How To Motivate Yourself For Those Early Morning Workouts

So it’s the New Year, we’re 2 weeks in, you’ve stuck to your resolution of working out so far, but you’re slowly loosing your enthusiasm, starting to feel a lack of motivation which is understandable! You’re back at work, working late, your children may be back at school, the to-do list is piling high so don’t beat yourself up!

Now you simply need a boost, something to get your mind back on track before you give in & then before you know it, 3 weeks have gone by & you haven’t really done any exercise.

I’ve put together a list of what i’ve found helpful for when the alarm goes off at that ungodly hour in the morning, for you to head off to the gym.

Lay your clothes out the night before.

Especially in the first couple of months of the year when it’s still cold & dark in the mornings, the last thing you want to be doing is rummaging through your activewear drawer trying to find something to wear. So choose the night before & have them laid out so as soon as you wake up you can change into your gym clothes. Which leads me on to number two….

Get changed straight away.

I’ve found the longer I stay in my pj’s, the less inclined I am to get out of them because they’re so warm & comfortable. So now you have your clothes laid out from the night before, put them on straight away. That way you’ll instantly feel more awake & ready to get your body moving.

Breakfast prep.

There are some people who can go for a workout without anything in their system, I cannot do that. I need food before I workout, even if it's just a banana, otherwise I don't feel alert & lack in energy. So again, the night before, prepare your breakfast for the following day. Whether it be your favourite smoothie or a bowl of overnight oats topped with your favourite toppings, have it made the night before so before you head out you can actually sit down for 5 minutes or so to fuel your body before you put it through it’s paces. Or if you're not a breakfast-before-your-workout kinda person, you have food ready to eat once you're back home. Dr Hazel Wallace at www.thefoodmedic.co.uk has some wonderful, quick & easy recipes for your breakfast.

Buddy up.

Get yourself a gym buddy. Whether it be your partner, sister, best friend, even a parent! Pair up & motivate each other! Going to the gym, especially when it's before 8am, is so much more fun when you're with someone else. I'm lucky that I live with my boyfriend & we both go to the same gym so in a morning, we motivate each other to get up & go! Plus, you'll also have to get up as you won't want to make them late! So book that 7am class, & maybe organise a coffee for afterwards!

Plan your workouts.

I’ve found that the times i’ve gone to the gym without knowing what I want to do or what part of my body I want to work on, they haven’t been very succesful. So whether you plan your workouts on a Sunday night for the week, the night before or even en route to the gym, know what you’re doing before you get there. Have it written down in the notes on your phone or save that video on Instagram so when you get to the gym you know exactly what you’re doing which will make your workout so much more successful. Otherwise I can bet that you’ll end up doing 20 minutes on the cross trainer, a few weights & a few abs. That ain’t a workout.

Mix it up.

If going into the gym itself scares you a little bit, try different classes throughout the week! You have so many options out there now from spin class to yoga, to barre to Orange Theory. And that way it'll keep your workouts fresh, you won't feel like you've got in too much of a routine which can sometimes because boring, & it'll give you something to look forward too! Variety is always good.

Feed your brain.

I go through phases with what I like to listen to whilst I work out. It used to be listening to musical soundtracks, then I went onto club songs, & now i’m into podcasts & i’m pretty obsessed with them. If there’s a podcast I really want to listen to, I save it for the gym so I actually look forward to my workout because I know what i’ll be listening too. So find yourself a podcast, or an album or whatever it may be to help you get through your gym session.

I hope these tips help you with your early sessions! And if you have any other ways of motivating yourself, please let me know down below!

Emily