Hey, friends! As I am away for work, and likely getting up before the conference starts to get my workout in, I thought it would be helpful for me to share my tips that help me get out of bed and not hit snooze. Even when we go to bed with the best intentions to workout before work or an event or trip the next day, it’s pretty common for our nice, comfy bed and good dreams to prevail, thus causing you to hit snooze and skip the workout. Trust me, I have been there many, many times, but at this point, there are a good handful of things I do to make this NOT happen.

Pick out your workout clothes the night before

Seems easy enough, right? For me, though, if I have my clothes laid out, it’s almost like they are looking at me, telling me NOT to skip my workout. Plus, saving those extra few minutes it might take to pick out something to wear while you’re still half asleep really does add up! For me, once I am up and out, I end up wishing I had more time to workout; therefore, if I don’t dilly-dally when I get out of bed figuring out what I am going to wear, looking for my head band or watch or socks, I have more time to work out! Sometimes, I even sleep with my running or workout socks ON, so that it’s one less thing to put on when I wake up!

Plan your workout or running route the night before

Getting up with no idea what I want to do for a workout is the absolute worst! I have found that if I go to bed, thinking about what I am going to do when I wake up, it’s that much easier to get up and just do it. Whether it’s running, kickboxing, Nike Training Club, On Demand, Deck of Cards or any other type of workout, go to bed knowing exactly what one you’re going to do- have it written out if need be and place it right next to your clothes and shoes- is key.  Morning time is so precious to me, that I don’t want to waste any time figuring out what to do. I want to get up and just do it.

Bribe yourself

Sometimes if I tell myself that I can have a treat if I get up and workout before work, it makes a huge difference!  This could be something as simple as going to a coffee shop to get an iced coffee or buying lunch out. Just giving yourself some type of reward for committing to your morning workout really does help!

Start Small

Your first morning workouts don’t have to be big or long. It’s a totally different workout for me when I workout in the morning vs. the night, but as I workout in the morning more often, it does become easier! Your body will get used to it and adapt better and better the more frequently you do it.  And as far as length, you don’t have to be out there for an hour doing something. Start small- say you’re going to run a mile and then stretch and do abs. Then the next time, do more. Pick 20-30 minute at-home workouts that will still leave you sweaty and feeling like you got a great workout in. My sister, for instance, works out before work about 3-4 days a week. It might just be a few mile run or a 10-15 minute On Demand video, but you know what? She is getting up and committing herself to SOMETHING, and that’s really what it’s all about. Something is better than nothing; ALWAYS.

Remind yourself of how good you’ll feel AFTER your workout vs. how you’ll feel knowing you willingly skipped out

This is probably the number one thing that gets me out of bed in the morning. It’s really as simple as that: if I workout before work, I feel GREAT all day. Seriously, there is nothing better than knowing your workout is DONE throughout the whole day and knowing that you have the evening to do whatever you want. It’s like a huge weight has been lifted off your shoulders, right? When/if I simply skip out on a morning workout in favor of sleep, I feel awful all day and I’m so mad at myself. Yeah, it may suck to pull yourself out of bed an hour earlier than usual, but within 5 minutes, that feeling is usually gone. However, if you skip out, that feeling of regret stays allll day.

Questions for you: Do you prefer working out in the morning or at night? What did I miss? What’s the number one thing that gets you out of bed in the morning to get a workout in?