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It’s no secret that figuring out how to develop an early morning exercise routine is hard work.
Each year, tons of people set out to accomplish new year resolutions related to exercise and weight loss, and many of these people begin their days at the gym.
By March, however, the gym is no longer as full as it once was, and yet again, tons of people aren’t able to follow-through on their goals of developing and maintaining an early morning exercise routine.
What gives? How or why do so many people fail?
I’ve been an early morning exerciser (specifically, a runner) for most of my adult life now, and I’m pleased to share with you some of my best practices to help make the early morning routine flawless.
Below, you’ll find some tips to help you create an early morning exercise routine. They include:
1. Set your alarm — and to be safe, set many of them.
Unless you’re already used to waking up super early, play it safe, and set an alarm, or even better, a few of them. Don’t expect to hop right out of bed initially because your body will need to acclimate to the earlier wake-up time. And, most importantly, be sure to set your alarm for AM, not PM! I’ve made that mistake before, unfortunately.
2. Get in bed at least 10 minutes earlier than usual.
Again, your body needs time to adjust to your new sleeping and waking schedule, so even if you go to bed earlier than usual but don’t quite fall asleep, that’s ok. That’ll come in time. Focus on setting up a new routine for yourself first.
3. When you’re in bed, put your devices away.
We’re all guilty of this. We go to bed, thinking we’re so tired, and then hours later, we’re still awake, watching stupid videos on YouTube, reading Facebook, and updating our twitter and Instagram feeds.
Once you’re in bed, either go to bed, or read a book (and not a digital book — a good, old-fashioned book).
4. Put out all your clothes the night before.
You want to make your morning as streamlined as possible, so leave nothing to chance.
Set out everything you’ll need for your workout before you go to bed so that when you wake up, you’ll be able to get going soon and won’t have to waste time looking around for an errant sock or a missing shoe.
Time is of the essence, so you don’t want to waste anything.
5. Don’t mess around on your phone in the morning.
Unless you must do something essential, like check the weather before working out outside, don’t mess around on your phone before your workout.
You’d be surprised at how big a timesuck it can be.
More than anything, when you’re developing a new early morning exercise routine, please remember to be patient with yourself and to be understanding and flexible.
There will be some days that you’ll fail because you overslept your alarm or because you wanted to be lazy, and that’s ok! That’s what makes us all human.
Don’t overthink things, and just try again the next day. Building habits takes time, but provided you do the hard work of putting good, reliable systems in place — like what I’ve suggested above — you’ll be able to succeed.
Simply stated, just give yourself a chance and believe in your potential. You’re completely capable.
About the Author
Jane Grates | Fitness enthusiast and an entrepreneur. Operating at the fulcrum of design and mathematics to craft an inspiring, compelling and authentic brand narrative.
