As a retired 5am gym girly, who now has to be a current 5am gym girly, things are rough. I’m still currently in the adjustment period of getting used to the 5am workouts, but we’re almost there! The adjustment period can be tough, but once you’re there, you’ll be thriving. So as someone who refuses to go to the gym after work (because that’s my own worst nightmare), here are my top tips for becoming a morning gym girly:
- Slowly incorporate the early morning workouts and BE REALISTIC!! Don’t jump into it thinking you’re going to hit 5 times a week immediately, because odds are, you probably won’t, and you’ll be left extremely disappointed in yourself. Set a realistic expectation for how many days you think you’ll be able to go and build from there!
- Give yourself something to look forward to in the mornings! Whether this is a yummy pre-workout snack, drink, or even a cute workout fit! Play some good music while you get dressed and have a little dance party to hype yourself up. This could even be a yummy breakfast after your workout! By giving yourself something to look forward to, you’ll be more excited and more inclined to get out of bed.
- Give yourself incentives! Small incentives will help motivate you even more to continue going to the gym early in the morning. So after a week or even two weeks, reward yourself with something you normally don’t splurge on! This could be that fancy smoothie or acai bowl that you’ve been craving or even a cute new gym water bottle! After a month, give yourself another incentive. This will motivate you to keep going.
- Accountability partner! This is honestly what has helped me soooo much in going to the gym this time around. Having someone counting on me to show up will force me out of bed. This could be a gym partner or even someone to text/call you to check in on you to see if you’ve been going! Having someone to check in on you or count on you gives you all the more reason to get out of bed.
- Some sort of caffeinated drink! I personally don’t drink caffeine anymore, but I used to have the biggest pre-workout addiction. Knowing I could have caffeine would definitely help me out of bed so I wouldn’t feel as tired. Take this one with a grain of salt, and if you’re a coffee/pre-workout person, it certainly can help! Just be wary of how much caffeine you’re consuming in a day, as you don’t want it impinging your sleep.
Now there are only a couple of things that haven’t worked for me! The first one listed is extremely important and I cannot emphasize it enough. The second one is just a common one I hear people give out as advice! Take it or leave it, and that goes for all of these!
- Forcing myself to go on days when I should’ve listened to my body. There are going to be days/weeks that you are more exhausted than others, especially as women we deal with this a lot with fluctuating hormones. Listen to your body and go from there! We do have goals to reach but also make sure you’re listening to your body and working with it instead of against it. I certainly have regretted some early-morning workouts due to being fatigued and tired, and then being even more exhausted all day. Listen to what your body is telling you and be kind to yourself.
- Laying out your workout clothes the night before! Now this may work for some, but this has certainly not worked for me. I’ll lay them out and they’ll continue to lay there as I hit snooze on my alarm. Laying out my clothes never was enough for me to get out of bed, but if you think this may help you, try it out!
I hope you enjoy some of these tips to get you out of bed and to the gym for those early mornings! I truly love early-morning workouts, it’s the feeling of productivity and accomplishment before your day even starts. Take what works for you and leave the rest! 🫶
xo, Ainsley :). 