Tips to Start Working Out in the Morning

Does your New Year’s resolution include working out more?

Before becoming a mom, I started exercising in the morning. It was the first time I prioritized exercise and found that getting to the gym before work early meant I beat traffic. #winning #morningworkoutsrule

Over the years, due to pregnancies, morning school drop-offs, workload, and other reasons, I’d get out of the routine. I had to start over each time.

But after every workout, I’m always glad I did it. Always.

Resetting your day to start working out in the morning is not easy at first, but this is what I’ve found that worked for me.

How to start working out in the morning:

• Set out your clothes the night before.
• Prepare your breakfast the night before. Just enough to give you fuel; nothing heavy.
• Know your schedule so you stay on track. What time do you need to start exercising? When do you need to get in the shower?
• Set an alarm.
• When your alarm goes off, don’t snooze.
• No matter how tired you are, just keep moving to the next step in your schedule.
• Don’t check social media, email, or anything else.
• Get in your car (if you’re driving) or find your device and press play. Even if you’re chewing your last bite or your shoes aren’t laced.
• Know what your workout will be and where you’ll exercise. Space is not an excuse, you can get your blood moving doing a wall-sit and squats.
• Don’t wait to “feel like it” or “have the energy.” Just start.
• Prepare for obstacles. For example, wake before your house to eliminate distractions or subscribe to a workout program (like Beachbody On Demand) so there is no commute.

Prepare everything and know your plan so you don’t have to think. Just do.

And, don’t skip breakfast! Jillian Michaels said in “Master Your Metabolism” that if you work out on an empty stomach, then you burn muscle instead of fat. What would be the point of a workout that is detrimental to your muscles? Eat something.

Sidenote: My Olive and June nail polish on this day was holiday festive with white (HD), cherry red (CV) and silver (OJPAS).

After a few weeks of working out in the morning, you’ll:

• Have noticeably more energy.
• Find that when you skip a morning workout, you feel more sluggish.
• Appreciate getting your workout done.
• Feel like you achieved something before your day really begins.
• Feel proud of yourself and your new routine. (Celebrate this! Tell your spouse, friend, journal, anywhere to recognize yourself!)
• Look forward to your workouts to see what else you can accomplish.

So if you are looking to start working out in the morning, why not give these tips a try for a few weeks and see what happens?

Good luck and if you find something else that works for you, please let me know! I’m always looking for ways to change things up!

Oh, and happy 2021! We made it!