For those of you who exercise in the mornings….

[Youngatheart00]

How do you get it done?!

I’ve never been a morning person but nearing two years WFH has meant I often roll out of bed at the last minute as it takes me forever just to ‘come to’ and be alert and feel good.

Despite doing dry january so off the booze a week now, I’m still waking up feeling hungover, headache, fuzzy head and just so tired. Once I’m up and about (eventually) I’m ok but I’ve been trying to exercise 3 times a week ans the most logical time to do this would be in the mornings, pre work (no caring responsibilities)

But I just don’t seem to be able to do it!!! Morning people - any tricks??!

I tell myself I'm going to do it. Go to bed knowing that it's what I will do. Have everything set up so it's the least possible effort. And then rely on the fact I'll have started before I've woken up enough to question it 🤣

I sleep in my exercise clothes (or exercise in my sleep clothes depending on how you look at it) and exercise at home, rather than a gym. So I roll out of bed, go to the loo, make tea, and start on my workout. And I get to drink the tea between sets.

Go to bed early and have all your clothes for the morning set out. I'm not a morning person normally but have been getting up early to exercise but it means going to bed earlier, it just becomes a habit

I go swimming for an early morning session starting at 6.30am.

Get up and dress in swimming costume with joggers & sweatshirt on top.

Bag is packed the night before. DCs gave me a waterproof MP3 player last Christmas so I make sure the night before that I have something interesting to listen to.

Basically I take all decision making/prevarication out of the routine. Everything is ready to go. Up, dressed, in the car in about 10 minutes.

You have to decide it's a 'must', like brushing teeth. I prepare clothes by my bed.
I seem to associate exercise with working, on the days I don't work it's more of a struggle to get myself to do it (writing this in my bathrobe).

I have to force myself to exercise first thing, but knowing i'll feel better for it helps with the motivation.

I do gym classes in the morning, so prep everything the night before and then all i need to do is get up and get out the house.

If I do an evening class or decide to go for a run later in the day, i'll put my kit on in the afternoon so that i can just switch off the laptop and go...

I take dd to nursery and drive straight to the pool to go swimming, i only plan got a short exercise but i do it 5 times a week, as then i'm more likely to go. So instead of swimming 100 lengths in one session, i do 20 lengths each day

I do Les Mills on demand at home. Out of bed dressed and straight to it. The classes are varied times so you can choose how long you spend doing it.

I loved morning workouts pre baby and am trying to get back into it.
I’m a morning person so it felt natural to me but my DH is the complete opposite and took a lot of convincing. Once he got into the swing of doing them for a week or two he said although it was still hard to get up earlier he definitely felt so much better for doing it & it became sort of second nature.
I do think it’s harder in the winter when it’s dark outside or you have the ice the car to get to the gym for example but I think like a pp said - decide it’s a ‘must do’ and maybe prepare anything you need ready the night before.

I schedule in a session with my PT first thing so can't back out of it unless I'm prepared to face his wrath if I cancel late! Feels good once it's done.

Think of it like commuting. You prepare everything the night before and go through the motions on auto pilot. You don't have a choice to not do it. Then once you're out of the house, you kind of wake up (or the caffeine kicks in).

I'm definitely not a morning person!

Drink plenty the evening before, and again when you wake up. That hungover feeling might be dehydration. Also I cut out caffeine except for one cup after lunch, but this may be a step too far

Will power. And the knowledge after exercising first thing for the last 10 years, that I ALWAYS feel better afterwards and if I don't do it, I ALWAYS regret it for the rest of the day.

I am also a morning person so this might be easier for me than you!

I either swim, walk the dog 3miles or do a Hiit in the garage every single morning. Usually up by 5 so that I'm ready for school run at 7.

I can’t do it, in too stiff and achy when I wake up. I wfh and exercise at midday.

Setting kit out night before is a good idea. I also wonder whether I am dehydrated although I am trying to drink plenty of water during the day. I always wake up feeling very dehydrated

I roll straight out of bed into my workout clothes. Feed the dogs, drink two enormous coffees and crack on, I've usually started by 6am. I only do 30 mins though, at home and sheer shame would prevent me from taking off my gym clobber if I hadn't actually done a workout! I also know full well that I can NEVER be bothered to train after work, so its either train in the morning or have an arse the size of Jupiter!!

@Youngatheart00

Setting kit out night before is a good idea. I also wonder whether I am dehydrated although I am trying to drink plenty of water during the day. I always wake up feeling very dehydrated

Someone else may (rightly!) leap on me for suggesting this but have you tried rehydration salts as well as a lot of water?

Is your room small/do you share a bed? It could be a short supply of fresh air.

I have to get up for the dcs to take them to school snd put my fitness gear on and go to the gym on the way home. If I went home first I wouldn't go. Great during term time but I am terrible in the holidays.

Don’t press the snooze button or do anything else that gives you time to think about it- get up, brush your teeth, get dressed and go. You’ll be half way through before you really notice. It’s easier in summer though- I hate hanging around waiting for it to be light enough at the moment.

You just need to commit to it the night before. Set an alarm, get up and do it. View it as something that isn’t optional, like brushing your teeth. Once you get into a routine with it it will become easier.

I promise you that no one jumps out of bed thinking “yaaay exercise!”, but many still do it because it’s healthy and you’ll feel better after. Good luck!

Coffee! I haul myself out of bed for the promise of the sweet elixir of life - caffeine makes everything better! I also allow for 30 minutes drinking my coffee and reading a book to get properly awake.

I want to do it, it's the best thing about my day and the cumulative benefits over years are SO worthwhile. I think about that - I'm doing it for future me.

Another morning exerciser here, I do cardio / HIIT / conditioning each weekday at 6, meaning I leave the house at 545. It's tough as the week goes on.

Like others I have everything ready from the night before. I also know I can't fit it in later due to kids' activities in the evening so if I want to exercise - and I do! - I have to get up & do it.

Also there are only usually a few people in the class. You need to book in, in advance. If I don't go, I feel really bad for the instructor if there's only a few booked in & I just don't turn up. So I never don't show.

My problem is not going to bed early enough though. Today, I'm at my desk working well should be but I'm exhausted due to too little sleep & a tough class at 6. It's frustrating as exercise is all well & good but not if I'm too sleepy to do my job!

I just accept that I am not a morning exerciser. I am not sure it matters really.

I am going swimming tonight at 7pm. The thought of doing it at 7am makes me throw up.

I've tried and tried to be a morning exerciser, it's just not me.