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As many of us know, getting out of bed first thing in the morning and going for a run is far easier said than done. Luckily, like most things in life, there are a few tips you can use to help you get the most from your mornings.
Get Enough Sleep
You know how the saying goes, early to bed early to rise. Not only do I have trouble with the early to bed part, early rising isn’t exactly my forte either. But going to bed early and waking up refreshed will make a huge difference in the level of effort required to get yourself out of bed at the crack of dawn. Turn off your TV and other distracting electronics early to allow your brain time to settle down before bed.
Set an Alarm or Two
Before you hit the sheets, set several alarms to get you up in the morning. When you inevitably hit the snooze button, there’s another alarm waiting to jolt you out of the comfortable haze of dozing in your bed. While you’re at it, put your alarm clock on the other side of the room. If you have to get up to turn it off, you’re much more likely to stay up once your feet hit the floor.
Grab a Partner
Making plans to work out with someone else gives you incentive to get out of bed. It’s more difficult to back out of your workout when you know it means cancelling on someone. Exercising with a friend is more fun and will help motivate you to get up and out of the house.
Get Ready the Night Before
If you have a gym bag, packing it the night before will cut down on the time you need to get ready in the morning. Lay out your workout clothes so you don’t waste time getting dressed when you manage to stumble out of bed. Make sure your phone, keys and water are ready to go, too.
Don’t Punish Yourself
If you make workouts completely miserable for yourself, you’ll find it difficult to gather the motivation to get out of bed early. A workout shouldn’t feel like a punishment for your body; exercising should be enjoyable. If you don’t enjoy your workout, maybe your current routine isn’t the right one. Know your boundaries and don’t push yourself outside of your abilities because progress doesn’t happen overnight.
Above all, remember that staying on a good workout routine takes time. Skipping one day isn’t going to undo all of your hard work. Discipline should be about putting focus into your workouts – not beating yourself up. Some days it will be hard to find the motivation you need to jump start your morning, but knowing that endorphins are at the end of your exercise can sweeten the deal a little.