Today was the start of Week Two of morning workouts and I am happy to report that I popped right out of bed around 5:30 and was firmly planted on an elliptical machine by about 6:05 AM… after 35 minutes of cardio + strength + core, and a quick trip home, I was in the shower and on my way out again by 8:30 AM. Actually, I was on my way out by about 8:10 AM, but then realized I had forgotten the lunch + week’s worth of vegetables / hummus / fruit that I’d so carefully packed, so I went home to retrieve it.
“Jessica Going To Work: Take Two” occurred at 8:30 AM, after packing both our lunches, putting dinner in the crock pot, a killer workout, a proper burial of the mouse caught in a trap in my kitchen, a shower, breakfast, a broken coffee pot, and forgetting (then remembering) my lunch. Annnnnnnnnd scene!
(Sidenote: Is it really only 9:22 AM?? because I feel like I’ve already lived a full day. However, it makes me very happy to know that my meals are healthily taken care of for the entire day.)
I’ve been getting a lot of comments / questions lately about how on EARTH I can get up so early to work out – so I thought I’d use today’s post to share some tips and tricks for getting out of bed early enough to workout. I will preface this by saying that I’m already a morning person, so getting up early is probably much easier for me than for others – however, in the dead of winter in MN, I don’t really think it is easy for ANYBODY to get up in the dark of night and go into the cold world any earlier than necessary. So here goes:
1) Go to bed early, or at least get yourself on a schedule. When I was in high school, a sleep specialist came to speak to my health class, and I will NEVER forget the best piece of advice he gave us: yes, 8 hours of sleep is ideal, but what is MOST important is that you are on a schedule so that your body develops a rhythm of when to be sleepy and when to be awake. I’m a 10 to 6 girl – I get in bed around 10 and watch the news with the sleep timer on… this means that after 8 hours, I usually wake naturally around 6 or 6:30 AM. I set an alarm, but typically I wake up before it goes off. If I’ve slept well, I hop right out of bed – if my sleep was of poor quality, I hit snooze a billion times before getting up.
2) Do your best to find quality sleep. Don’t eat after 8:30 PM. Watch the alcohol and caffeine intake. Try to “unplug” about 30 minutes before bed (sidenote: this is the one I am TERRIBLE at – the only thing your bedroom should be used for is sleep, sex, and reading with an actual book, not an electronic reader… well, I am often in bed watching TV, and surfing the web while reading a book on my iPad).
3) Set your alarm in the other room. On the mornings that I want to work out before work, I set my normal alarm next to my bed, but I also set the alarm function on my blackberry… in the other room. It is too loud to ignore, but pleasant enough that it doesn’t scare the crap out of me… but I have to get up to turn it off, and usually (if 1-3 have gone well), I’m awake enough by the time I get to the living room that I think “oh bother, now I’m UP, might as well get moving.”
4) Little conveniences make a big difference. Lay out your gym clothes the night before. Pack your bag. Charge your iPod. Set the coffee pot. Prep your breakfast. Anything you need to DO in the morning, do it the night before.
5) Warm up your car, if applicable. Usually I start my car in my bathrobe and pjs and boots… then come in and get dressed while it warms up. The 15 minutes that it takes me to dress and caffeinate mean that my seat heaters are on and the car is toasty.
6) Try to wake up to sunlight (again, not possible at this time of year!). Sleep with your blinds open (unless safety is an issue), and with your bed facing sunrise. In the spring and summer months, you’ll be amazed what a difference this makes.
7) Up your Vitamin D. I can’t even tell you the difference that 3000 IU of Vitamin D per day has made in my life. Get your levels tested by your doctor – You are probably deficient. Vitamin D largely comes from the sun – since we hibernate all winter, and then in the summer, we’re slathered up with sunscreen, most Midwesterners are tragically deficient of this wonder vitamin, which works with our hormones in ways I can’t really even begin to understand. Just trust me – it’s good stuff.
8) Make a date. I don’t really enjoy working out with people, but twice over the past week, I’ve met my friend Mandi at the gym… we mostly just nod and wave and smile across the gym floor, and then chat for a minute or two, but knowing she is expecting me (and vice versa) helps to keep me honest.
9) Trade gym bags. If the shame of ditching out on your workout buddy isn’t enough to get you in the door, imagine how bad you’d feel if you ruined HER workout? Trade gym bags with a friend – you’ll have to show up to make sure that you both have the proper attire for your workout.
10) Visualize. Remember that you always have time for the first thing you do every day… and in doing so, imagine how amazing you’ll feel when you’re done; how proud you’ll be of what you’ve accomplished… how much more energy you’ll have throughout the day, and most importantly, that you can just go home and enjoy the rest of your night, without feeling guilty that you’re not going to the gym!
And a bonus: I always sleep about a million times better on days that I workout… which helps to ensure that I’ll get up and do it all over again tomorrow.
Plan for the day:
B: chobani greek yogurt, fiber one cereal
S: banana
L: quinoa chicken salad, vegetables w/ hummus, granola bar
S: apple, reduced fat string cheese
D: beef stew, crescent rolls, salad
Vitamin D, vitamin B12, multi-vitamin
Whole grains, dairy, lean meats, and plenty o' fruit and vegetables
100+ oz of water
Burned about 400 calories at the gym
Done and done.
Off and running,
~Jessica
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