Morning Has Broken...5 Ways to Fix It

Start the morning out right!

“This is the 4th time this month you’ve cancelled our plans, we can’t go on like this.” I texted. “I know, and I’m sorry...It’s just that, well, I have to work late. Again.” He responded.  What at one time had been such an amazing relationship had begun to unravel. He had finally been promoted to his dream job and the corner office. With that change however, things that were once a high priority began to take a backseat. I was determined to save what we had though. It was time to make (what some people may consider) an indecent proposal. “For us to continue, we need to move your sessions to first thing in the morning,” I said. 

I know a lot of people would rather sell their soul than entertain the thought of throwing the covers off and getting up before the sun is out. But I can tell you with absolute certainty that 

people who work out in the mornings are more likely to be consistent than their evening counterparts. And when it comes to meeting your goals, consistency is crucial! Being more consistent is just one of the advantages to starting your day with a good sweat session. It’s a great way to jumpstart your brain, boost your energy level and improve your mood.  Getting that high intensity burst training out of the way first thing in the morning can even lead you to make better food choices the rest of the day!

Even with all the advantages, crawling out of bed to head to the gym can still seem like a herculean task. Let’s discuss some easy ways to make it little more bearable and realistic.

1. Prioritize Your Workouts -When you consider the fact that after 8 hours of sleep there are only 16 hours left in the day to get everything accomplished, you HAVE to figure out what’s important to you. Get out a pen and paper and make a list. Between work and family it can seem like making time to go the gym is selfish, but the fact of the matter is, it’s the exact opposite. If you really want to be able to support and take care of others, you have to take care of yourself.

2.  Get Out The Door - Tell yourself that you will put on your shoes, get out of the door and just “show up.” After All, showing up is half the battle right? More often than not you’ll find yourself staying a little longer and working out a little harder than you thought you would while you were cozily nestled under your down comforter.

3.  Accountability - We typically don’t like to let other people down. Sometimes this works to our disadvantage, like when we find ourselves past our bedtime baking dozens of cookies for the school bake sale. But we DO have the ability to harness our people-pleasing ways for good. You can do this by making yourself accountable to someone. Maybe it’s your best friend (if you can get a workout in and not spend the whole time gossiping!) or that TRX class you know you should be going to. If you want to take your accountability (and your overall fitness) to the next level, consider getting a personal trainer. Knowing you’re going to be charged for that session you feel like skipping out on, might just make you think twice!

4.  Get your Zzzz’s  - One of the most important, and often overlooked, things we can do to improve our overall health is to get enough sleep. In our modern-day, non-stop world, we have to be vigilant in our quest for an amazing night of rest. That means it’s up to you to make it happen. I’ve mentioned before several strategies that can lead to your best sleep ever. But simply putting down your phone an hour before bed and not obsessively checking emails, Facebook and texts will do WONDERS in helping you get the slumber you need.

5. Lay it all out - Lay out everything you need in the morning the night before. Honestly, I can’t stress enough just how big of a difference this one simple act makes. It is amazing how much easier it is to get ready in the morning if you just have to roll out of bed, into your workout gear and grab a bag on your way out the door. It’s like your life on autopilot! You don’t have to make any decisions, waste time looking for matching socks or your favorite pair of shorts… you’ve already done it. Grab-and-go convenience when you need it most!

Have you come up with some effective strategies that you use to make your morning workout routine a little easier? I’d love to hear them! Share below or strike up a conversation on my Facebook page!

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Fitness expert and strength coach Jini Cicero, CSCS, teaches intermediate exercisers how to blast through plateaus to create incredible transformations. Are you ready to take your fitness to a whole new level?  Find out now!  www.Jinifit.com.  ©2016 Jinifit, Inc.

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