After many failed attempts, I can tell you there are many ways to guarantee you won’t wake up early to workout, but there is only one proven way to make sure you do wake up early to workout and turn it into a habit.

I’ve always aspired to be one of these people who woke up early, got their workout in, and were ready for the day before most people woke up.

With the exception of a few early am spin classes with a friend in grad school, it has never happened… I would have great intentions, set my alarm, and promptly turn it back off in the morning. I had plenty of excuses. The main one being that my kiddos weren’t very good sleepers, so if I got up during the night, I considered myself way too tired in the morning.

Fortunately, the kids are 3 and 4 now and it’s becoming more rare to get up with them in the middle of the night. I decided I am going to join the ranks of those early-morning people. I want to feel energized in the morning, I want to be more organized, I’d love that alone time, and I want my workout done so I’ll have no excuses at the end of the day.

I’ve successfully been one of those morning people for three weeks now! Are you ready for the one and only sure fire way to get yourself up for a morning workout?

The answer is:

Just Do It. Turn that alarm off, put your feet on the floor, and move your body out of the room.

Seriously. That is the ONLY way.

Now, I’d be a bit of a jerk if I left you with that. I do have some tips to help make it a little easier but, for me, nothing helped like finally getting myself out of bed. I decided no matter what time I went to bed the night before, I was getting up. With enough early mornings, I was sure I’d break my habit of going to bed after midnight. It’s true! I now can barely keep my eyes open after 10pm.

I workout at home, so most of these ideas pertain to home workouts, but some of the tips could definitely apply to those who head to the gym or out for an early morning run.

Tips for Waking Up Early to Workout

Prepare

Set yourself up for success by planning things out the night before. Figure out a plan, set your alarm, get everything you need ready instead of having to do it in the morning.

I have my water bottle by the bed, DVD in my computer (or the BeFiT YouTube videos ready), and workout clothes hanging right by the door. I also have either my tea or shake ready on the counter to make when I’m done, and sometimes a preworkout mixed and in the fridge ready to grab. It helps a lot not to have to think of anything but dragging myself out of bed.

 

 

Dress for Success

As I mentioned above, I have my workout clothes hanging on a hook and ready to go early in the morning, but I have heard of plenty of people who actually wear their workout clothes to bed. Now, I couldn’t do this because I need a lot of support in the upper body, of you know what I mean, but I could see sleeping in my workout pants and only having to put on the top half.

It’s a lot harder to convince yourself you should just stay in bed when you’re already wearing the clothes.

Have a Designated Space Ready

Get yourself ready the night before. If you have to workout in the living room, push that coffee table back before you go to bed. Have your DVD in place and your weights or other equipment ready.

I have a new office space I get super excited to workout in, and I make sure to move my office chair out of the way, set up my computer, and have my weights nearby before going to bed the night before.

Just getting to the workout is a feat, you don’t up want to have to think about all you need to do to get your space ready.

Get Yourself Excited

Do you have a new piece of equipment – a new exercise ball, new yoga mat, even a new water bottle? For me, it made all the difference when I was excited to use my new workout space. It felt fun because it was new.

Since I’ve started working out in the morning in our basement, I’ve switched to using the bathroom downstairs and I’m LOVING having it to myself! I jumped at the chance to review the HotelSpa LED Shower Head with Extention Arm from Sears to make my new personal shower more fun and luxurious. I’ve always loved the rainfall showers at hotels and this one is fantastic! It fits so nicely in the little shower and falls right in the middle and doesn’t splash out the door like the old one. Best part: it has LED lights around the rim that change from blue to green to red based on the water temperature! I can tell it’s the perfect temperature before I even step in! This feature would be great for the kids, but I’m not sharing!

Your workout should be fun, but it’s not always easy to get excited about it. Something new or different to look forward to always helps. You don’t always have to buy something either, you could workout to a new playlist, reward yourself with a different breakfast recipe when you’re done, or rent a new DVD from the library.

There are so many ways to switch things up and keep it interesting!

Do Not Disturb

If possible, try to find a way to enjoy your workout, but not worrying about waking the rest of your household. For me, that was creating a space in the basement away from any of our bedrooms. It’s great because I don’t have to worry about the sound, jumping, or the light. Many times I would skip my workout because I didn’t want to wake the kids, but now I can give it my all.

A spot in the basement worked for me, but I’ve seen many others who convert a space in their garage (not going to work in Minnesota…), or other rooms in the house that are away from the sleeping areas.

All these tips can help, but the ONLY sure fire way to wake up early to workout is to DO IT. Get out of that bed one times then a second time, and before you know it it’s not as hard as it was.

Sticking to the BeFit 30-day challenge has definitely helped me stick to my goals – be sure to enter the #BeFitAllYear giveaway!

What are your tips for an early morning workout?

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