Morning Workout Tips

Getting into morning workouts may seem daunting and impossible but it is one of the best lifestyle changes I have ever made! I am often asked how I am able to hit the gym so early and the simple answer is, morning workouts are a part of my everyday routine. So how did I make these morning sweat sessions a habit?

Here is my step-by-step guide on how to get into the habit of early morning workouts:

1. Schedule Your Workouts

  

One of the first things I do on Monday morning is review everything I have that week and then schedule all of my workouts. I physically put them into my calendar and treat them as appointments or meetings. That way, as plans come up, I can schedule them around my workouts. And let’s be honest, what really comes up between the hours of 5:30 and 7:30 am?

2. Make Yourself Accountable

I make myself accountable by booking a workout class in advance. I typically use ClassPass which luckily offers a variety of classes at 6:00 and 7:00 am.  When you have already paid for your class, and when you get charged for missing a class, you will be much less likely to hit that snooze button. Another way to hold yourself accountable is to find a workout buddy and make a plan with them. That way, if you choose to skip the workout, you are letting yourself and your friend down.

3. Choose a Workout you Love!

You will be far less motivated to get out of bed if you are already dreading the type of workout you are about to do. Some of my favourite types of workouts are spinning and boxing. Find something you love and it will be much easier to make it to the gym.

4. Maximize Your Sleep

At first it took a lot of trial and error to figure out the exact time I need to wake up (5:35 am) to maximize my sleep and get to class on time. Once you get into your routine you will know exactly how much time you need in the morning and can set your alarm accordingly. Whatever you do, DO NOT SNOOZE. It will only make you more tired plus you may wake your partner or roommate.

5. Set Out Your Clothes

 When that alarm goes off before 6:00 am, the last thing you want to do is figure out what you are going to wear. I always lay my clothes out on my bedside table so they are the first things I grab when I wake up. Setting out your clothes will also help you maximize your sleep by saving you some time in the morning. 

6. Wake Yourself Up

Find something that will wake your body up right away. Try playing music or having a small cup of coffee. For me, it’s splashing cold water on my face as soon as I get out of bed. 

7. Grab a Snack 

I ALWAYS eat a banana in the car on the way to class. If I don’t have my banana, I won’t work out. Sounds crazy, but it’s my ritual. A lot of people prefer fasted workouts but that just doesn’t work for me. If you do need to eat before, bananas have a good amount of sugar and carbs to get you through your workout without being too heavy or making you feel sick. 

8. Dry Shampoo

 

If you are like me and must rush to the office post-workout, dry shampoo will become your best friend. Luckily I always have time to come home and shower but I won’t always have time to wash my hair. If you are tight for time, it works wonders. My favourite kind is Fresh Start by TRESemmé. 

Now that you have the tools to hit the gym early, I encourage you to try and make early morning workouts a part of your weekly routine. Yes, it will take some time getting used to and yes, you will be tired at the beginning, but here are some benefits to encourage you:

• You will have so much energy the rest of the day
• You will feel extremely accomplished, even if you get nothing else done that day
• You will be more motivated to eat healthy all day
• You will boost your metabolism allowing you to burn more calories throughout the day
• You will get your workout over with! The rest of the day is yours with nothing to dread 

To me it’s worth it!

 

All photos from Pinterest.