Tips for Morning Workouts
By Brooke Simone
It’s 6:00 am, your alarm goes off, and it would be so easy to just roll over and snooze for another hour or two.
It takes a strong mind to make a strong body – and the first step is making sure you have what it takes to hop out of bed in the morning and get in a great workout.
Here are some tips to get the most of your early morning workouts:
- Find what motivates you! You need to have a reason to get up in the morning. Whether that’s signing up for a 5K or half marathon and training to hit a specific time, proving something to yourself, or even just enjoying time to yourself with music or podcasts before the workday begins, it’s important to identify what gets you going and pumped to work out.
- Determine what workout suits your style. For some people, it may be going for a walk or run outside when everything is still quiet and calm. Others look for a jolt of energy in the morning and head to the gym for a group class: spinning, Zumba, or boxing. Everyone is different, and it’s important you experiment with different workouts to find out what is best for you and your body.
- Drink lots of water and refuel your body. It doesn’t matter if you’re not a breakfast person. If you’re going to do a morning workout, you need to eat before and after – and drink lots of water too! Even if it’s just a power bar or smoothie, it’s important to get a high-protein breakfast to fuel your body before the workout and then replenish your energy and help build muscle.
- Yoga, stretching, and cross-training will be your friend. No matter what kind of workout regimen you end up enjoying, it’s key that you’re resting your body with an “off day” – but still engaging in active recovery. That means stretching, yoga, and some kind of light cross-training like walking or a short bike ride.
- Set a goal and stick to it! Without a goal, even the best athletes or most dedicated often fail. So whatever your goal is – morning workouts 5 days a week, training for an upcoming race, or getting more toned by a certain date – it’s important you write it down in your calendar and hold yourself accountable!
Once you get past the urge to snooze your alarm in the morning, it’ll be easy to follow these tips and power through a rejuvenating workout before most people are out of bed! You’ll feel accomplished and ready to take on whatever comes your way the rest of the day.
