positive tone — Blog — Fit Foodie Le

for some reason, early morning workouts seem to always be out of the question when not having enough time is an issue! early morning workouts can literally change your life. they are that serious.

why?

they energize you!!! think of a match being lit. that workout is your energy source- that initial burst of fire. that flame continues to burn over the course of your day.
makes for a better nights sleep. that match eventually fizzles out, right? a.m. workouts promote better sleeping habits and regulate sleep cycles. after i get home, cook, eat, and spend time with my family, i'm naturally ready to wind down and go to bed at a reasonable hour. i find that after an evening workout, it's harder for me to relax as my adrenaline is still pumping and revving.
sets a healthy, positive tone. start the day with an amazing a.m. workout and you'll be more inclined to make better choices all day long. after a beasty session, i think twice about what and how much i put in my mouth when it's time to eat. i want to preserve all my hard work! you might surprise yourself and choose the stairs over the elevator, grilled instead of fried, etc. keep that up and you WILL see results.
you can go straight home after work. or wherever else you need to go. that just might be my fav reason. even if you don't have to go to work for the next 8 hrs, it will be done and you can scratch it off your to-do list. after a long work day, sometimes my energy is sapped and all i want to do is go home, eat, and lay around. and don't let me have to stay at work later than i expected, grrrrrrr. usually when your schedule takes an unexpected turn, your workout is the first thing axed.
mood and mind booster. i feel dramatically different on days when i haven't exercised in the morning. i'm not as focused, not as awake, not as TOGETHER as i'd like to be. not as friendly either! coffee alone doesn't have the same effect by far. after an energizing, early workout, you just can't suppress that cheesy 'take on the day' attitude no matter how hard you try!

now, HOW do you even begin to try to get up that early!? oooh just a little bit of discipline. there are a few things you should do the night before.

plan!

go to bed. seriously. if you have no other reason to be up, go get in the bed. tv and lights off. yeah, the first few nights you just might be staring at the ceiling, but over time (give or take a couple days), your body WILL adjust to your new bed time and start winding down on its own. after that, it's a wrap and will become routine. watch and see.
set your alarm CORRECTLY! yep, i've switched up the am/pm on accident before, ugh. so, along with my alarm clock, i set my cell phone for back up.
6-8hrs of rest, minimum. i am at my best after 8, but i try to get in at least 6. anything less and i wake up feeling crappy, usually have a crappy workout, and ultimately a crappy day. oh and then there's that 2:30 pm crash...yeah, that's real. too real. and it really hits hard when you only slept a hand full of hours. nevertheless, if i am well rested, i pop right UP. that's an incredible feeling that not enough people experience on a regular basis.
set your clothes/items out. get your stuff ready the night before so you can just get up and go immediately. if you are going to work afterwards, get all that stuff together too. you pack your gym bag for when you go after work, right? same thing.

i can tell you how much i love morning workouts and why you should do them until i'm blue in the face! it's just one of those things you must experience for yourself. you will realize how big an impact such a small scheduling change can have on your day and ultimately your life. start small and pick ONE day out of the week to just give it a shot. you have absolutely nothing to lose; you just might absolutely love it.