How to get up early for a workout
Not everyone is a morning person, and even fewer of us are eager to workout first thing either. It can be easy to talk yourself out of a workout by the end of the day, so getting it in as soon as you get up is great way of making sure you get yourself moving and will set your day off to a great start.
It can be a daunting task to wake up an hour or two earlier than you’re used to, but often this is the only time you can fit in a workout, but it’s worth it. Here’s a few ways to prepare for an early morning workout, and how to feel awake while doing it…
Steps to an Early Start:
Anybody who already has a solid routine of waking up at 5 A.M. will simply tell you to “just get up and walk around”, but of course it isn’t that easy for most of us. These individuals are doing a lot of little things to help them get up early and not feel drained doing it, and it starts the night before:
• Lay it out
Get your workout clothes ready. It can be hard first thing in the morning to decide which outfit you want to wear for the day, so save yourself time by getting your gym kit ready the night before so you can get up and be out in 10 minutes. You also want to make sure you have everything you need for the morning workout you have planned, including the right shoes, water, and any equipment you may need, especially if you’re leaving the house to train.
• Meal prep
On the note of preparation, try making your food the night before too. Just like your clothes, food will be the last thing you want to worry about before a run or workout session. Making your smoothie, protein shake, or oats the night before, will save you time in the morning, and mean that your only focus once you get up, is to get out to your workout.
• Set multiple alarms
Most of us already do this, but it will also be helpful for getting you up in the morning. Setting one alarm 15-30 minutes before you need to get up can actually trick you into feeling more rested. Plus, you’ll feel happy knowing you have a few extra minutes to sleep after it, so by the time the second goes off, you’ll be more ready to get up.
• Move that alarm
If you’d prefer to sleep as long as possible and only set one alarm, try placing it on the other side of the room. It might sound too easy, but physically having to get up to turn off your alarm will make it a lot easier to start your routine instead of setting the snooze. And if you leave your alarm on top of your workout clothes then it's reminder of why you're getting up, and what your ambition is.
• Get those hours in
This one may seem obvious but getting to bed 7-9 hours before you need to wake up is crucial for not feeling lethargic in the morning. It might not seem like that much of a difference at first, but after a few days in a row of full nights’ sleep you’ll feel the difference in energy levels. Throughout the day especially, but first thing in the morning it will make getting out of that comfy bed much easier.
• Trick your body
Turn on a light. Play loud music and drink some caffeine or cold drink to make you feel energised, awake and ready to go. While painful in the moment, flipping a switch will turn your brain on and wake you up faster than staying in the dark, and that morning music will put you in a great mood which will motivate you to keep moving.
Try these steps for a few weeks and notice how easy it becomes to get up early and workout first thing, once you have a routine that's there to help you. You'll improve your performance and you'll feel better all day.
#BetterNeverStops
It can be a daunting task to wake up an hour or two earlier than you’re used to, but often this is the only time you can fit in a workout, but it’s worth it. Here’s a few ways to prepare for an early morning workout, and how to feel awake while doing it…
Steps to an Early Start:
Anybody who already has a solid routine of waking up at 5 A.M. will simply tell you to “just get up and walk around”, but of course it isn’t that easy for most of us. These individuals are doing a lot of little things to help them get up early and not feel drained doing it, and it starts the night before:
• Lay it out
Get your workout clothes ready. It can be hard first thing in the morning to decide which outfit you want to wear for the day, so save yourself time by getting your gym kit ready the night before so you can get up and be out in 10 minutes. You also want to make sure you have everything you need for the morning workout you have planned, including the right shoes, water, and any equipment you may need, especially if you’re leaving the house to train.
• Meal prep
On the note of preparation, try making your food the night before too. Just like your clothes, food will be the last thing you want to worry about before a run or workout session. Making your smoothie, protein shake, or oats the night before, will save you time in the morning, and mean that your only focus once you get up, is to get out to your workout.
• Set multiple alarms
Most of us already do this, but it will also be helpful for getting you up in the morning. Setting one alarm 15-30 minutes before you need to get up can actually trick you into feeling more rested. Plus, you’ll feel happy knowing you have a few extra minutes to sleep after it, so by the time the second goes off, you’ll be more ready to get up.
• Move that alarm
If you’d prefer to sleep as long as possible and only set one alarm, try placing it on the other side of the room. It might sound too easy, but physically having to get up to turn off your alarm will make it a lot easier to start your routine instead of setting the snooze. And if you leave your alarm on top of your workout clothes then it's reminder of why you're getting up, and what your ambition is.
• Get those hours in
This one may seem obvious but getting to bed 7-9 hours before you need to wake up is crucial for not feeling lethargic in the morning. It might not seem like that much of a difference at first, but after a few days in a row of full nights’ sleep you’ll feel the difference in energy levels. Throughout the day especially, but first thing in the morning it will make getting out of that comfy bed much easier.
• Trick your body
Turn on a light. Play loud music and drink some caffeine or cold drink to make you feel energised, awake and ready to go. While painful in the moment, flipping a switch will turn your brain on and wake you up faster than staying in the dark, and that morning music will put you in a great mood which will motivate you to keep moving.
Try these steps for a few weeks and notice how easy it becomes to get up early and workout first thing, once you have a routine that's there to help you. You'll improve your performance and you'll feel better all day.
#BetterNeverStops