I know lots of people struggle to exercise in the morning, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to talk about what you can do to make it easier!

 

Use the snooze button sparingly (or not at all)

Press snooze once or twice, and it becomes easy to talk yourself out of getting up to work out. Try setting your alarm tone to your favourite song to help you wake up in a good mood, or instead of hitting snooze, try doing a couple of quick stretches to wake you up gently.

 

Simplify your morning routine

While some people can jump out of bed the second their alarm goes off, don’t feel bad if you can’t. It’s common to be groggy or a little bit ‘out of it’ if you’ve just been disturbed from a nice, restful sleep. To make it easier to get out the door each morning, keep your routine as simple as possible.

 

You could do this by:

 

  • Grabbing your gym clothes and packing your bag in the evening, before bed.
  • Preparing breakfast the night before, so that it’s ready to grab and go (overnight oats or frozen smoothie packs are great for this).
  • If possible, allow some natural light in the bedroom to help you wake up.
  • Pack your lunch for the next day before you go to bed each night.
  • Don’t get sucked in by your phone! Resist the urge to catch up on emails or social media until after you are up and moving.
  • Have your gym bag, water bottle and keys in the same spot so you can just grab them and go.

 

Choose shorter, high-intensity workouts

Knowing that you only have to work out for around 30 minutes can make it easier to clear space in your morning schedule.

 

Turn your commute into a workout

While this might not be practical for everyone, the time it takes you to get to and from the office or to classes is valuable time. Ride a bike, or leave home earlier to fit in a walk. If you take public transport, try getting off one stop earlier and walking the rest of the way a couple of times a week.

 

Reward yourself if you stick to the routine

I’m not going to lie  — if you aren’t a morning person, the first few days (or even weeks) as you adjust to earlier mornings will be a bit hard. Positive reinforcement, such as giving yourself a small reward, makes it easier to stick to new habits. Treat yourself to a breakfast at your favourite cafe, and still have time to do everything you need – because you’ve woken up earlier!

 

You don’t need to be up at sunrise to squeeze in a morning workout. With a little preparation the night before and some practice, you can start your day with a bit of exercise and feel energised!

 

Wherever you are in the world, have a lovely day ❤

A, x (1)

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50 Comments

  1. Pingback: Must read,Healthy everyday tips for a better start to our day | Naked, true and confused @ramyavarrier

  3. I really liked how practical this post is. Commuting to work is often overlooked–especially if you live in a place with nice weather or if you live in the city!

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  7. Great tips! I think small rewards – whether it is treating myself to a coffee at my favorite coffee shop or to a bath, give me that motivation to do that last workout of the week, when I really would rather binge on Netflix. Thanks for sharing 🙂

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  10. As someone addicted to working out I must say none of these have worked on me. I just cannot wake up. Period. So I workout at night. For a period of 1.5 years I did workout in the morning as night was not an option. But despite it, as soon as my job changed I switched back to my old ways of working out in the night. Even now.

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  13. These are really good tips and for those of us who cant get out to exercise I would say that I still get my clothes etc for the next day organised the night before. It really does help keep you stress free when you’re still half asleep the next morning. I have fond memories of getting up and going swimming or to the gym before work and it really makes you feel great for the rest of the day!

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  14. Good tips but I do struggle with working out consistently because I don’t know the best time for me. In the morn if I workout before eating I feel really wiped out..but if I do make time for breakfast then my exercise mojo goes!

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    1. I struggle too! It’s not all smooth sailing for me. I struggle just like every one else. I might have good days, weeks, months but than I do fall off the bandwagon too.
      Happy to hear how things work for you – I am still in the process of finding what works for me 🙂

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      1. Yes true we all struggle until we get into something that works for us..and maybe that’s just how it is for some of us, up and down and constantly adjusting. I think what I’m learning is not beat myself up too much when I do fall off the bandwagon…which is me currently!

        Do keep us posted on how your journey is unfolding !🌸

        Liked by 1 person

  16. For anyone who has to get up in the dark without natural light (6 months of the year for me) I can thoroughly recommend these:

    https://www.lumie.com/collections/all#wake-up-lights

    I have had one for ten years. The dawn simulation light wakes me up gently and I am always awake before the audible back-up sounds. No more sudden awakenings that feel like the first panic attack of the day!

    They are also great if you have a hearing problem, obviously.

    Liked by 2 people

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      3. As a teenager, I had a really awful cockadoo-da-dooooo style one given to me as a gift. The first time that thing alarmed….😱 ohhh my days…then I put it in my bedside drawer to drown out the sound. It didn’t help much. Eventually I got rid of it. That is an absolutely a terrifying way to wake up in the morning!! Now I use the softest sound I can find on my mobile phone…but still …sometimes I still wake up startled and yes with a racing heart! Not right is it?!

        Thanks for sharing and for the laugh! 😀 This is going to the top of my wish list.

        Liked by 2 people

      4. haha, those cockadoodle ones are THE worst.
        I wake up more alarmed than anything else.

        Sometimes its hard to figure what alarm sound to use, if its too soft, I might fall back asleep.

        You are more than welcome 🙂

        Like

  18. You made me think of a phrase we caught my toddler son saying to my brother years ago when he was trying to get him to get out of bed.
    “Wake up, Uncle Charlie! Wake up and hit the world before the world hits you!”
    We had no idea where he got it from but we never forgot it. 😉

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

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