Any advice on “becoming a morning person” and forcing myself to get that run in before work?
Hi Lauren,
If you have to force yourself to get that run in early, are you going to enjoy it? Will you stick with it?
My thoughts are that if your schedule permits, exercise at a time of day that feels best for you. It will be more enjoyable, less stressful and you’ll be more likely to stick with it.
By all means though, set your alarm and give it a try if you want. See how your body responds. Have as much as you can prepared the night before (clothes, food, etc.). If it feels more stressful than helpful, I’d bag it and workout later in the day!
(Not a morning person either)
Becoming a morning person is possible as I have done it. Actually it is now my favorite time to exercise and research shows it is a great way to start your day. If you read “Spark” by Dr. John Ratey he signifies how helpful it can be to create a productive day. However, with that being said, if you have to force yourself and it proposes a hinderance on your daily lifestyle then I would bypass the morning person workout and stick to the time that best fits your habits and lifestyle!
I get up at 4:15 a.m. every morning. I am naturally a morning person so it’s easier for me, yet I do get tired. But here are two things that I always say: 1)Sleeping in is not a option and 2) Never look at the clock. The alarm goes off, your clothes are layed out the night before. You get up and go.
So, I’m not a morning person, but being in the military forced me to do otherwise. One of the things I remind myself is that a morning run always sets me up for success. I feel better about the day ahead and I’ve gotten at least one workout out of the way. But I also love running.
Also, due to the weather conditions, morning runs are better for my asthma and working around the heat and humidity. I have to remind myself that these runs are my time to really pray and meditate and get out of the house. When I put it in that context, it gets easier to slip on the running shoes.
One of the recommendations I heard from my mentor, Chalene Johnson, is that, even though she is not a morning person, she gets up at about 5 am each morning because she teaches each morning, 7 days per week. She says that instead of hitting the snooze button, she tells herself, “I’m up! I’m up! I’m up!” so that she conditions her mind to get up and do the thing she needs to do.
