Has anyone managed to become a regular 6 am gym goer?

[Chorizmo]

I exercise several times a week but it feels like a constant juggle to find the time. I do love a slow morning, may be it’s my age (46), but reading about really fit people’s routine, they seems to prioritise working out first thing, before the day gets in a way. I feels like this will be a massive willpower battle, so keen to hear if anyone has managed to start and stick within such routine and any tips on the willpower?

Right, not a gym goer but I will go out for a run at 6am most mornings.

I found it was helpful to put other necessary things in my day before 6am. So I wake up at 5, empty the dishwasher, set out DS breakfast, answer a few work emails. Then at 6 I have to go run, because I need to be back at 6:30 to shower and dress before DS wakes up at 7. I find packing things around a workout time holds me accountable, so I can't put it off.

I started 6am training about 18 months ago but initially hated it and was only 1/2 times per week. I changed gyms early last year and now train mainly 4 mornings a week sometimes 5 and occasionally.

I wouldn't change it now as I am the type to find excuses if I left it until after work . I'm fairly disciplined in that even if I'm wavering the night before I still put my gear out and leave my alarm set. Most of these times I still end up going as I'm now in the mindset that even when f it's not the best workout it's better than none. I ALWAYS feel better when I've done it and most times I've skipped it I feel rubbish.

It's helped that I've a small group on what's app that encourages each other and keeps each other on track. I do find the early alarm a bit of a pain sometimes and especially more in darker morning but think I'm used to it now .

Yes, for years. I once read an interview with a woman who was an ultra running champion. They asked about motivation for training and she said 'it's not about whether I want to or not, the decision has already been made' that really stuck with me. So I make the decision.

The night before is very important, lunch and breakfast is made so it's ready to go. Kit for whatever I'm doing is laid out, as are the work clothes for afterwards. No thinking is happening I need to just get on with it.

When the alarm goes off I have to get up immediately, any delay throws out the timings and I just won't do it.

I've always been a lark anyway so it comes quite easily, now it's just what I do so no discipline required.

i cant. I used to for a bit at 7 or 8. Now I train at lunch time

Yes. The gym is a little distance away as live rurally. So up at 5.15am and out the door by 5.30 for a 6am class. The key is to be in bed early and I feel great for it. Do if three times a week. The toughest moment is getting out of bed so I wake up with alarm and immediately get up so it’s over. Water bottle and clothes etc all ready the night before. I know someone in the class who goes to bed in their gym kit!

I’m curious what do you have for breakfast ?

I can't, it just feels so rushed, always clock watching and I like to take my time in the gym and then hit the jacuzzi, pool and steam room then pamper shower. I tend to go in the afternoon/ early evening instead.

Someone sleeps in their gym kit? That's madness.

Most of last year I was up at 5.50 to get to the gym by 6.30 three times a week. Kit laid out night before. It's a booked class so it's harder to make excuses.

Problem I was finding was I'm 56 and have menopausal insomnia - so often it felt like I was just falling asleep as the alarm went off. So now I've switched to a later class and leave the house at 6.30. That extra half hour makes a difference.

I feel so much better afterwards, it's made a huge difference to my health. I used to be up with the lark especially in the summer so going to the gym is a better use of my time than sitting in the garden with the cat and a cup of tea. But I can do that on non-gym days or go for a walk before work.

I make every excuse under the sun if I leave exercise till later in the day - and also in summer I'd rather be out with the dog after work.

I'd say try it for a month and see how it goes.

I eat half a banana or a bit of greek yoghurt before I go

I'm that person.

It started when DC were small babies and I needed to exercise before DH left for work. So I'd run/walk most mornings.

I just never stopped. Realistically I'm morning person and could never exercise past midday.

As the children got older I'd leave at 5.40am to drive to the gym and get back to do the school run at 7am.

Now I exercise at home in the garage with weights and YouTube, or I go for a 3mile power walk on a loop from the house, or I do yoga. Every morning before the rest of the house is up. Have to be dressed and leave for for work/school bus run by 6.45am.

I've never eaten before I exercise. I'd be sick. I ran a half marathon on a dry bagel that I ate 4hrs before I set off.

I just get up, wee/poo (because there's nothing worse than having to stop for these once you've started exercising!) and I get going.

I then shower and dress, take vitamins, do pelvic floor exercises, make coffee and leave the house.

By 8am it's like it never happened!

I dream of getting up at 5.30 am - dishwasher empty, quick tidy up and ready for the gym at 6am. But I can never ever manage it. I am 51. I set 5 alarms and never remember snoozing any of them.

Not quite 6am but I am regularly in the gym for 6:45 and do a bootcamp class at 7. The key for me is having the same routine: get up at 6:15, put gym kit on immediately (after going to the toilet obviously), come downstairs, empty dishwasher, have a drink, go out to the gym or bootcamp. And maybe look at my phone too 🫣. It does help that my kids are teenagers (well currently only DD at home as DS is at university) who can be relied on to get themselves up for school.

Not 6am, but I'm pretty consistent with getting to the gym around 7am (2-3 times a week). I work from home mostly which makes it a million times easier. The gym is so much busier in the evenings which I hate, and it's so much easier to make excuses about why you can't go near the end of the day. It's no fun when the alarm goes off at 6.30am on dark cold mornings but I feel great for doing it and it's absolutely worth it. Everything laid out the night before, just get up and down it!

I have a couple of health issues so my approach may not be typical! I don’t know what others in my class do.

I have a hiatus hernia so it’s painful to bend over with full stomach so I don’t have breakfast before the class… but I also have chronic gastritis (which ulcerates without medication) so I eat a cube of cheese (as I can’t face drinking milk) as soon as I get wake up as that soothes it.
I also have to careful not to get dehydrated because of another medication - so I drink a pint of water before I leave and take two 1ltr water bottles for during and after class.

On way to gym, I drink half of a protein powder/ water drink, then drink second half afterwards.

Then I stop off at a lovely cafe that does takeaway on my way to work after class for a yummy sausage bap to go with fruit I’ve taken with me.

I then have my main meal at lunchtime using work kitchen and pre-prepped food and have cereal or toasted sandwich for an early tea. But again having hiatus hernia, I’m not supposed to eat 3 hours before going to bed so I get home for work to be bothered to a main meal then and to be in bed somewhere around 9-10pm.

One of my grandparents died from complications from their hiatus hernia so although they’re very common (1in 3 people have them over age of 50 apparently with lots of people having no idea) I take the medical advice seriously. That’s when I got serious about my exercise and food as I had a put some weight on and most of it was around my middle. I’m also happy eating the same things day in day out.

I hit the work gym at 7. I have everything laid out the night before - work bag packed, workout clothes laid out. Alarm goes at 0630 and I'm into the workout clothes, on my bike, and in the gym by 7. Done by 0750, shower at work, dress, and at my desk by 0820.

I never ask myself whether I "want" to go. When it's dark and cold out and I'm tired, no I don't "want" to go but I've decided that I am and that's that. And I have never regretted going, and it's a great feeling when I finish for the day at 5 and the whole evening is ahead of me. Discipline beats motivation any day of the week.

I get up at 5 a couple of mornings a week, immediately have breakfast (overnight oats with fruit, nuts, seeds, Greek yogurt & kefir) & get to the gym for about 6. An hour’s workout with weights & cardio & home for coffee & a warm sourdough roll with almond butter. I go on Sunday mornings too but later.

Rolling out of bed without thinking about it definitely helps, and I have a lot more energy in the mornings.

I used to do three 6am HIIT classes a week, would get their before the trainer usually and have a coffee with the owner.
I would also go later on depending on who else I going to be training with
You would never guess to look at me though.

I did it for several years right up until lockdown. 5 days a week. It became a habit very quickly, and easy to do. When the gyms shut for lockdown I had to change my routine. Now I just don't know how I managed it! But once you start it you'll be fine!

Get all your kit ready the night before. That helps massively!

I like it as then it's done for the day, but I think if early mornings aren't for you then trying to force it won't work overly well.

Interested to read these. 2 year old isn't the best sleeper so getting up at 5am would make me so exhausted. Hopefully in a couple of years 🤞🏻

I did this for a while, when my routine let me. I found 2 things helped:
A. Daily or very regular sessions. If you get used to waking at 06.30 instead of 0530 for instance, the earlier wakings feel really early again.
B. You're not allowed to question whether you're going to the gym until you're on your first exercise, AT the gym. As someone said earlier, it's not a question of if you're going, as that's already been decided.

Yes! When I started a few years ago it was the 7am class and I always maintained that I could never move to 6am but a job change made it necessary and here we are. Alarm 5.25, out the house 5.45 and at gym for 6am. Generally 3/4 days per week, for my WFH days I can get away with 7am. Definitely harder during the winter but it's so much easier than an evening.

Yes!!

I wasn't getting enough exercise because I'm not a morning person, and by bed time I'd not fit it in either.

About 18 months ago I joined a small-group strength training class. It's at 6.15 am 3 times a week. As @persisted says, I just have to get up and do it. I love it once I'm there. I will never love 5.45am though - not if it's the start of the day, not the end.

I'm astonished that I'm still going!

Not the gym but the pool for 6am 4 times a week. I get everything ready and gave a quick coffee snd leave the house at 5:30. Sometimes it is hard but most times I love going so early.