Anyone changed from being a night owl to a morning person to start exercising?
I have been a night owl since I was in my teens. I have a difficult time winding down & falling asleep early which in turn makes it very difficult for me to wake up early. I have tried several times to just start cold turkey hoping I get used to it. What usually happens is I'm enthusiastic for the first couple of days but then I get really tired and fall back into staying up late & when I keep trying to wake up early I don't have the motivation & don't give my full effort in the workout.
The early morning is really my best opportunity to workout. There are some days that I can fit in a workout on my lunch break but it isn't guaranteed. So I have been pretty inconsistent with working out because I've only been doing it when I can fit it in during my lunch. After work isn't an option due to family obligations.
So, I'm wondering if anyone has made the change from night owl to early bird and if you could give some tips???
No tips except one that probably won't work for you: napping. I work from my home, so I'm able to have an afternoon nap and often do. This allows me to be both a morning person and a night owl. I often get up at 6 a.m. to go to the gym (so I'm back with our family car before my husband takes it to work), have an hour-long nap in the afternoon, and go to bed at about midnight. To me it feels like a very natural rhythm, and I think it's a shame that this option isn't available for people who work outside the home.
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Last edited by freelancemomma; 11-24-2013 at 08:43 AM.
I went from being an early morning person to being more of a night owl. It's been difficult because I used to love waking up at 6am to go for a run. But now that I'm a mom I can't leave my toddler alone, hubby is out of the house early in the morning. So I have to exercise in the evening when he gets back from work. I don't like it and I long for the days when my kid will go to school in the morning so that I can have my proper morning workout. Until then I do my best to be an evening person but frankly it doesn't work out as well as I want it to. I don't think one can change who they are, but you can get into a new routine if you really want to.
I've changed but not for exercising purposes. I guess I just got used to working early and resting in the evening so now I'm not really in the mood to workout late unless there's a reason I need to.
I've been waking up early to exercise since daylight savings time ended. I used that to kick start the new routine, since I didn't have to wake up AS early as far as my body knew, and so far I've kept it up. To the point that I am awake right now and have already done my strength training and it is not even 8 on Sunday morning.
I just made a rule that when I first open my eyes, that is it. I have to get up and do something. I've made that rule before and not stuck with it, so I am not sure what's different now. Sorry if that's not helpful. Also I haven't exactly maintained this for long, so I am not sure it counts yet.
Oh--and one thing I have been doing with the time is walking to work three days a week. This has been noticed by my very sweet coworkers, who keep pulling over to offer me a ride. Even the CEO and the guy who rides a moped! So I keep explaining that my car is fine and I am walking for exercise. That means that if I stop, everyone will know. Maybe walking to work won't work for you, but the accountability thing might still work. Do you run? Is there a neighbor you might be able to run with a few times a week? Getting up in the cold and dark sucks, but if you know Sally from next door will be knocking no your door, you'll have to do it.
The thing that I don't like? If I don't have plans, I fall asleep so early! Where did my evenings go?
I did that simply so that i can enjoy some quiet time and 'me ' time, when my little one goes to preschool. I now get up at 5 am to do my workout..firstly so tht i get it out of the way. Once, u do it in the mroning, nothing tht happens in the day can sabotage it anymore.
earlier , i used to send my kid to preschool and then go to the gym. By the time i came back and showered, it was nearly time to get her back...so itseemed there was never any time for me to unwind, surf the net, read...i mean to do wht i want.
now, i get up early...as soon as the alrm goes off, no snooze button option and am gud to go.
Thanks for all the input. I guess I need to "just do it" and make it a habit.
I think I've always stuck with being a night owl even after having kids is because the time after they go to bed is the only time of day I get for myself. For me - my "me" time has always been spent catching up on tv shows, reading, or surfing the web. I need to just switch gears & change my "me" time to waking up early to workout, shower, & get ready in solitude.
I used to be a night owl when I was younger but that changed as I grew older, busier and more tired LOL
in the summers I get up at 5 a.m. to get a workout in because I have to be at work before 7:30 a.m. and I work straight through til 3 p.m., no lunch and breaks are iffy at best....after 3 p.m. I can come home to the kids, rest, nap, whatever and then do my evening chores, dinner etc
so in the summer I just do it....it sucks the first week or so but there is no other option in my day for a workout as I refuse to leave the boys home by themselves longer than my work day is....I enjoy being up first, being out in the quiet summer mornings pushing my body on a run...but I would not do that in the dark cold rainy winters here
Anyone changed from being a night owl to a morning person to start exercising?
