want to fit into a size 12! lol School starts here on the 27th. And I will be helping my kids get up for school in the morning....so I need to be up and awake to do so.
SO...Do we want to set a start date and JUST DO IT? I'll join you...if you want...and we can help each other accomplish this goal. Anybody else wanna join in too?
Oh Nicki, I LOVE that idea! I've been setting my alarm about 30 minutes earlier each day this week. So far, I haven't actually exercised in the morning yet, but I figure I can get my body adjusted to waking up earlier, it will help. (well, except for this morning. My hubby works nights and when he came in we had to have a discussion about something that had happened. So since I was up for an hour and a half, I reset the clock for later. Guess I should have told him talk to me while I do a WATP.) Back in high school/college, I used to be up at 6 am all the time. I know I can do it. It's just too easy to say "ah, I'll do it tomorrow." But if I know I have to be accountable to someone, I'll be less tempted to hit the snooze. If it's better for you to start on the 27th, we can start then....maybe start a AM exercise check in thread. Anyone else?
I forced myself to get up an I tell you after a few days I was dead tired @ a decent ime and got my schedule straightened around to how i wanted it. Try doing it on the weekend so you are not as tired at work
I for one would be very interested in AM exercise thread.. I got up at 5:20am and went to the gym all week last week and felt fabulous but was on vacation from Thurs-Monday and now I just can't seem to get myself awake or motivated enough to get to the gym.. Having any sort of support would be amazing.
OK, all you AM Exercisers
I get up early every morning to get mine in, and it is 2nd nature now. The days (which are rare) that I don't - my day just doesn't seem right. It gets your metabolism jump started for the day, and you just feel so much better! It'll just take a week or so of getting up for you to get used to it, once you are - you'll love it!
