When people hear that my workouts start at 5 AM, they think I’m crazy. Truthfully, I’ve been doing it for so long, it’s not a thing anymore. But that wasn’t always the case. Although now I can’t imagine working out in the evening, that used to be my preferred time. But I found that I wasn’t able to eat or sleep very well when I worked out after work, so I made the swap to early morning. I know this is a struggle for most people, so I put together ten tips for making a 5 AM workout a reality.
1. Lay out your clothes the night before. The less you have to think about anything in the morning, the better. Especially what you’re going to wear!
2. Wear a cute outfit. I promise I’m not being silly. Remember being excited about the first day of school, because you had a new outfit to wear? Same concept. If you like your workout clothes, you’re more likely to put them to good use.
3. Pick an activity you love. If you’re forcing workouts that you don’t like, you’ll be less likely to get up and go. Pick an activity that you enjoy so that you look forward to getting up.
4. Go to bed early. This is the most important tip of all! If you get enough rest, you won’t be as tired in the morning. Plus your performance and your mood will be much better with enough sleep.
5. Have breakfast, vitamins, preworkout, etc. ready the night before. Again, the less you have to think about or do before your workout, the better.
6. Make it a habit. Honestly, just sticking with it makes a big difference. Your body will adjust to the time quicker than you think. If you only go a couple of days here and there, your body will not adjust. Try early morning workouts for a month, and you will feel a big difference.
7. Wake up earlier. Don’t kill me. This has been a game changer for me. I wake up extra early to enjoy the quiet, to pray, and to let my mind and body wake up before I sweat. Just an extra few minutes has been very helpful.
8. Find partners. This is one reason why I love group fitness. There are people that I look forward to seeing, that would miss me if I weren’t there, that I would feel bad if I let down. A buddy, partners, or a group go a long way in motivating us to workout.
9. Get your gear together the night before—bag, headphones, playlist. Same with the clothes and food, your morning self with thank your night before self for taking care of these things.
10. Plan your workout. If you’re going for a run, or going to an open gym, or using the home gym in your basement, you need to have a plan. If your only plan is to go, you’re less likely to make it happen, because you don’t know what you’re going to do once you are there. Get a plan together the night before, so you know exactly what you’re doing and have it to look forward to in the morning.
I hope these help you in your early morning efforts.