Did you ever come to notice the fact that when you exercise in the morning, you feel generally more alert, awake and productive the entire day? That is no coincidence though. Morning workouts are proven to have big advantages for both your mind an
d body health. For starters, doing exercises in the mornings automatically jumpstarts your metabolism and keeps you burning those calories at a much higher rate the entire day. Also, by doing your workouts in the mornings, you are getting exercise out of
the way already and will not have to worry about not having a proper time allocated for your workout routines should you end up having a hectic day ahead.
In one recent study, it was found out that exercising before breakfast can reverse the negative effects of over-eating. In this study, researchers have compared several groups of young men who exercised (biked, ran) before breakfast with those who exercise after eating big meals and with those who do not exercise at all. Of the groups included, only those who exercised before breakfast exhibited little to no weight gain at all and showed no signs of resistance to insulin. But science aside, if you’re having a hard time getting up in the morning to do your exercises, then here’s a few things that can help motivate yourself.
1. Move your alarm clock.
So, instead of sleeping with your alarm clock next to you, make it a habit of moving it to the farther side of the room. The reason being is you’ll need to indeed wake up and walk out of your bed to get it shut when it goes off. Once you’re up and awake, it will
be much easier to stretch, get into your walkout clothes and head off for a brisk walk around the neighbourhood or swing by your local gym for a quick morning routine.
2. Get a workout buddy.
Turn your workouts into catch-up dates. Having a workout buddy is a good way to motivate yourself. Create plans to meet with your workout buddy at 6am at the gym or 7am at the tennis courts. In this motivation scenario, you are less likely to chicken
out of your workout sessions if you know that
someone is waiting for you.
3. Make friends at the gym.
Stick long enough to your morning routines at the gym and chances are you’ll end up being friends with the other gym rats. You’ll become more familiar with those regular patrons who exercise at that particular timeframe too. It’s going to be one of t
hose social factors that can kick in—it will inspire you
to get up in the morning and workout as you’ll know your gym buddies are there too and might wonder what’s up if you missed a day or two.
4. Set a goal.
Every Sunday night, take your daily planner out and create your workout schedule for the week. Tell yourself for example, “For this week, I’m going to get up early on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and run 3 miles before heading to work. Schedule your
workout sessions as you would a normal appointment. You are more likely to adhere to your scheduled sessions if you write all down.
5. Put on your fave tunes in your music player.
Music is a pretty good motivator especially in the morning. If you create yourself a good playlist, that can be a great way to get you out of bed and instantly moving. Research has shown that listening to music while working out can help reduce fatigue and
aids in the production of positive thoughts and energy.
6. Prepare the night before.
To really follow through with your exercise routine in the AM, it helps to start laying out your workout clothes and equipments the night before. That way, you won’t have to spend much time in getting dressed and preparing yourself once morning comes.
7. Reward yourself for your efforts.
If you’ve met your exercise goals and managed to get up early 4 out of 5 days to actually workout, then consider doing something nice for yourself over the weekend. Get yourself a mani and pedi, go see a movie with friend or probably watch a baseball game. Buy a new dress or workout clothes, get a well-deserved body massage or just cozy up at your home; the thing is to find something that can continuously motivate you.
