AM exercisers - what makes you get up?
 

I want to change my workouts to early AM, I know the benefits and need the consistancy.
The problem I'm having is that actual "get up out of bed" moment.
I have 3 alarms, everything laid out ready, loads of intentions, lots of self-talk and yet that 'get up moment' still remains the obstacle.

A few years ago I did early AM workouts, my motivation was pain relief, and I had to get up early to go to the bathroom, so all I had to do was not get back in bed, now I don't have these motivators I seem to be struggling to reach my objective.

So my question to you early morning exercisers is
What motivates you to 'get up' to work out?

TIA
J

What makes me get up?
 

Easy -- my cat. He trashes the apartment like Godzilla marching through Tokyo until I get up and feed him. Oh, and he's a very early riser.

It's tough
 

It *is* very hard to be an AM exerciser, and around VF, I'm at the LATE end of the AM spectrum, rising around 6-6:15 to actually start around 6:15-6:30. For me the motivation comes from the fact that the rest of my family is up and about at that hour and I would feel like a lazy slug if I lay around in bed. It works for me, anyway.

More practical strategies have been discussed in our "AM Converts" checkin. Do a search and read through the posts.

Good luck,

Elisa s

It does get a little bit easier, but it's always a struggle
 

How do I make myself get up?? Some mornings, I don't even know... ;)

I have been trying the last few months to consistently wake up early in the mornings. Some days I do great, others.... well... let's just say that I just ADORE my snooze button :rolleyes:

What has helped me get up most is knowing that if I want to get a good workout in, I have to do it in the morning, as it's become very difficult to do it in the evenings after a hard day's work. I also realize that my days are more productive if I workout in the mornings versus the evenings. What has also helped is setting everything out the night before (but that just saves time, it doesn't MOTIVATE me to get up). So, I guess it's really a frame of mind that makes me get up.

BTW, my morning hours vary from 5 AM to 6 AM (weekdays) and 7-9 AM (weekends).

If I don't get out of bed at 5:00 when my alarm goes off, my DH usually rolls over and gives me a push. He knows how crabby I can be if I don't work out. Thank goodness for those endorphin highs!

Cynthia

The world really doesn't take into account that people have bodies with different time zones. The Morning People make the rules!

As a born earlybird, I can't help you with good advice or get-out-of-bed techniques. However, I think it's best to try to establish a new habit in small increments. Maybe moving your wake-up time back five minutes a week will help your body adjust. In just six weeks, you'll be waking up 30 minutes earlier.

As I get older, I find that going to bed earlier is important, too. Your body may be asking for a certain number of hours, and will adjust better to early rising if it gets an earlier start. Luckily, I live in the Central Time Zone, so I don't miss ALL the shows on Wednesday night tv. However, it's been quite a while since I could actually stay awake until the verdict on Law & Order. I always have to ask my hubby how it came out. But I DO bounce out of bed for my workouts!

Even after 10+ years its still tough
 

I have been a morning exerciser for over ten years. Not necessarily by choice but because the hours at my job are different each day and I never know what time I will be home. So, the only way I could be consistent with my workouts was to change to the morning. It is hard for me to get out of bed early and face an hour of hard exercise but the thought of missing a workout always wins out over the part of me that wants to lie there! I also have a tough commute and if I get up later my drive to work will be horrible. So those factors coupled with the great feeling I have after a workout are what motivates me to drag myself out of bed every day.

Get Past Those First Few Moments of Laziness!
 

I guess what motivates me most is the thought that, if I don't get up and work out now, I won't get a workout in today. Even so, it's getting more and more difficult to get up and work out as I get older. Maybe it's not the age, maybe I'm just getting burned out on it.

I'm always more motivated on the days when I can get up a bit later - so I at least see light through my bedroom window. Waking up and seeing pitch darkness outside really isn't very energizing!

The thing I always try to remember is that it's only those first few moments lying in bed that I don't want to get up. Once I get up and get moving, I'm fine -- and glad that I did it. Maybe that will help motivate you. "At this moment I feel like I don't want to get up, but 5 minutes after I haul my butt out of this bed I'll be glad I did." (That doesn't always work either, but it's worth a shot!)

Re: Even after 10+ years its still tough
 

I forgot that the commute is a factor for me also. If I leave for work after 6:45 AM, it takes me anywhere from 15-30 minutes more to get to work. That definitely motivates me to get up early, because I hate sitting around in my car!

I Put my alarm clock across the room
 

When I have to actually get out of bed to stop the alarm, I am up. Can't get back into bed, and actually, we have a new puppy (Chihuahua named Taco) that hears me. Time to get him outside.

terri