How to Prepare for Early Morning Workouts
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Working out is something we love to do, but sometimes it can be a burden. Our schedules are full and our days are long, so how do we prioritize a trip to the gym? The best time to schedule a workout is first thing in the morning. If we plan to head to the gym after work it is easy to get side tracked, not have the energy, or come up with plenty of other excuses. Starting the day with a sweaty routine has benefits that should make us eager to wake up in the morning. Exercising can boost our metabolism and increase endorphins in our brain that will boost our mood. Working out first thing is quite an accomplishment and will leave us feeling energized and ready to tackle our day, our productivity increases and as a bonus it is easier for fall asleep at night.
Not a morning person? Here are some ways that we like to prepare for early morning workouts:
Organize Outfits: Plan an outfit to wear to the gym before going to bed. Lay it out so that it’s easy to find and put on in the morning. Planning ahead gives us a few extra minutes of precious sleep. Make sure to include a water bottle, socks, and headphones in the pile so nothing is forgotten.
Meal Prep: Consider healthy breakfast options and prepare them before bed. Waking up early can cause some of us to be delirious; it’s important to properly fuel and energize our bodies with nutrients. We like to make smoothies because they store well and can be nutritious when fruits, nut butters, seeds, and a leafy green are the main components. Sometimes we like to literally eat, bite down, and chew on our breakfast so we will portion out some yogurt, granola, and a sliced banana to have ready to go in the morning. Having healthy options at-the-ready makes becoming a morning person so much easier.
Lights Out: Go to bed 30 minutes earlier. Getting up earlier is difficult because we are losing minutes of sleep. If we lose time on one end of the spectrum we should add it onto the other, ie. go to bed sooner and wake up earlier.
Wake Up Call: Set an alarm and leave it several steps away from the bed. This is a mean trick but it works!
Buddy System: Have a friend with a similar schedule meet you at the gym. Having someone that is depending and relying on us to be there helps to get us going in the morning. Aside from getting out of bed, the last thing we want to do is disappoint our friend.
Get Into A Routine: Make exercising before work a habit. It may seem unbearable the first few mornings but our bodies will adjust and we will feel better. Sticking with early morning workouts for at least a month will help with our productivity throughout the workday. If we get off track one morning and miss a trip to the gym that’s okay but the difference will be noticeable in our energy level and work performance so it’s important to get back into the routine the next morning.