I got an email from one of my college friends the other day asking for advice on how she can start working out in the morning. She is facing a problem that a lot of us working mamas have when trying to squeeze in some fitness between work and family time. If you work full time and then head to the gym after work, it’s likely that you’ll miss out on the only time you have with your child(ren) during the week.
A possible solution? Train in the morning while everyone is asleep! I know, I know – this is easier said than done for anyone who is not a morning person. But there are a few things that can help make morning workouts easier.
5 Tips – Becoming a Morning Exerciser
1. Get your clothes out the night before. I’m sure you have heard this before, but it really is a game changer. Your room is dark, you may have a sleeping spouse and you’re tired so you’re a lot more likely to forget something if you don’t plan ahead. Whether you’re working out at home, going for a run, or heading to the gym you need to prepare the night before.
Get your workout clothes out and leave them near the bed. I’m talking everything….underwear, bra, socks and sneakers included. If you’re heading to the gym or to a class, pack your bag and your work clothes if necessary so you don’t forget something. I learned this the hard way after forgetting my work pants or undergarments a few times when I went to the gym. It was a good thing TJ Maxx opened early!
2. Plan a breakfast you love that you can eat after you’re done training. You better believe thoughts of my breakfast (and coffee) get me through some of my training sessions. When I don’t feel like doing conditioning after a workout I remember that breakfast is only a short while away. Don’t judge…I’m sure you have used food to bribe yourself for other things. 😉
3. Take supplements when necessary. In order to be honest with you guys, I have to admit that there are some mornings I am dragging big time. I take either some BCAA’s or some Fast Twitch to help get me get going on tough mornings or mornings when I am doing a hard training session.
4. Wear workout clothes that make you feel good. I usually train 3-4 times a week at home and 1-2 times at the gym. Hopefully that will change and I will utilize our gym more often in the future, but this is what works with my schedule for right now. That said, I still like to wear workout clothes that make me feel good even if I’m all alone. It sounds funny, but it really helps me to have a better workout when I feel good about myself.
5. Use a training program. If you have a workout written out, you don’t have to use any brain power in the morning to think of what you’re going to do. Write out your workout the night before, or better yet follow a training program. (If you need help, I’m happy to help you with my online training program.)
I completely relate to those of you who feel like becoming a morning exerciser is impossible. I complained every single morning in high school when my dad would come in to wake me up. I worked out after work for the first few years after college because the thought of getting out of bed any earlier than absolutely necessary made me nauseus. It took awhile to adjust to the change, but you just may find that you love having your evenings free and better yet, that you have more emergy throughout the day.
The above tips are some of the things that helped me make the transition from working out in the evenings to working out in the morning (and keep me coming back for more).
Morning exercises….do you have any other good tips?
Thank you for the great ideas! I woke up at 5:30 a.m. today with full intention of going to the gym but I just couldn’t do it. I sooo wish a was a morning person. I’ll give these a try! Thank you!
Well, you woke up! That’s a good start. Definitely try out some of the tips….most importantly planning ahead (packing, getting clothes out, etc.) and planning exactly what you’ll do for a workout! Good luck. 🙂
This is great. Thank you!
Love all your tips. I used to be a morning exerciser. LOVED it and it definitely was a great way to start off my day. I don’t know what happened but somewhere along the line I started staying up later and subsequently sleeping in later. I do want to get back to early mornings. Thanks for the kick in the butt. I’m going to start moving in that direction.
I love kicking people in the butt so hopefully you enjoyed it and have been seeing more of those early mornings. 🙂
Love this! 🙂
this is such an awesome tip. Love
I love this!! I get up early 1-2 times a week and it is BRUTAL getting up at 4:40am!! I take showers to fully wake me up (which usually results in 3 shower days! lol) But that water on my face gets me going!! Its the really cold days that suck 🙁
You sound like my husband. He takes showers a lot before working out to loosen up his back. 😉
These are great tips even if you’re not a momma. I especially love that you call out having a training plan. If I’m working out in the morning I have to have a plan for what I’m doing. Otherwise I’ll just hit the alarm and go back to sleep hahah.
Totally me too! If I don’t know what I am doing I won’t do anything! 🙂
I have slowly become a morning workout person. I can’t do it every day – but I NEVER regret it. And it’s definitely a necessity as a working mom!! These are some awesome tips. I think one more tip would be “Find a friend who will do it with you!” When you know someone is there waiting on you — you get up!
Find a friend. DUH…why didn’t I put that in here. It’s totally motivating to get up when you know you’re meeting someone at the gym or for a run, etc. It’s also nice if you have the option to workout with your spouse in the morning and you can get up together!
I LOVE working out in the morning, even on those mornings when I wake up and cannot fathom how the heck I will work out. I always feel better after and am glad it is taken care of for the day. I use oatmeal as my food bribe too heehee. I also think for those that are having a tough time with it, when the time change occurs is an awesome way to get started, because it is lighter in the morning and that naturally makes us all feel a little more awake!
That’s a great tip about staring w/ the time change! I also think it’s a little easier to start in the summer when it’s light out, but I never encourage anyone to wait to start a new healthy habit…NOW is the time. 😉
I think the most imprtant thing it to give it time. The first few weeks of getting up early are tough, especially in the cold winter months, but then it becomes a habit. I am also motivated to get my workout done early, and by early I’m talking 5am, because I know it will make me feel great the rest of the day knowing I already got my workout in and don;t have it hanging over my head.
Yes, it totally takes time to adjust. You can’t just try it one day and decide it’s not for you. That’s exactly what motivates me too! I would so much rather get it done, take a shower and not have to think about it the rest of the day. Plus it gets my head in the right place for the day!
Great post! And as you know I recently switched to morning workouts and I LOVE them! I was/am exactly like you described; I felt I NEEDED every extra minute of sleep – I’m not a morning person at all. The tips you mentioned are right on and crucial for morning workouts. I lay out my workout clothes (even include my hair tie!), have my bag packed with toiletries, towel and work clothes ready to go. In the kitchen I pre-scramble my eggs the night before so I just have to pop them in a pan, my water bottle is already filled, lunch packed, etc… All those things add up to about 25 saved minutes -which is huge at 5 am! I can be up and out the door in about 15 minutes – might not be fully awake yet though 🙂 Usually by the time I reach the gym after my 20 minute drive I’m good to go! I love having that extra hour and half after work to run errands or just get dinner started earlier. One more tip to add that makes a difference for me is consistency. I find it easier if I do morning workouts 4-5 days /week. If I go back and forth between morning and night, it makes it harder in the mornings.
That’s another great tip. Basically, if you’re going to commit to the mornings, commit to the mornings. 🙂 Go all in!
YESSSS! Thanks for this post. I’d really like to be among the league of morning exercisers, and I know I’ve asked you about this before!
Tara
You can do it mama!! 🙂