Early EARLY morning exercise

Yes! In the gym three mornings a week at 6am. I'm a snoozer so have two alarms, one at 5am and one at 5.30am. I'm usually done with my workout by 6.45am and home by 7am to get ready for work :) I do have time in the evenings but I just prefer to get it out the way. Never thought I'd get into a routine like this but been doing it pretty consistently for a year and a half now!

I go running 5 mornings a week leaving the house at 5.20 am. I have a torch on my head as it’s pitch black now. It’s much nicer in the summer when the sun is up. My dog runs with me. This morning we saw a badger on the path! I run to try and keep my weight down. 3 years ago I was almost 18 stone. It’s a lot easier running now than it was when I started and I’m around 11.2 now. I did not lose the weight purely by running though!

My gym opens at 6.00am every day, weekends included, and unless I’m really ill I’m there at opening time.

Come 7.30 I’ve finished, showered and am in the car on my way home.

Best start to the day for me, but I realise early mornings aren’t everyone’s forte. I’ve always been a morning person, I don’t “do” evenings at all.

PT session at 06:30. I hate the thought of it, but love it when I've done it. Fab way to start the day in summer, always a challenge on a cold February morning .

The local pool opens at 6am. If I'm there at that time I can get a swim in before work.

If I don't, I'm so busy at work I rarely get a lunch break and I'm not often home in time for an evening run. So basically, it's the only time I can guarantee is free of other obligations.

I’ve been moaning on the running thread about struggling to get back in to my running routine. I think my answer is here.
I used to be able to get out of bed early no problem but nowadays it is such a struggle, my sleep is so rubbish that those extra few minutes in a warm cosy bed when it’s dark outside feel so precious.

OK no more excuses!!! I’m going to make a real effort....... tomorrow

I’m always so surprised there are not more early morning runners out

It is heavenly. The peace

I’m out by 6.30 for a run.

It’s brillaint.

Another fan here. Once a week, I'm up at 5.20 to meet my trainer at 6.00. Another couple of times a week I'm in the gym by 6.45. If you ambush yourself before you're awake, then you've got no time to think up excuses

Yep I do a 6am class 3 x week, would do more if the gym had them! I love it.

If i leave exercise til later in the day, i spend the whole day umming and ahhing about whether to go. I then usually talk myself out of it. I find it much less of a decision to go at 6, cause I'm too sleepy. The shower after is ace too.

Like others said, lay out everything ready and go to bed early.

I've been doing this for about 6 months. It's life changing. 3 kids means I don't really get any other chance as I'm exhausted or too busy in the evening.

It helps to have everything sorted the night before, your workout clothes and your exercise plan.

I do exercise dvds downstairs, while the kids sleep or they come and watch me. I'm still a huge fan of Jillian Michaels as many of her dvds are 30-40ish mins.

I've definantly noticed the difference in my state of mind, my fitness and my muscle tone. Also it's the only 'me time' I get - the kids know they can watch or join in but I'm not ready to chat till I'm finished.

Yes yes to PP for the smug feeling for the day!

Yes, I do to do a class at 6am three times a week.Sadley those days ar over as I now have bad and frequent migraines, but it's a good way to fit it in and you do feel good for the rest of the day.

I get up at 05:00 and go cycling for an hour (2 hours at weekends) - I do this 3 or 4 times a week. It is honestly the best time of the day - I live in the country and there is literally nobody else around, I love the solitude of it and the freshness of the day and I get to see random badgers and deer etc.

The only time I don't do it is in driving rain/gales or snow/ice.. and I miss it when I don't!

Not quite as early as you're thinking of, but when I started running, I went as soon as I'd booted the DC out to school (using the time that had been the school run when they were primary age). Generally, I felt better for it, and over time I had more energy, which I think was as a result of taking more exercise.

But for months I was doing it out of a sense of 'necessary chore'. Actual enjoyment came much later on.

You get a very guiltfree breakfast afterwards :).

I wasn't even planning on exercising in the morning but after reading this thread I think I've been converted!

Yes, I see my trainer once a week @ 6.30am and do a Pilates class once a week @ 7am. It super efficient and you feel smug as hell 😊

I went through a phase where I did this. Lasted a couple of years.
It was hard some days to get up but what is the best bit is knowing you've done it. No worrying about needing to still sort xyz at 7pm and squeeze in a run or gym session.
It set me up for the day.

Sadly I'm nowhere near as disciplined these days.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday I wake at 5:30. Quick wee and clean my teeth. Get dressed and leave house at 5:45 for a 6am boot camp. I’m home by 7:05am. Tuesday and Thursday the class starts at 5:30 so I get up at 5.
I love it. Don’t have time to talk myself out of the lessons.
I do go to bed early. Like 9-9:30pm.
Do it you’ll love it

I started this in the summer. get up at 6am, in gym by 6.30am (it's downstairs in my block of flats), back by 7.15am, make kids' breakfast, shower and leave for school 8.05am.

it works brilliantly for me, because it's a time that nothing else is demanded, nobody is up, I have complete control over going (nobody is distracting me, asking me stuff, I don't have to negotiate a time with my partner as he's asleep).

like pp said, I have everything ready the night before. gym kit and trainers in bathroom so I don't have to disturb my partner. kids' packed lunches done. clothes laid out, mine and theirs. I make a coffee and go.

it's a habit now. I go 5 days a week. run at least 6km each time. day off Saturday (I work), then Sunday go later for a longer run.

Yes. It's changed my life. I exercise 3 x week from 6-7 am (HIIT class). I'm home by 7:15, which was the time I used to get up, and feel so much more focused / energised all day because of it. I just struggle to find the time later in the day as it's so hard to juggle mealtimes around it with young DC.

Before I gave birth almost six months ago I used to get up at 5am to exercise. If dh was home I'd go for a walk/run/cycle around the village, or if he was away I'd go on the treadmill for 20 minutes or so I get bored of too long

I don't know if it's beneficial fitness wise, but it helped my anxiety to no end. I'll be starting again soon. It's the only time I can fit exercise into the day with 6 kids, honestly.

I get up at 5:45, out by 6am to swim twice a week. In the pool by 6:15 and swim for 45 minutes, then get out, showered and dressed, then get to work.

My top tips:
Have everything ready the night before. For time and for procrastination reasons.
Take breakfast to work. Saves time, and I throw up if I swim on a full stomach.
Get properly dressed at work. I thow fleece trousers and a hoodie over my swim suit, then put that back on at the pool. I take a bag with work clothes and get changed into then at work. It's cleaner, warmer and dry at work, and the space is bigger.

Yeah I do, twice a week up at 5:30 and at the gym for 6. As per pp it's done me no good and I'm still a fat get but I like the feeling of smugness that I'm done for the day.