Learn to Love your Morning Workout

When I started my first Beachbody challenge group last year, I was sort of unwilling to get up in the mornings to workout. I convinced myself I'd be good and workout as soon as I got home from work.

Guess what?! It didn't work. I'd end up working late, things came up at night, or I just felt lazy and didn't want to work out. I realized that if I had really committed to the challenge group (doing P90X3) then I had to commit to changing my life and my schedule. Thus, the morning workouts began.

Nine months later, I LOVE my morning workouts. It sets the tone for my entire day. I start my day feeling productive, positive, and I am better able to deal with the little stresses that come up throughout the day.

Benefits of working out in the morning:
1. It's already DONE! You don't have to worry about fitting your workout in after work, you can focus on relaxing.
2. Increased energy through the day. When I workout in the morning, I find I don't NEED coffee or tea to get me going. Seriously.
3. You get to feel proud about having already worked out. I always feel pretty great about myself and I find I'm more motivated through the day to make better choices.
4. Increased calorie burn ALL DAY. Working out in the AM jump starts your metabolism, so you burn more throughout the day.

So...HOW did I do it? How did I transform myself from a snoozer to someone who gets up and pushes play??

Here are my tips:
1. Pick a date and commit to it! Put it in your calendar every morning.
2. Determine what workout you'll be doing. If I don't have something planned I fumble. I love Beachbody workouts because they determine the schedule for you, and they always make sure to mix it up so you aren't bored.
3. Set your alarm for 10 minutes earlier than you normally get up. Start out small and increase this amount by 10 minutes every other day until you have enough time for your workout.
4. Be realistic. I started out with P90X3 because the workouts were only 30 minutes. I'd recommend starting out with 20-30 minute morning workouts until you're used to getting up early. I now wake up about an hour earlier than I used to, without feeling tired. Deciding you're suddenly going to start running for an hour every morning is going to lead to disappointment.
5. Set small goals and reward yourself. For every 5 days in a row you get up and workout, promise yourself a treat like a new workout shirt, massage, or 1 hour of time for yourself.

The reason I know these tips work is because they worked for me. You CAN change your habits to reach your goals.

Are you a morning person? Are you interested in joining a challenge group to motivate and support you in your fitness journey?