For all you early-risers

[Anonymous]

Lately I just cannot motivate myself to get up early enough to go to the gym before work. This would suit my schedule so much better than going after work, but I just find it impossible to get out of bed until the very last minute. I get enough sleep; but I also struggle with anxiety, and mornings is when it's worst. Often it feels easier to stay in bed for an extra hour and not face the day.

Those of you who are disciplined, non-lazy, early morning exercisers, how do you manage to do it every day? Any tips?

[Anonymous]

I'm like you, OP. I've tried all the tricks, and there's just no convincing me to get up. I put my alarm clock on the other side of the room, but I just get up, turn it off, then get back in bed, and immediately fall asleep. I will even hit the snooze button every 5 minutes for an hour or more. I'm done trying.

[Anonymous]

For me, it only works because I enjoy my morning routine. I could never motivate myself to go to the gym that early in the morning, but I can motivate myself to do an exercise video or go for a walk. I set my coffee maker so the coffee is made when I get up, that helps too. And I will also pray or meditate a bit. I've come to really enjoy my mornings, and that's what keeps me motivated to wake up.

[Anonymous]

They aren't morally superior to we night owls. They just have a different innate circadian rhythm.

[Anonymous]

How about a program that holds you accountable. I do the Sergeant's Program and while our instructor doesn't take attendance there are a core group of regulars that are there most days. I've made some good friends and it is nice to socialize or whine with them while we are busting our asses.

I also have a running buddy, with whom I make weekly running dates. If someone is counting on you there is more motivation to show up, especially at o dark thirty.

[Anonymous]

I have to use a Dawn Simulator in the winter. I just can't drag my ass out of bed in the dark http://www.amazon.com/BioBrite-Sunrise-Clock-Advanced-Charcoal/dp/B00196LFIU/ref=pd_sim_sbs_e_7

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lately I just cannot motivate myself to get up early enough to go to the gym before work. This would suit my schedule so much better than going after work, but I just find it impossible to get out of bed until the very last minute. I get enough sleep; but I also struggle with anxiety, and mornings is when it's worst. Often it feels easier to stay in bed for an extra hour and not face the day.

Those of you who are disciplined, non-lazy, early morning exercisers, how do you manage to do it every day? Any tips?

OP, for me it's a matter of making it a habit so that I can't imagine doing anything else. Have you considered starting out getting up just a little bit earlier and doing a small amount of exercise so that it's not this huge burden on you? Then as you get used to always getting up and exercising a little bit you'll get in a habit and it will be easier to do more.

I was going to the gym early in the morning for years and then I took up rowing. When I started rowing with the morning group at my local club, I had a terrible time with anxiety because I'm an anxious person as well. But by that time I had such a habit of exercising early that I knew that I had to keep working my way through the anxiety in order to keep up with my daily habit and that eventually the anxiety would go away.

Good luck with this, OP. It really helps to work out regularly whether you do it in the morning or evening. I hope you are successful in keeping up with your workouts whenever you do them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to use a Dawn Simulator in the winter. I just can't drag my ass out of bed in the dark http://www.amazon.com/BioBrite-Sunrise-Clock-Advanced-Charcoal/dp/B00196LFIU/ref=pd_sim_sbs_e_7

This just might change my life.

[Anonymous]

The only way I work out daily in the morning is that my DH and set the alarm for 6am and work out together.

[Anonymous]

I manage it because there's no other option for me. Well... the other options just aren't appealing

-I have a young toddler at home and DH does the AM wakeup/etc/daycare dropoff. If she gets even a HINT that I am home, all bets are off. Once, I had a horrible virus, and had to hide in the laundry room until she was gone. So if I didn't shower the night before, taking a shower at home is not an option (shower = right behind DD's bed = nightmare). So I have no choice.
-To aid this, I leave my hair dryer in the car with my gym shower stuff. No option.
-Once or twice a week I wake up early (as if I am going to the gym) but have showered the night before and just go into work really, really early. This only works if I have showered the night before, and sometimes I HAVE showered, and still decide to go to the gym anyway.
-I do a lot of classes, and they tend to have "regulars." Who notice when I'm not there and will say things like, hey, where were YOU on Monday? etc. In a nice way, not mean or anything, but that little extra push of groupthink can help.
-I lay EVERYTHING out the night before and frequently sleep in my sports bra.

[Anonymous]

I met someone there for a while and it got me in the habit. It's a struggle sometimes but I've made so much progress fitness wise I have tons of motivation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I manage it because there's no other option for me. Well... the other options just aren't appealing

-I have a young toddler at home and DH does the AM wakeup/etc/daycare dropoff. If she gets even a HINT that I am home, all bets are off. Once, I had a horrible virus, and had to hide in the laundry room until she was gone. So if I didn't shower the night before, taking a shower at home is not an option (shower = right behind DD's bed = nightmare). So I have no choice.
-To aid this, I leave my hair dryer in the car with my gym shower stuff. No option.
-Once or twice a week I wake up early (as if I am going to the gym) but have showered the night before and just go into work really, really early. This only works if I have showered the night before, and sometimes I HAVE showered, and still decide to go to the gym anyway.
-I do a lot of classes, and they tend to have "regulars." Who notice when I'm not there and will say things like, hey, where were YOU on Monday? etc. In a nice way, not mean or anything, but that little extra push of groupthink can help.
-I lay EVERYTHING out the night before and frequently sleep in my sports bra.

New poster here. This is brilliant.
I have my gym bag packed the night before--clothes, underwear, shoes etc. My make-up is in that bag. I don't keep any in the bathroom. Occasionally there have been mornings where I packed the gym bag and then didn't go. But if the bag was in the car already, I would have to go. Love this!

[Anonymous]

I ran at 4:45 for years because that was the only time I could carve out. Here are some tricks you might try.

Sleep in your workout clothes. Have your socks & shoes, water bottle, .... right beside your bed. It's easier to get going in the morning if you don't really have to think about it.

Find a workout buddy to keep you accountable. It's hard to blow off a workout when someone is expecting you to show up.

Make a deal with yourself to get up every morning for one week. You can do anything for a week.

Reward yourself for meeting your goal! And remember how great you'll feel right after your workout!

Remember that it takes 30 days to form a habit. Getting up early gets easier!

Good Luck! Early morning is my favorite part of the day!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I ran at 4:45 for years because that was the only time I could carve out. Here are some tricks you might try.

Sleep in your workout clothes. Have your socks & shoes, water bottle, .... right beside your bed. It's easier to get going in the morning if you don't really have to think about it.

Find a workout buddy to keep you accountable. It's hard to blow off a workout when someone is expecting you to show up.

Make a deal with yourself to get up every morning for one week. You can do anything for a week.

Reward yourself for meeting your goal! And remember how great you'll feel right after your workout!

Remember that it takes 30 days to form a habit. Getting up early gets easier!

Good Luck! Early morning is my favorite part of the day!

This. I get up early and work so that I have time to work out at lunch time. This morning, I got up at 6:00 and did two hours of of work before the family was awake, despite it being Saturday and us being on vacation. Then I went for a nice long swim. Before I developed the habit, I would never have done this. Today it was no big deal.

[Anonymous]

Lots of great tips here. I'll add, though, that I've always been a morning person. It's just who I am. It's not so much about discipline as it is about what works best for me.

That being said, getting everything ready the night before is key, as is some sort of accountability. Despite being an early riser naturally, the habit was ingrained in my from years of rowing, where I'd have someone pounding on my door if I wasn't there. Hard to ignore that.

And, because no one else has mentioned it: what are you doing to work on your anxiety? Sounds like something that's getting in the way for you, and it doesn't have to be that way. Good luck.