I set a new goal each month and create habits to help me achieve it. This month’s goal is to stay active every day (whether running, yoga, weightlifting, or walking 10,000 steps).
So far, the habits I have established include:
Laying out my workout clothes the night before and putting them on first thing in the morning.
Scheduling exercise sessions (e.g., running at 7 AM on Tuesday or yoga at 9 AM on Monday).
Do you have any other suggestions? Bonus if they can help me stick to early morning workouts because I am finding it challenging!
I stick to a consistent workout time and make it a habit to go regularly. I always set goals, right now, my goal is to reach 4 miles, and eventually, I want to hit 5. Setting targets like these keeps me motivated.
Set an alarm and never hit snooze. Stay positive and just do it, no matter what your mind is telling you! Try to go at the same time every day. That’s the key, lol.
Same here… That is why I use the free version of the Alarmy app with the barcode scanner feature, which forces me to scan something in my bathroom to turn it off. I have disabled the snooze option, so I have no choice but to at least get up and go to the bathroom. Once I’m up, I brush my teeth and feed my cats. While doing that, I make coffee, so by that point, there’s no reason to go back to bed. It’s a crazy system, but it works! I’d really have to want to go back to bed after all that.
Find a podcast or playlist you are excited to listen to and save it just for when you are lifting, walking, or stretching. I enjoy Spotify’s Daily Drive, which is a mix of news and music!
Have a small snack when you wake up! Physiologically, it helps your body wake up and aligns you better with your morning schedule. Plus, it makes your workout more effective by ensuring your body builds muscle and burns fat instead of losing lean mass if you are trying to lose weight.
If your goal is to improve fitness and get stronger, it will boost your energy and help your body adapt to become stronger and improve endurance. So take those extra few minutes in the morning to wake up and eat!
Have a workout plan ready before you go, like setting specific days for strength training versus cardio, and plan them strategically throughout your week. For instance, I avoid doing anything strenuous on Wednesdays because I know that is when I struggle the most at work.
Additionally, even if I hit snooze on the alarm, I turn on my bedside light when the alarm goes off to help me wake up naturally.
Wearing a Fitbit motivates me to move more. Walking my daughter to her bus stop serves as a warm-up. I arrive at work early (around 7:30) and walk around the building as much as possible before clocking in at 8, plus I take walks during my two 15-minute breaks.
By the time I get home, I’m almost at my 10,000-step goal. Then, I turn on YouTube and do a workout from Grow With Jo or Burpee Gurl. As a mom, I am learning that making excuses isn’t helpful, sometimes you just have to do it! I also don’t want to lead a sedentary lifestyle.
I can not emphasize this enough, standing up immediately when your alarm goes off has been a game-changer for me. Do not linger to “rest your eyes” or start scrolling. Get up quickly, like a toaster strudel popping up.
Even if you enjoy sleeping in, this will become a habit in just a few days and almost entirely wipes out that groggy morning feeling.
You and others have mentioned things I had not considered because they’ve been part of my routine for so long, like laying out clothes the night before and having a specific plan. The key is knowing exactly what you need to do so you don’t have to make decisions first thing. If you run into issues in the morning, think about what you could plan or decide ahead of time to avoid those problems.
Additionally, something I have not seen mentioned is setting a series of alarms at 5-10 minute intervals to remind you of the steps to get to your workout, like “meds and water,” “go to the bathroom,” “get dressed,” “turn on music,” etc. This keeps you on track and prevents the nagging feeling of being unprepared or having to return multiple times for forgotten items, which can waste workout time.
On the Apple Watch, there are ‘rings’ to track daily and monthly goals, which helps keep me motivated. Plus, I am naturally an early morning person by nature.
I never managed to work out consistently in the morning until I started going to Orange Theory. It is a workout I enjoy, and even on days when I feel off, the coaches and atmosphere ensure I still get a great workout. It adds another layer of accountability, I can not just quit halfway through if I’m not feeling it. I have grown to love OTF so much that I now wake up at 5 AM a few days a week to go, and have been able to stick with it for the past year and a half. I’ve noticed many positive changes, both physically and mentally.
I will have to give that a try!