Do you find it difficult to wake up early in the morning and go out for exercising. Read on here for the best 10 tips on how to start working out in the early morning.

Majority of the people do not like to wake up early in the morning and go out for exercising. But trust me getting up and moving out early in the morning in fact can be a great way to start your day. Even I wasn’t always someone who enjoyed working out early in the morning, but now I can’t imagine it any other way!

Although, the best time to workout for anyone depends on one’s schedule and body clock, but the morning workouts have always been considered as the best. Just imagine: You won’t have to slug to the gym after a long day of work, and you’re more likely to really get it done if you do it before other (sometimes more fun) options come up – moreover, you have the whole day remaining to finish your day work in time and have fun later during the evenings!

Benefits Of Early Morning Workouts

(i) Strength training workout can stimulate metabolism for up to 48 hours so doing your workout in the AM is an effective way to jumpstart your metabolism. The uplifted metabolism ensures that you burn calories throughout the day.

(ii) Exercise also boosts endorphins in the brain that can perk up your mood and start your day off on a positive note. More so, your sense of accomplishment from knowing you have your workout done before you even start your workday will uplift your mood and keep you from stressing over it later if something unexpected comes up.

(iii) According to a study, exercise notably enhances mental abilities and exercising in the A.M. can let you to utilize that increased brainpower.

Many of you must have heard some usual tricks and tips, but still not been able to get up at the crack of dawn and enjoy your workout. Don’t you wonder what hacks the people do who consistently work out in the early a.m.? We talked to those who know best – a mix of people who train for a living and, enthusiastic early morning birds in the gym – to find out what gets them up and workout at the break of dawn.

Top Tips To Getting In An Early Morning Workout!

Here are the best 10 tips on how to start working out in the early morning:

1. Set Everything Up The Night Before And Ready To Go In Morning: One of the most important tricks to make your early morning workouts happen is to be prepared – whether its pushup blocks, a jump rope, bands, or your workout attire – make sure everything is laid out before you go to bed so you won’t be scrambling the next morning and be ready to go! That way, I get to set my alarm with enough time to wash my face, brush my teeth, put on my clothes and eat some pre-workout snack. Knowing I have made sufficient preparations gives me the peace of mind that I don’t have to rush in the morning, so ensures a worry free sleep and stress free morning!

To quote Sandee Shin, Cross Fit Virtuosity Athlete: “Every evening I check to see what the morning workout will be and prepare my bag accordingly (not every day is a jump rope day). On weekdays I’m in bed no later than 10:30 p.m., so my 6:30 a.m. alarm doesn’t feel quite so brutal. I’m ready and out the door within 10 minutes.”

Another great option is to create a new playlist the night before or start your workout with a new song you really enjoy and look forward to hearing. This will help you get out of bed in the morning and get those energy levels fired up early in the morning.

2. Go to Bed Earlier: One of the most common reasons many people don’t like to get up early in the morning to exercise is that they feel too tired. If this is the reason with you then the obvious way to resolve this is by hitting the hay early so you’re well rested! I find that if I get about 7-8 hours of sleep, I feel great the rest of the day, irrespective of how early I get up! For example, when I know I need to wake up at 5.30 to go to gym, I try to be in bed between 9.30 to 10 pm. I stick to it, even if it means missing my favorite TV show.

To me, that is not too difficult, especially when I know that I will feel great the next day after I have let my body to have enough rest! Also I avoid having wine or alcohol at night as it makes me feel not so active when I wake up in the morning.

Many research studies also suggest that morning exercise improves quality of sleep, so getting into a good routine of an earlier bedtime might not be a problem. Exercise in the morning can help to set the body clock for activities during the day time and for sleep at night, on the other hand exercise at night can actually push back the sleep part of the sleep-wake cycle. In one recent study women who exercised in the morning averaged a 70% better nights sleep versus non-exercisers.

3. Find Workout Buddies: This is really something – I find it so much motivating to work out with a buddy or a group of friends! The feeling of having someone at the gym to meet you will actually make it much easier for you to leave your bed. Knowing that someone is counting on you to be there at a certain time has worked with me. What I like about my early morning workouts is that my workout is done before I know it and then I get enough time to enjoy the rest of my!

To quote Rachel Lockwood McDonald: “Find a good group. While I don’t always want to go to the workout, I always want to see my friends.” 

4. Eat a Quick Pre-Workout Snack: Some people might not like to eat something before early morning workout because of their fear for a bloating feeling. On the other hand eating a small to medium sized meal before workout can provide ample energy for your workout without the bloated feeling that comes with larger meals that can affect performance. However, each individual knows his own body best, so finding out what works best for you is essential – whether to have a pre-workout meal or not.

Planning your pre-workout meal the night before can be helpful. Pre make a little morning snack or a shake the night before and keep it in the fridge so you can quickly grab it to nosh on while getting ready.

Here are the best foods that you can eat before workout. Again, this will vary from individual to individual, so we suggest you experiment with a few different options to see what works best for you.

Just Fitness Tip: Make sure to always have a water bottle ready to go, as staying hydrated during workout is a key rule.

5. Get In The Mindset To Make It A Habit: I now enjoy working out early in the morning, but it wasn’t always like this. Actually, two years ago I would grudge at the thought of getting out of bed early morning and working out. However, from last two years I have learnt over time that there are more pros than cons when it comes to doing it done first thing in the early hours. Here are a few examples of the benefits: Working out in the morning means that you don’t have to think about it the rest of the day, you feel more energetic the rest of my day, and you can accomplish your day activities without feeling any work pressure.

To quote Adam Griffin, founder of Bodeefit: “Life is about habits, both big and small. So to get to the bigger goal of working out in the morning, I stick to small habits along the way, like placing my alarm clock in my kitchen. As I brush my teeth, I ask myself: What will I gain from staying awake instead of going back to bed? The answer is always ‘a lot,’ because a couple extra hours of uninterrupted time is enormous, whether it’s spent at a desk or in the gym.”

6. Plan Out Your Workouts: Plan out your workout schedule in advance that you are going to in the morning. This is a key tip to have a great workout, especially when it’s early in the morning! If you don’t plan your workouts ahead of time, you would most likely have a hard time pushing yourself in the gym. You can plan out your workout schedule on every Sunday, so that you know what you are doing for the whole week in advance! I do it myself, and honestly I find it more motivating to know what I am doing ahead of time and have an organized workout schedule.

7. Start With Exercises You Enjoy And Recruit A Partner: You’ll be more likely to get out of bed and into your workout if you perform exercises you enjoy. If you are currently doing something that you find to be boring or you are doing something you don’t like, I encourage you to find something you enjoy and it doesn’t even have to be done at a gym! Try whether it’s a brisk run, yoga sessions, a bike ride, or a morning workout you like – to make sure that you stick to your morning routine and not dread the morning alarm. Recruiting a partner can also help with consistency. A pre-arranged workout time with a partner will motivate you out of bed and take the option of “going back to sleep” out of your mind completely.

8. Perform A Longer Warm-Up: Your body temperature is naturally lower in the morning and doing exercises without enough warming up can cause injury. When you begin to exercise, your body undergoes a number of changes such as an increased blood flow, increased respiration rate, and an increased amount of oxygen delivered to muscle cells. To make sure that these bodily changes respond appropriately you should gradually prepare your body by performing an adequate warm-up.

Benefits Of A Solid Warm-Up:

(i) Get ready your nervous system for the impending exertion of exercise.

(ii) Improves your mental acuity.

(iii) Loosens up your joints and muscles for prevention of injury.

(iv) Allows your heart to slowly adjust to the enhanced activity, thereby increasing the blood flow and sending enough amount of oxygen and nutrients to your body’s cells.

Do about 5-10 minutes of muscle activation and dynamic flexibility movements to get your blood pumping and mentally prepared for your morning workout.

9. Have A Delicious But Healthy Breakfast: If you are putting in the time and efforts to begin your day off with a workout, make sure to plan and treat yourself with a special delicious (but healthy) breakfast after the workout as a reward for your efforts. You’ll get through your workout a little faster knowing there’s a special breakfast waiting for you at home.

Remember nutrition is as important as the workout for maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle! If you are worried that you don’t have time to workout and prep a healthy breakfast in the morning, no worries! Here, I have a list of healthy breakfast options on the go! I personally like to re-fuel with something that is higher in protein and complex carbohydrates. Here are my personal favorite choices!

To quote Sarah Pope, Assistant Coach at Brick New York: “When I’m looking at another 5 a.m. wake up call, I’ll pre-order my favorite smoothie from my go-to smoothie shop to be delivered to the box early next morning. Once I hit that send button, I know I have to get up early – not just so I can eat it, but to make sure nobody else eats it (which, yes, has almost happened). I even label my alarm to say: ‘Get your damn Liquiteria”.

10. Some Early Morning Workout Tips That Are Really Helpful: Some tricks from the experts:

(i) Set Two Alarms: “The first one lets me know I have 15 more minutes to sleep, which makes me happy. Then I meditate for 10 minutes, drink an almond milk cappuccino, play music (pretty loud—sorry, neighbors!), and throw on a super-bright Nike outfit. Caffeine. Clear Head. Neon. I’m out the door and ready to take on the day.” – Holly Rilinger, Nike Master Trainer, Flywheel Master Instructor, and co-creator of BeachFIT

(ii) Prep Your Clothes – And A Playlist: “The more I like my outfit, the more excited I am to put it on! Also, I always have an excellent playlist. For me music dictates the way and the intensity in which I move.” – Bree Branker, Flywheel NYC instructor

(iii) Splash Yourself: “I could lie in bed for hours, so the biggest struggle for me is just putting my feet on the ground. Then I immediately walk to the bathroom and wash my face with cold water—afterward, I feel awake and ready to go.” – Locke Hughes Locke, Senior Editor

(iv) Think About How You’ll Feel Afterward: “For me, it’s knowing how great I’ll feel once it’s over. Once I’m done, I know I have the entire day and night to do whatever I want!” – Amanda Delaney, Director Of office Operations

(v) Do It No Matter What: “For me, it’s consistency. Even if I’m not feeling the workout that day, if I just get up and go through the motions, it helps.” — Aaron Perkins

(vi) Dream Of: “I visualize the workout the night before as I’m falling asleep. Visualizing myself enjoying it and seeing myself smiling works every time.” – Antonio Deliseo