In the winter months, it can be pretty hard to even consider getting up out of bed for those early morning workouts. But now summer’s here, which means earlier, brighter mornings, you might just be thinking now could be the ideal time to get into the habit. If you’re keen to get started – but know that your bed is your best friend in the morning – try some of these top tips. It’s definitely worth a go – getting moving first thing is great for your body and your mind. Plus, it leaves you with the rest of the day for other priorities!
Keep your alarm out of reach
This is a great trick. If you place your alarm at the opposite side of the room, you’re forced to get up to switch it off. Yes, there is the chance you may just climb back into bed. If you’re that type of person, maybe set more than one alarm a few minutes later to give yourself another chance. (Just don’t take the alarm back to bed with you after the first one!)
Lose the blackout curtains
Blackout curtains are amazing for keeping out the sunlight first thing. Switch these for thin curtains and your bedroom won’t be quite the snuggly haven it usually is at 6am! Cue workout! Alternatively, get a wake-up light, which lights up your room in the morning.
Make alternative plans in the evenings
If you keep yourself busy for the rest of the day, you won’t have much choice but to get up and work out first thing! Simple, but effective if the thought of not working out AT ALL gets you all hot under the collar.
Have your kit ready
If you’ve got to run around looking for your gym gear at 5.30am, you’re bound to just groan and throw your head back under the pillow. Have everything ready and it’s so much easier to commit. A good idea is to have your workout clothes and trainers in view of your bed too.
Get a (reliable) training buddy
This is brilliant, if you can get it. Buddy up with someone else and your success rate is bound to be higher. You don’t want to let your training pal down, and it helps to have someone else as you can encourage each other along.
Prep a tasty snack
This could be pre- or post-workout, depending on how you feel. Prepare a yummy healthy smoothie (perhaps with a shot of coffee!) as a pre-workout snack and you’ll want to get up so you can have it. Same with a post-workout breakfast. Knowing you’ve got a tasty brekkie to follow your hard work is a great way to get you motivated. Just make sure they’re healthy so you don’t undo all your hard work.
Work out at home
Simple, but effective. If you haven’t got to travel anywhere, it’s an awful lot easier to commit. Get yourself equipped with some home fitness equipment and you’ll have no excuses! With a few nicely-selected pieces of equipment (perhaps your preferred cardio machine, such as an exercise bike or cross trainer, some weights and bits of functional kit), you could soon have quite the enviable home workout space!
Get workouts on the calendar
Put a calendar in easy sight in your kitchen, or somewhere else you spend a lot of time. Ensure those workouts are written in, perhaps with a red pen or highlighted. If it’s on the calendar, or in the diary, it helps to make your training programme more of a priority.
Get a decent night’s sleep
Vowing to get up at 6am for a HIIT session, but then staying up till 1am watching Netflix is never going to work. On training days, make sure you get to bed at a decent time so that you’re focused and rested for the morning.
Make sure you enjoy your workout
The key to success is liking what you do. Make sure your workouts are enjoyable. You might need to trial a few things to find what works for you, but don’t keep on with a programme you simply can’t get yourself excited for. A great way to keep motivated is to mix your routine up. This is also great for your body too, of course. Try different HIIT sessions, combine weight training with functional fitness etc. Plus, get a decent playlist! Master the early morning workout routine in the summer months and, by the time the darker mornings start to creep in, you’ll be so dedicated, the seasonal change won’t have any effect on you whatsoever!