If there’s one type of person I never thought I’d become in my life, it’s definitely one of those people who voluntarily works out early in the morning before the sun rises and actually enjoys it. But I’m here to tell you that becoming that person is definitely possible, and enjoyable, even if you’re someone who already works out at other times of the day or doesn’t work out at all and looking to start.
When I was younger, I was never a morning person and always remember hearing about people I knew who consistently worked out at 6:00 or 7:00 in the morning and remember thinking how crazy that sounded! For starters, I never really had a consistent workout routine growing up, I was active in sports but aside from that did not have an actual workout plan that I followed, and when I did, it was always in the afternoon/evenings.
While I will admit that one of the biggest factors that played into developing my routine of working out in the mornings has to do with adulting and working a 9-5 corporate day job, I will say there are many other factors that have influenced my habit and things that keep me motivated to keep going with my routine and how I built that habit. Today I am going to share my tips and tricks of how I developed a consistent early morning workout routine + my tips on how to break out of that habit of hitting the snooze button repeatedly and finding the motivation to leave your cozy and warm bed in the mornings and start your day off strong. Let’s dive right in!
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Tip #1: Find Workouts You Actually Enjoy Doing
One of the biggest reasons I could never get into a consistent workout routine growing up was because I never really knew what I truly enjoyed doing workout-wise. That alone makes a HUGE difference in developing a consistent workout routine. A couple of years back, I signed up for ClassPass and tried different workout studios until I eventually found what I enjoyed doing, a combination of Pilates, Yoga, Spin and other methods of cardio that don’t involve running (I’m not a runner no matter how much I try, just not for me!), and Traditional Strength Training.
So my best piece of advice here is to experiment around with different workout classes or different equipment at the gym until you find what you like! Once you find that workout that really resonates with you, stick with it and keep going!
Tip #2: Buy Cute New Workout Clothes
I don’t know about you, but I am 100% one of those people who’s more motivated to work out when I have cute new workout clothes or shoes to wear and like my outfit. Something about a cute workout set and activewear makes me feel so much more motivated to work out!
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know how much I love Fabletics and is where I get a majority of my workout clothing. I’ve been a Fabletics VIP member for almost two years now and having that membership has been incredibly motivating for me as well. New styles are released each month and they’re always so cute and affordable with the VIP membership that it’s hard to resist!
But don’t get me wrong, I also love a good Amazon activewear find and the occasional splurge on Lululemon or Alo Yoga pieces as well for high-quality pieces that will last!
Once you have your cute workout outfit, lay it all out the night before so you’re more motivated to get out of bed in the morning and put it on (it also saves time in the morning so you don’t have to think about what to wear)!
Tip #3: Set Fitness Goals + Find Methods to Stay on Track
Write down your fitness goals somewhere where you will see them every day so you’re motivated to stick with it, could be anything like writing it down on a piece of paper and taping it to the mirror in your bathroom or buying a fitness tracker journal off Amazon, writing it down digitally through Google Keep, collecting relevant images and putting them in a vision board, etc. When you see your goal each day, you are so much more likely to keep going. Plus, just think about the future! In 6 months from now, what do you want your goal to look like? Do you want to be someone who can now run a strong 10 miles from a consistent routine, or run 5 miles, or whatever your goal may be? It’s 100% a mindset thing.
I personally am very motivated by my Apple Watch that I wear daily. It’s constantly reminding me to get active in some way, and I honestly feel like I’m failing if my activity rings haven’t gotten a lot of love one day.
One of my favorite quotes that I feel can apply to just about anything in life is, “Nothing changes if nothing changes”. There is a big difference in doing something once per week compared to multiple times per week and the only way to see results is to make the change and show up consistently. You got this!
Tip #4: Find Someone to Help Keep You Accountable
Don’t get me wrong, the transition to working out early in the morning is not an easy one and there will be many times when you wake up and just say, “Nope, not today!” To prevent this from becoming a regular thing, find someone to help keep you accountable! Tell your friend, family member or relative, significant other, or whoever of your fitness goals and ask them to help keep you on track! When you let others know of your goals, you are so much more inclined to work toward them, plus having that bit of motivation on days when you’re just not feeling it can be so needed!
I did want to make a little side note here to also listen to your body. In the beginning, I pushed myself to work out at 6:00 in the morning for five days in a row each week and discovered that was a bit much for me so I made the switch to four days a week with one rest day and it works out great for me. On rest days I find other ways to be active like taking a long walk with my dog or doing a short yoga class so I can still be active in some way. Ultimately, listen to your body, it’ll tell you what you can handle!
Tip #5: Take Note of How You Feel After a Workout + How You Feel For the Rest of Your Day
Going from someone who used to work out in the afternoon/evening to now early mornings, I’ve noticed such a difference in what a workout in the morning can do for my whole day compared to waiting until later in the day. I’ve noticed I’m more productive, more energized, feel ready to take on my workday, in a better headspace, and find myself making healthier food and beverage choices throughout the day like more consistent water intake, protein shakes or smoothies, and other meals that are better for my overall health and wellness.
How you start your day can really set the tone for the whole day and I personally love the way I feel after a morning workout moreso than when I would wait until the end of the day to workout. Plus, by the end of the workday, my motivation is pretty much gone and I found it to be 1000x harder to push myself to get in a work out which led to more and more skipped days. This way you get it out of your way first thing and don’t have to stress about getting it in later in the day when it may not be as convenient.
If you’re making the transition to start working out in the morning, take note of how you feel and the things you do that day compared to the same when working out later in the day.
Tip #6: Repeat to Build a Habit Until It’s Routine
Growing up, I was never consistent with my workouts which is why it never became routine or a habit for me. This of course led to no results and going through the process of getting super sore and fluctuating between getting in and out of shape, and eventually to me giving up. All I can say here is if you haven’t yet read James Clear’s book Atomic Habits, this is your sign to read it now! I’m currently reading this book and it is incredibly motivating and provides such great information on building good habits.
Tip #7: Sign Up for an In-Person Class or Gym Membership
Signing up for a gym membership, workout studio membership, or service like ClassPass is a great way in itself to start building a habit of consistently working out because what it really comes down to at the end of the day is do you want to get your money’s worth or do you want to throw money out the window?
Tip #8: Who You Follow on Social Media
The people you follow on social media can play a big part in what influences or motivates you in many aspects of your life and it’s so important to stick with those who positively influence you and avoid the ones who negatively influence you. I’ve found so much of my own fitness motivation just by seeing the people I love to follow post about their fitness journey on the daily. My thought process is that if they can do it and show up daily, so can I!
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Thanks for reading!
XX
Kelsie