Morning Workouts

Tips for Getting Your Butt Out of Bed!

• Mentally prepare yourself. When you are getting ready for bed the night before, tell yourself that skipping the gym is not an option. Even just thinking I will go, prevents me from making excuses the next morning.

• Lay out everything. Lay out everything you will need for the next morning, including clothing (sneakers, sports bra, socks, etc.), iPod/mp3 player, heart rate monitor, magazines/reading materials, pre-workout snack, car keys (if you drive), gym membership ID, etc. Having everything ready to go requires a lot less thought in the morning.

• Plan ahead. The night before, take a few minutes to map out your workout. I try to be as specific as possible. Ex: 30 minutes treadmill, 15 minutes elliptical, 20 minutes strength training (chest and triceps).

• Refuse to snooze. I get out of bed as soon as my alarm goes off. If I hit snooze or reset the alarm for a later time, I never get up to exercise.

• Turn on the light. After I shut off my alarm, I immediately turn on my bedside lamp (within arm distance). Even just a little light gets me moving.

• Record your workouts. I keep an exercise log in my daily planner. There is a monthly calendar in the front section where I write down my workout each day. It’s nice to look back and see all that I have accomplished as well as assess where I can do better (e. g. more yoga).

• Have a snack. A small snack in the morning gives me energy for my workout. Sometimes just the thought of food motivates me to get out of bed!

• Do something you like! Exercise that is not enjoyable will not get you out of bed. The gym isn’t for everyone, so if you like hiking or biking or swimming (you get the idea), make it part of your morning plan.

• Focus on how it feels. When you are lying in bed debating whether to get up or not, remember how awake and accomplished you feel when you finish a workout. Also, remind yourself how it feels to not workout.
  

• Allow for mistakes. When I miss a workout, I try not to get down on myself. The next day, I make sure I don’t skip my workout.