It’s 5:00AM and your alarm goes off. There’s just enough time to roll out of bed, brush your teeth, shower, throw on some clothes and head out to the 6:30AM barre class you booked the night before. You may now be starting to question your ambitious decision you made just 12 hours ago, but don’t! You’re doing a good thing.
If you’re like me, the thought of leaving the comfort of your cozy bed to go work out takes army-like discipline. This can be especially hard in the winter when it’s cold out and being snug under the duvet sounds much more appealing.
Despite not being an early bird, there are days when I have the motivation to be one of those people that gets it done before work. From the few classes I have taken at 6:30AM, there is no better feeling than knowing you just got a class in and the sun hasn’t even come up yet. If you want to accomplish this and make it a regular occurrence, then follow these tips to successfully ease into a regular early morning routine.
Outside of the Pure Barre studio when it first opened at 6:15 in the morning.
Tip # 1: Put your clothes out the night before.
The less you can do in the morning, the better. I know from my experience that the task of getting out of bed doesn’t seem so daunting if I limit my morning routine to the absolute essentials, such as: showering, brushing teeth, putting on some makeup (or packing it in my bag to apply later), putting my workout clothes on and then heading out the door.
If you plan on heading straight to work from the studio, pack your work clothes in a bag, so that you don’t have to think about what to wear.
I also like to pack a breakfast the night before so I can eat it quickly in the morning or save it until I get to work. The former is more ideal though.
Tip # 2: Start your 6:30AM classes in the spring or summer.
Hearing your alarm go off at 5:00, 5:30 or maybe even 6:00 in the morning might not seem so rough if the sun is shining. Starting this early morning routine when we have more daylight during the longest days of the year can act as motivation to serve you throughout the rest of the year. If you try to start conditioning yourself in the middle of winter, you might find it harder to get out of your cozy bed, especially during those cold winter days when your warm bed is calling and the thought of hauling your body out of bed is physically painful.
Use the momentum you have from going regularly during the spring and summer, into the fall and winter.
Tip # 3: Start by doing one 6:30AM class per month.
Treat your early morning routine as something you will need to condition yourself for. By taking baby steps you are more likely to commit to going regularly. My approach would be to start with one early morning class per month, then working up to one early morning class per week, and eventually to multiple times per week.
Tip # 4: Start with mid-morning classes to work up to a 6:30AM class.
If you really love get that extra hour of sleep, especially on the weekends, try an 8:00AM or 9:00AM class first, if it fits your schedule. If you get used to going at that hour, an earlier class might not seem as daunting.
Tip # 5: Use knowledge to motivate yourself.
Know that you are actually doing something good for your body by getting it done early in the day.
Though it is a preference for some to complete a workout first thing in the morning, there are also many benefits to doing your workout in the morning.
Here are just a few of the lovely side effects:
- Increased energy throughout the day.
- Greater weight loss and more likely to burn more calories than working out later in the day.
- Improved mental alertness during the day
- Helps you sleep better at night.
- Better mood.
Have I convinced you to start working out in the morning? You can make this a habit with dedication and persistence, but know that the absolute best time to work out is always going to be whenever works best for you. Exercise at any time of the day is better than no exercise at all.
Keep with it and let me know if this helped you to make 6:30AM classes a regular thing.
