I know, I know. When the alarm goes off you would much rather be doing this…
Than doing this…
Especially when it’s cold. And you’ve been up late. And you just, over all, don’t give a damn about exercise when there is a warm bed calling.
Trusty, me I know the excuses like nobody’s business. But I also know that a workout does not get easier the longer into the day you wait. In fact, it usually gets harder. Or maybe that’s just me. I find that if I’ve eaten more than one meal, my stomach cramps. Even if I haven’t eaten in hours, if it’s after lunch, there’s a 50/50 chance I’m going to really be hating life a few minutes into that afternoon run. I’m also significantly less motivated after the mental marathon that is an 8-hour office work day.
So despite the cold and the sleepies, I drag myself out of bed each morning because I know that the regret of skipping the day’s workout is far greater than the joy an extra hour of sleep will bring.
These last couple of weeks I’ve been a little delinquent in my morning work out routine so I thought it would be a good idea for me to revisit some tried and true tips for getting my booty out of bed in the early AM.
First, the bad news. Getting up early does not miraculously get easier after a few weeks. You don’t adjust, you just know what to expect. People tell me that the longer you do it the easier it gets but really it’s just the you become accustomed to being half-asleep for the first ten minutes of your work out.
Well that sounds terrible, you’re saying. Yes, I know that’s disappointing but just keep in mind how good you will feel once it’s done because yes, the horrible feeling of getting up when you don’t want to never goes away but the pride of a good work out accomplished never lessens either.
Here are a few tips to help you to that end result:
1. Think Positive You know how they say never go to bed angry? Well if you go to bed dreading your work out, chances are you aren’t going to be much happier about it the next morning. Try to think of your work out in the best way possible when you’re falling asleep. Aim for the perfect run or weight session in your mind. As silly as it may sound, I actually wake up a little more motivated when I think happy thoughts the night before.
2. Consistency This is the one I’ve started to struggle with lately. If you do it every day, it becomes routine to the point where you don’t even have to think about it anymore. You move on auto pilot from the moment your alarm goes off until you start to wake up at the beginning of your work out. Skipping one day makes it easier to skip another and all of a sudden it’s a slippery slope.
3. Be Realistic A little on the sleepy side, you’re not going to have your best work out ever. I’m surprised at how well my body performs in the early morning but when I work out just a few hours later on weekends, my energy is definitely better. But I’m of the mindset that any work out is better than no work out and if I put it off, no work out becomes more likely. While you may not get used to waking up so early, your body will adjust to the new time of day and the quality of your work outs will improve after a few weeks.
4. Food First I don’t but I know I’m in the minority. I just don’t notice a difference between a few bites of a banana or none at all so I don’t waste the time. However, if you feel you’re really dragging, the five extra minutes it takes to eat a banana with peanut butter and a glass of water will give you the boost to get out the door. Try it both ways and honor what works best for you. I know that half cup of coffee or granola bar is the magic key for some folks when it comes to facing the dawn.
5. Have a Plan (but be flexible) Being able to mindlessly float to the gym and get on the stationary bike to warm up before lifting weights is how I span the gap between the time when I’m still the walking dead and when I’m finally awake enough to exert some energy. A routine is golden! At the same time, though, if I absolutely don’t want to lift weights but might be able to talk myself into doing the elliptical then that becomes the new plan. Remember, any work out is better than none!
On a very practical note:
6. 8 Hours of Sleep I get up at 6 which means going to bed at 10pm. This was a bit of an adjustment at first but I’ve stuck to it because it makes a noticeable difference in how good I feel the next day. Honestly I think Will has more trouble with this than me. For example, he wanted to go get ice cream at 9:30 last night because, to him, bed time is still hours away.
For this morning’s run, I put my tips and tricks into action, determined to get up and out of bed when the alarm rang. And I did!
Once I’m out there, I have never once regretted it and that’s what I need to remind myself every time I think of hitting snooze.
Bring on the day!
Lastly..
7. Reward Yourself!
To me, this means oatmeal loaded up with all the good stuff. While I can fit making oatmeal into almost any morning if I rush around enough, mornings when I run have a little more time because I don’t have to factor in transportation time, which means oats are always an option. Having something fun to look forward to can be the difference between heading out or sleeping in. I’ll take the oatmeal option, please!
Those are a few of my best tricks. Tell me yours.
How do you motivate yourself for a morning workout?