Have you ever found yourself listening to a friend or coworker talk about their early morning, pre-work run or sweat session and wondered how on earth they did it? Many of us wake up and wish we could hit snooze and roll back over to keep sleeping. Others know that they could squeeze a workout in if they had more energy. It’s likely that you have wondered how to become a morning workout person, and you’re not alone.
In this how-to guide, we go over the important steps to help you feel more refreshed and ready to start your day and how to finally learn how to become a morning workout person. So, delete those extra “snooze” alarms, turn your coffee pot on, and get that workout gear ready!
Table of Contents
How to Become a Morning Workout Person
- What You’ll Need
- Start Waking Up Without Your Phone
- Drink Water Right Away
- Start Waking Up Earlier Each Day
- Set Attainable Workout Goals
- Set a Schedule that Works
- Pay Attention to Bed Time
- Get to Those Exercises!
What You’ll Need:
- An alarm clock
- A water bottle
- Some home workout gear
- Workout clothes
1. Start Waking Up Without Your Phone
We spend a lot of time on our phones. So much, in fact, that the average time that most adults spend on their phone is around four hours per day! For most of us, this overwhelming amount of time starts from the second we wake up. We turn off our alarm and immediately start scrolling through notifications and the news before we even think about starting our day.
The quick fix for this is to stop using your phone as an alarm clock. Invest in a non-phone alarm clock and keep your phone away from your bed and nightstand, forcing you to only check it once you’re already up and about.
How does this help you learn how to become a morning workout person? Well, not only does it prevent you from spending too much time in bed, but it will also encourage you to get on your feet earlier in the morning. This can be all of the encouragement that some people need to get moving!
You can’t expect to immediately become a morning workout person just by spending less time on your phone. While this step helps jump-start your morning, there are still quite a few more things you’ll need to adjust in your lifestyle before you get to exercise in the A.M.!
2. Drink Water Right Away
Now that you have an empty spot on your nightstand, you can replace it with a big bottle of water!
Drinking water first thing in the morning will help you feel more awake and alert before you even start drinking coffee. It can also rehydrate your body, as you’ve just spent around eight hours without any liquids.
3. Start Waking Up Earlier Every Day
Most of us need between 20 and 60 minutes to exercise. Simply setting your alarm for an hour earlier than usual in the morning isn’t the right way to learn how to become a morning workout person. Instead, it’ll just encourage you to hit snooze.
Instead, start waking up five to ten minutes earlier each day until you have enough extra time in the morning to exercise. This will help your body adjust to the new lifestyle change, and may also complement your nightly sleep times.
As you’re adjusting, you’ll want to make sure that you are actually moving, and not just laying in bed for longer. You don’t need to start running or going to the gym right away, but you should at least be on your feet or your yoga mat.
Our recommendation is to start your morning with stretches or yoga. There are various benefits to this, and it may even help your focus for the rest of the day!
You may want to consider keeping a yoga mat in your bedroom. Having one that is easily accessible means that you won’t have to drag yourself too far out of bed before you get started!
4. Set Attainable Workout Goals
“A ten-kilometre run before work? Check!” Have you ever said this? No, we haven’t, either. (Maybe someday!) If you go to bed at night and expect to crush a very difficult workout with little preparation, you may end up disappointed.
As you transition to becoming a morning workout person, you’ll want to set attainable workout goals. They should also be workouts that you look forward to doing. Or, at least ones that you don’t dread.
Doing this will encourage you to actually want to get out of bed. Otherwise, you may be setting yourself up for failure.
You can continue to expand your workout goals as you get used to exercising in the morning. And who knows, maybe you’ll be crushing those 10k runs in no time!
Image courtesy of Unsplash.
5. Set a Schedule That Works
Gruelling workouts every morning of the week is a bad idea for almost anybody. If you work out for so long or with such high intensity that you’re exhausted every day of the week, you might be doing something wrong.
So, be extra careful to set a schedule that works. For example, if you want to workout three mornings each week, ensure that you’re planning around important workdays. If you have to get to the office extra early one day for a big meeting, consider making it a rest day and exercising the morning after instead.
It’s important to take special care when planning this step. Otherwise, you may be talking yourself out of every morning workout! Don’t make excuses, but be conscious of how your morning workouts will impact the rest of your day. There’s no shame in taking days off to protect your mental health and daily schedule, but don’t let this desire take over.
6. Pay Attention to Bed Time
Have you been following the above steps, waking up earlier, drinking water and getting moving, but still feel exhausted? You may need to pay more attention to the routine at the end of the day.
Going to bed earlier can be incredibly difficult. This is especially true for the folks who lead busy lives. It’s hard to unwind, and it’s hard to find the time to even think about earlier nights.
On average, adults need seven to nine hours of sleep at night. Let’s take a typical morning workout routine into consideration.
- 6 a.m.: Wake up, drink water and exercise.
- 7: a.m.: Shower and get ready
- 7:30 a.m.: Have breakfast and gather things for the day.
- 8 a.m.: Leave for work.
Now, we recognize that many people will need to adjust this schedule based on their needs. Some people start their workday earlier, others have lengthy commutes, and many have families that they need to care for in the morning. Though, waking up between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. are pretty common times to start the day.
So, you’ll want to be going to sleep between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. depending on your schedule. This can be tough for a night owl. Here are a few tips and tricks to getting to sleep earlier and sleeping better:
- Reduce your screentime at night
- Avoid caffeine and other stimulants in the evening
- Avoid taking naps later in the day
- Take a hot shower before bed
- Sleep in cooler areas
7. Get To Those Exercises!
The steps for how to become a morning workout person are designed to help encourage you to sleep earlier, wake up feeling more well-rested, and feel prepared to take on the day. For many of us, that means working out before work or your other scheduled routines.
What we do with our period of workout is up to us. Many people may feel empowered to spend an hour doing yoga, while others may chase those running personal bests. Alternatively, you may want to drive to the gym for a quick weight-lifting session!
As long as you’re up and moving, we’re sure that you’ll start to feel better about your morning routine in no time. And now that you have some extra time in the A.M., you can decide how to use it!
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- How to do Daily Exercise at Home – Our Approach
Learning how to become a morning workout person is hard. It can take time, and it’s important not to get frustrated with yourself for not being a natural early bird. So, be patient with yourself and give yourself the time and energy you need to follow our steps to exercising happily in the morning!
