Morning exercise? We couldn’t imagine anything worse. Several more hits of the snooze button please, then the whole wake up routine condensed into five minutes in the bathroom. That was, until we exerted some serious willpower, reframed how our AM should look, embraced the power of an early bird’s workout and learnt how to become embrace the power of a good morning workout.
The benefits are huge; a sense of achievement, a positive outlook for the rest of the day, and more free time in the evening. Join us, with these; our 8 ways to help you become a morning exerciser.
Set Up Everything The Night Before
We know what it’s like. Truly. Hearing that alarm go off and looking for any excuse not to get up, out and exercise. Raindrops on the windows? Result. Early morning meeting? Just this once. Gym kit not packed? No chance am I doing it now.
So, while you may not be able to control the weather or have as much autonomy as you’d like over work, you can make things easy for yourself in the morning by having everything set up and ready to go the night before. That means having your work clothes and lunch laid out and ready, as well as your gym bag packed, including toiletries, a water bottle and your headphones. You can also have a snack ready to eat, and coffee waiting to be brewed. Then it’s as easy as rolling out of bed and onto the treadmill.
Have A Solid Bedtime Routine & Wake Up Rituals
It’s incredible that only in the last few years we’ve woken up to the power of sleep and started to acknowledge its vital role in our health and wellbeing. And if you’re going to exercise early and effectively, you need to catch those zeds effectively.
Let’s flip the clock and start at bedtime. If you’re going to sleep well, it’s important to follow a routine, preferably one which is regular and unwavering. That means a consistent turn in time, a downing of tools (particularly those which emit that pesky blue light) an hour or two before bed, as well as perhaps a meditation and warm bath, and a concerted effort to keep your bedroom cool. We’ve written more about the IDEAL bedtime routine over here, by the way.
It’ll also stand you in good stead once at the gym if you wake up in the best possible way each day. Once you’ve opened your eyes, don’t dwell in bed checking Twitter. Get up, get the curtains open and get amongst it as soon as possible.
Morning Exercise Multi-Tasking
You don’t actually have to drag yourself to the gym each day to qualify as a ‘morning exerciser’. Sometimes our hectic schedules don’t grant us the time to get in a full workout, but a little stretching of the limbs can go a long way to lifting our spirits and setting us in the right frame of mind for the day. At the very least, take the time to engage in a few morning salutations and stretches to limber up for what’s to come.
Reframe the way you think about ‘exercise’, too. Exercising can be incorporated into practically any daily activity, and it’s easy and cheap to do. Squat at the fridge, take the stairs, park further away from the entrance, or walk-lunge on your way to the bathroom. Walk, cycle or run to work. Get in 15 minutes early and do some press ups somewhere quiet before you start work. Every little helps.
Buddy Up
There’s no motivation quite like having a companion smashing your door down and rousing you from your slumber dressed in head-to-toe lycra. Peer pressure, when executed positively, is some stimulus.
So, enlist a work colleague or friend to join you on your journey; the companionship and camaraderie is sure to spur you on. Make sure they’re similarly driven to get fit and committed to braving the mornings to do so. The most detrimental thing you can do is find an ally who encourages flakiness. Even better, get involved in morning group exercise classes. The power of peer pressure is exponential, after all.
Find A Team Sport That Sticks
There’s a particular kind of accountability that kicks in when other people are waiting for you on a court, a pitch or a patch of scrubland at 7am. Miss a solo gym session and only your conscience notices. Miss a team one and you’ve let down six other bleary-eyed souls who dragged themselves out of bed on your behalf. Suddenly the snooze button loses its appeal.
Pickleball is having its moment, and that momentum is worth riding if you’re trying to build a habit. Courts are springing up across the UK, the learning curve is forgiving enough that you won’t humiliate yourself on day one, and communities like Pickleball People are making it easier than ever to find a morning session near you, connecting players to clubs and courts up and down the country. The crowd tends to be the sort who’ll notice your absence and give you grief about it next time, which is precisely the point. But if paddle sports leave you cold, the fringes are where things get interesting.
Consider kabaddi, the South Asian contact sport that’s essentially tag crossed with wrestling, now played by a growing number of UK clubs. Or walking football, which trades sprints for strategy and is one of the fastest-growing participation sports in the country.
Sepak takraw, often described as volleyball played with the feet, has a small but devoted following and will do more for your flexibility than any yoga class. Korfball, the mixed-gender Dutch hybrid of basketball and netball, rewards teamwork over individual flair. Even something like Real Tennis, played in only a handful of courts nationwide, comes with a morning league and a community that takes attendance seriously.
The more niche the pursuit, the stronger the bonds tend to be, and the harder it becomes to bail. Find your tribe, however odd, and the mornings start to look after themselves.
Reward Yourself
Incentivising your morning workouts can be a powerful motivator. Set small, achievable goals and reward yourself when you meet them. This could be as simple as enjoying a delicious, healthy breakfast post-workout, treating yourself to a new piece of gym gear, or even allowing some extra relaxation time in the evening. By associating your morning exercise with positive rewards, you’ll create a cycle of motivation and achievement. Over time, these rewards will help solidify your morning exercise habit, making it something you look forward to rather than dread.
Embrace The Power Of Music
Music has an incredible ability to energise and motivate us, making it a perfect companion for your morning exercise routine. Create a playlist filled with your favourite upbeat tracks that get your blood pumping and your feet moving. The right music can transform a sluggish morning into an invigorating start to the day. Whether it’s pop, rock, or electronic beats, find what works for you and let the rhythm drive your workout. Additionally, consider using wireless headphones to avoid any tangled distractions and keep your focus solely on your exercise.
Warm Up & Down Completely
If you don’t fancy hobbling around for the rest of the day, muttering that the early bird catches nothing but pain, then you’ll need to warm up prior and warm down after comprehensively. This is particularly important with morning exercise as your body is still stiff and susceptible to injury from a long night of laying down. Cold mornings only serve to emphasise the threat. Don’t skip this part because time is scant. Instead, give the muscles which will be getting a going over a good stretch.
So, if you’re running, pay particular attention to your calves, thighs and hamstring. If you’re lifting weights, your biceps, triceps and shoulders will need a good stretch. Job done.
