Motivation Monday: Morning Workouts

This time of year is HARD.

It’s dark when my alarm goes off.  My bed is so warm.  My husband is more willing to cuddle when it’s cooler out so he’ll put an arm around me before I can sneak out of bed and I just want to stay there all day.

 

But then I think about how much better it will feel knowing I’m totally done with my workout for the day.  Knowing that when I get home from work, I can relax, do a few things around the house, go for a walk, or just veg on the couch depending on the day.

 

It’s not easy to find the motivation to get up and workout in the morning, but I’ve done a good job at making it a habit, and ANYONE can do this, especially if I did.  (Believe me, I’m the furthest thing from a morning person, I take a full half hour or longer to “wake-up” unlike my husband who jumps out of bed ready to go.)  And really, the truth is, that I’ve NEVER regretted a morning workout.  On the rare occasion that I skip one and sleep in, I usually feel pretty crappy the rest of the day, and end of feeling so guilty that I’m afraid to eat anything because I haven’t burned any extra calories.

 

Need some help? Think of it this way: it takes 21 days to form a habit.  For the next 3 weeks, get your workout done as soon as you wake up, even if it’s just a brisk 20 minute walk outside or on the treadmill. 

One of the things that helped me out of bed in the beginning was the guilt of waking up my husband for nothing.  He’s a light sleeper, so he wakes up when my alarm goes off; he would get really mad at me if I set my alarm and then when back to bed, since I woke him up for no good reason.  I forced myself out of bed to save that argument, and after a few weeks, it didn’t feel as awful every morning.  Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of days (today included) where I have a VERY hard time getting out of bed, but in the end, you just have to make yourself do it. Commit to it.  Make a promise to yourself, and at the end of 21 days, if you’ve stuck with it, treat yourself to a reward (no, not food, but something for yourself like new clothes, a manicure, a new workout video, etc.).  There are plenty of tips out there, so experiment and find what works for you.  For me, I HAVE to be in bed by 10am, or my 5:30 wake-up call just ain’t happening.  I also lay out my workout clothes the night before so I’m not fumbling around the bedroom in the dark looking for stuff.  In the end, the tricks that work for me might be different than the ones that work for you, but just figure out what you need to make it happen, and stick with it.  A habit is a habit, pure and simple, and this is the healthiest one you can form.  This habit is even easier for me to maintain now that I know my workouts are only 25 minutes long with T25, but any workout will do the trick, so just get moving!

 

You can do this, I’m cheering you on!
I've linked up with Kristin and Kristin for tips and tricks Tuesday on this one, go check out their pages and send them some love!