When it comes to working out on a winter morning, for many of us the spirit is willing but the body prefers to stay snuggled up in pyjamas. You know you’ll feel better for it so how do you fight the urge to hit the snooze button, get up and start moving? We’ve got some tips and tricks to make it easier to work out in the early am.
1. Arm yourself with the right alarm
A motivating alarm ringtone will make you feel more awake than one that lulls you back to sleep. Putting your alarm / iPhone away from your bed, and setting with a persistent ringtone will force you to have to get up and turn it off. Once you’re out of bed you’re more likely to stay up. If you’re getting up pre-dawn then a wake up light will help your brain switch to day mode more easily, and you won’t be tempted to snooze.
2. Put out your gym gear the night before
Make it as easy as possible to get up and get to your personal training session, such as preparing your gym gear the night before. This way you can roll out of bed, get dressed, have breakfast and go. Don’t just have a boring gym outfit, if you have bright, fun workout clothes, you’re more likely to want to put them on. If you really want to give yourself the maximum chance of working out wear your gym clothes to bed.
3. Think ahead with breakfast
Eating breakfast is important before a workout as it gives your body the energy it needs to perform. Make sure you have everything you need for a yummy, nutritious breakfast planned the night before, e.g pour the cereal into the bowl, pre-chop fruit or make a smoothie and put it in the fridge. Bircher muesli is also a great cereal option you can make the night before.
4. Turn on the tunes
Music is a motivating force for getting up and starting your day. Always have an excellent playlist ready to go so when you’re driving or biking to the gym your mind is already in workout mode. If you live with other people, try popping in your headphones while you make breakfast or brush your hair – we promise a little bit of upbeat music will cure any winter blues!
5. Just do it
It may be the catchphrase for Nike but there’s a certain motivation in consistency. Even if you don’t feel like working out, getting up and going through the motions will form habits that stick and make it easier to help you conquer the dreaded morning workout. So get up without thinking about it! Studies show that you only have a small 3 second window of opportunity before your brain starts finding reasons to stay in bed.
6. Reward yourself
Knowing you have a reward waiting if you do your workout is incredibly motivating. Schedule treats, whether it’s brunch with friends, a lunch time shopping expedition, a massage or a movie you really want to see and we guarantee you’ll be up and moving even if it’s frosty outside.
7. Workout with a friend.
Working out with a friend can help you beat the early workout blues by holding you accountable. Pets are an even more motivating force, if you have a dog jumping up on your bed wanting a morning walk then that can be hard to ignore. Finding a community of like-minded people, like our awesome clients at Striders, can push you and help you commit to your fitness goals.
Want to start personal training? Talk to our friendly team today!
