It’s hard to believe that Memorial Day will be here in a few short weeks. The unofficial start to summer means barbecues, pool parties, and usually a little bit more skin shown than in the winter. If you are looking to kick start a work out regime to get you summer body ready, we have some tips and advice to get your early morning work outs in gear.
Preparation is critical:
- The night before, pack your gym bag with everything you will need: workout clothes, sneakers, deodorant, etc. Get your water bottle and a light breakfast prepped. Your goal should be up and out the door within 10-15 minutes of waking up.
- Set two alarm clocks. The first one can be your alert for 10 more minutes of sleep. The second is time to get up. And put your alarm clock in a spot which forces you to stand up and walk to turn off.
- Now that the alarm has forced you to stand up, turn on the lights and some music. Start waking your body up and getting the blood flowing!
- Leave yourself some motivation. Write down motivation quotes, goals, or photos and put them in a place that you can see them. Just reading some short quotes while you are brushing your teeth can boost your attitude.
- Keep your morning workout short and simple. Committing to long, overly strenuous workouts might sound good in the beginning, but can lead to burn out or losing motivation. Plan your workout so that it is something you look forward to doing every day.
Additional benefits to AM workouts:
- You are less likely to skip your daily workout. When you plan a workout for later in the day, it’s more likely that ‘life’ will get in the way. Get into the gym in the am and immediately get to check it off your to do list.
- You are more likely to eat healthier throughout the day. Consider it a kick starter to better nutrition. Are you likely to grab a dessert at lunch when you can freshly remember your morning run?
- Although it can be a struggle to get out of the bed, you will have more energy overall throughout the day.
Morning workouts are just one way to lead a healthy lifestyle. Tell us in the comments – what do you do to lead a healthy lifestyle?
