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Waking up early to exercise always seemed crazy to me until I finally got in the groove of doing it, and then I loved it! However, I’m in a season now where I’ve gotten out of that habit. I will be the first to say IT’S HARD to start again! It is maybe even harder than the first time!
Here are some tips that I’m going to start using again. You too can use them to become “a morning workout person!”
Please note! If your kids are not sleepers (like mine), morning exercise is still possible, but don’t kill yourself trying. There will be a season this will work (and seasons it doesn’t). I’ve actually found that it was easier with a little baby to get up early than with my now three-year-old who is up with potty issues. (Whhhhyyyyyy???? ? ) Hang in there!!
Prepare
- Wear workout clothes to bed. For some reason when I wake up and start thinking about getting dressed I’m always instantly unmotivated. Workout clothes are comfortable anyway and will put you ahead of the game and ready to go!
- Put your shoes right next to your bed or in the room you will workout in. My old routine used to be slippers, and now it’s workout shoes ?!
- Clean up your workout space (toys, toys and more toys for me…). Leave out what you do need (like your Joy Fit Mom printable of my 5 favorite exercises!) Or lay out your yoga mat or whatever you need if you prefer other forms of exercise. If you use a DVD or online streaming program, get that cued up! Also lay out your earbuds and get your music where it’s easy to access.
- Set multiple (I recommend 2-3, but if you’re like my husband, try 10) alarms with progressive volumes to give yourself time to wake up. Or use a light machine.
Sleep
- There are tons of tips out there to help you get to sleep and stay asleep. But, “I have a tiny little baby that doesn’t sleep all night,” you say. I promise you can still do it. I’ve found that I need to at least be able to stay in my bed for a majority of the night. I did not do well with morning workouts when I had slept on the couch or floor in the baby’s room.
Motivate
- Give yourself a motivator like a new workout outfit (you don’t have to go expensive, Walmart and Target have sales all the time, also Fabletics offers your first outfit for $24) or shoes (these should be an investment, don’t risk injury with cheap shoes) or download new music.
- Come up with your “why”. Why do you want to workout? Health? An event? To set a lifelong example for your kids?
- Post your why where you can see it like on a mirror, in your workout area or as your cell phone lock screen.
- Create a motivating password that you have to type multiple times a day like on your work computer.
Prioritize
- Make working out your #1 priority and don’t start something else first. The worst habit I had to break was not waking up and cleaning or reading or scrolling (ahhh Facebook I love and hate you!) before I got my workout in because I just ended up wasting all my time. When you’re a mom or a busy working outside the home person, you know that you don’t have time to waste. I’ve also found that I’m very awake and focused for a daily devotional and prayer right after my workout. But you can definitely do this before working out too!
Smile and Breathe
- Take a deep breath. Be grateful. Start with a positive attitude and know that if you get the workout in you will feel better the rest of the day. Try to smile while you workout, it will take your mind of some of the burn.
Energy
- Use that energy you get from your workout (I know I get A TON, I’m frantically typing away right now because I just worked out!) Get things done around your house before the small humans or your husband wake up. It decreases your stress and allows you more quality time with the people who mean the most to you.
So again, becoming a morning workout person is not a walk in the park, but it will really help you reach health goals much more quickly. I promise also that you will have more energy for the day. You’ve got this! Let us know how it’s going and we would love to hear your tips too!
