How to Wake Up for a Morning Workout
BY BETHANY HEITMAN
You know that a morning workout is smart. Not only does it get it out of the way, by the time you’re through with it you feel energized and ready to crush the day ahead. The only problem? Actually getting the motivation to, you know, wake up and do it. After all, it can be hard to remember just how good a morning workout feels when you’re reaching for that snooze button.
So, how do you get your butt out of bed when the siren of sleep is calling? These tricks will help.
Photo by Emma Simpson
Get Ready the Night Before
There’s a famous quote that goes something like this, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” When it comes to working out in the morning, this concept is spot on.
Pick out your workout clothes and sneakers the night before and set them near your bed—ideally somewhere you can see them when you wake. When your groggy eyes fix on them in the morning, it becomes a lot harder to make excuses or stay in bed. Plus, a lot of that getting ready work has already been done, so you can even get a few extra minutes of sleep before you get active.
Book a Class
Signing up for a pre-work bootcamp or spin class is a great way to get your tush out of bed. Even better if the class is non-refundable. Chances are, if you’ve already spent your hard-earned dough, you’re not going to miss the class. Another benefit of a morning class, it takes the thinking out of your workout. You can just show up, be told what to do and you’ll get in a great sweat session.
Make Plans with a Pal
The thinking here is similar to that of booking a class. While you may be okay bailing on yourself, chances are you’ll feel guilty if you made plans to go for a run with a friend and don’t show up.
More good news: Studies have shown that working out with a friend boosts your motivation, encourages you to try new things and helps you maintain consistent exercise habits. Score!
Photo by David Mao
Put Your Coffee Maker on Auto-Brew
Even just the smell of coffee can give you a boost of energy—seriously, research has proved it. With that in mind, set up your coffee maker so it starts brewing ten minutes before you want to get up. That way, if your alarm doesn’t convince you to jump out of bed, maybe the aroma of java will.
Be Realistic
If you have it in you to get up at 5 a.m. to exercise, give yourself a pat on the back. But if the thought of waking that early makes you burrow under the covers even deeper? That’s okay too.
Consider reframing what a morning workout has to look like for you. Rather than a punishing hour-long session, perhaps you could wake up later (say a reasonable 7:30 a.m.) and do a solid 20 minute HIIT workout before hopping in the shower at 8 a.m. to get to work by 9 a.m.
The point is, we often have already made up our mind about what a morning workout looks like—and we make it so intimidating that we don’t want to get out of bed to do it. If you can adjust that slightly, you may find yourself actually able to do both—get a little extra Zzz’s and fit it in.
Bethany Heitman, Contributor