Top Tips For Morning Workouts

Every morning during the week you’ll find me rolling out of bed at 6am to the sound of my alarm ready to work up a sweat. If there’s anything you know about me then it’s probably the fact that i’m a morning workout kinda gal.

Why? Because I wouldn’t have the motivation to do it later on in the day! My evenings are solely dedicated to blog work, the usual adult stuff and netflix. If i’m honest, I couldn’t think of anything worse then heading home after a full day of work to spend my evening lifting weights. Note how I say ‘lifting weights’ and not just ‘working out’. This is because some days I truly do find myself leaving work ready to go for an evening run or some hill sprints, especially in this beautiful spring weather. But for me, if I were to lift weights in the evening then that would mean doing so in the space of my teeny tiny bedroom. Hmm, no thank you!

So, with this blog post I thought I would put together my top tips for morning workouts. I’ll be honest, some morning’s its not the easiest thing to do. Especially after a rubbish night’s sleep but if there’s one thing I can promise you then it’s this: You will feel so much better after. Plus, you’ve completed your fitness goals before the day has truly started!

Motivate yourself the night before

After i’ve watched an hour or two of netflix (I’m an addict, so sue me) i’ll then pop on YouTube or Instagram to seek motivation for the morning. I do this by watching/looking at some of my favourite fitness influencers (of whom you can find here) and rummaging through their posts. Just by doing this I find myself becoming more motivated and geared up for my morning workout. If this doesn’t quite work for you then convince yourself that you will have a good workout in the morning. I always say that your attitude is what you make it.

Set out your gym clothes the night before

It’s amazing how those extra minutes in the morning can really delay your workout. I used to get up, make my bed, wash my face, change and then start my workout but this would mean i’d only be able to get in an average 30 min workout before my day would start. However, I now set out my clothes and everything the night before and I kid you not, I now have 40 minutes to work out every morning! Those extra 10 minutes really do make a difference. That’s a whole extra superset you can add, guys!

Early nights

Ok, this is the hardest one I think. If you’re a night owl then this will take a lot of convincing and will power to stick to but once you get into the habit of an earlier night then you’re sorted! Trust me. 

I go to bed every night at 10pm. I actually get into bed at around 8pm every night also, but this is purely to watch netflix or catch up on some blog work. When I attended Fitbit’s Heart Rate Hotel event (which you can find out about here) we met with a sleep expert whom actually suggested getting into bed an hour or so before you go to sleep. This helps the body unwind and relax before a good night’s sleep. I don’t know how much of that is true, but I pretty much sleep like a baby each night.

Anyway, I digress…

Whatever time you plan to get up for your morning workout, just make sure you’re allowing yourself at least 7-8 hours sleep. Not only does this make it easier to get up each morning for your workout but you will also feel so much better for it!

Alarm placement

The trick of all trades. When you set your morning alarm, make sure you set it as far away from your bed as possible. This doesn’t mean in arms reach, or at the side of your bed on the floor. Nope. Set it across the room so you’re forced to get up in the morning and turn it off. Getting up and physically out of bed awakens your mind and body and alerts your brain that you’re ready for a new day. Plus, once your up and out of your comfy ol’ bed you might as well just workout, right? Right.

Music or TV?

For a lot of people, a good workout session requires a motivational playlist to boost their mood and help pass the time. However, I require the TV turned on and ‘This Morning’ playing. Call me an old fogy but, tuning into the news in the morning helps to keep me up to date with the world and it helps pass the time! Before I know it 7am has struck and my workout is done and dusted. Like I said earlier… morning workouts allow you to hit your fitness goals before the day has even started! How great is that?

Overall, if you find yourself struggling to get in workouts in the afternoon/evening and are also struggling to find the motivation to do it then I suggest trying a week of strict morning workouts. When I say strict, I mean going to bed early and waking up as soon as your alarm goes off. Do not fall into the trap of snoozing and making excuses. 

Remember, you can do anything you put your mind to. Ask yourself this: is waking up an hour earlier each morning really that hard?

Try it, give it all your best and see if morning workouts are for you. If they are, great – keep at it! If not, try something else that will work for you. There’s no point forcing yourself to do something that A) won’t work and B) isn’t enjoyable.

Fitness is all about becoming a better version of yourself because you want to do it. Not because you’re forcing yourself to do it for all the wrong reasons.

Live, enjoy and be happy!

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Image: https://pixabay.com/en/sun-rushes-morning-sky-water-1018287/