It's taken some baby steps, but I've completed a couple successful morning workouts per week over the last month, which proves it is possible to change old routines and habits.
For the longest time (basically until last month) I thought it was impossible to wake up before 6am for anything other than work or studying. I also didn't think it was necessary. Why work out in the morning when I could just run after work? Well it's true what morning worker outers say, it's the best way to just get it over with and then have the evening free. Plus you don't have to give the excuse that you're exhausted from work and "don't feel like it" or have to turn down evening social plans. This proves you CAN have your cake (workout) and eat it too (have a a social life).
When I work out in the mornings, it feels like days since I worked out by the afternoon. Honestly, I'm craving another workout, but either dinner plans, social plans or the heat get in the way.
My secret to waking up early has taken some fine tuning and trickiness over the past couple months.
Here are the steps I have to take if I'm going to work out in the morning (aka wake up at 5:15 am)
1. Lay out my workout clothes the night before (ie. shoes, socks, shirt, shorts, watch, iPod, etc.)
2. If I'm planning on going to the gym and then to work, I pack a gym bag with my toiletries and work clothes.
3. I make my lunch the night before, set up the coffee maker so I can just press "start", and put what I want to eat for breakfast on the counter.
4. I write a sticky note on my door with all the things I need to have before I walk out the door if I'm headed to the gym.
5. I drink lots of water the night before. This usually makes me get out of bed asap after my alarm goes off because of well you know (too much information?).
6. I plan to go to bed around 10:30pm and hopefully asleep by 11pm.
7. I set my alarm 10 minutes before I want to get out of bed so I can hit the snooze button once.
8. When my alarm goes off at 5:15am, I tell myself it's really 6:15am so that I don't think I'm crazy for actually being up at that time.
9. Jump out of bed, get dressed in 10 minutes, and I'm out the door.
And that's my plan! Quite a lot of little steps, but it works for me so that I don't have to think in the morning because that's just not possible. It usually takes me about 45 minutes the night before to get everything prepped and ready.
Tip #8 - "telling myself it's 6:15am when it's really 5:15am" was the golden ticket for me when I first started getting up early. Before when my alarm would go off that early, I would repeat in my head "You're CRAZY for getting up this early. Go back to bed!" And so I did just that. The first few times I was successful at waking up early was when I had a morning workout class at the gym that I already paid for and was committed to attending. This made me feel like I had to go because (1) I paid for it and (2) I believe my instructor is counting on me to be there.
So far this week my morning workouts have been a 5 mile run yesterday and a cycling class at HEAT today. Yay!
This left me with plenty of free time tonight to be social with the ladies at Shiki Sushi!
Do you have trouble waking up early to work out? If not, what are your tips?
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