How in the hootin' nanny do you get up in the morning?

A friend of mine, who knows me quite well, recently asked me how I became a morning person. “How in the world do you wake up at 5:30 every morning?” she asked during a facebook chat. Well, as I told her, it is soooo not easy. It sucks. I mean it really sucks. I battle the alarm clock every.single.day.  BUT once I get all my gear on and out the door, it is so worth it and I never regret getting out of bed. I need to do the majority of my workout in the morning so that I have the majority of my evenings free. Yes, as soon as I get home I do a 30-45 minute workout, but my morning workout lasts at least 60-75 minutes. If it was flip flopped I wouldn’t get to hang out with my littles. Or my husband. And that is never a good combination. Plus if I get it done early in the morning, my brain doesn’t know what I’m doing yet!

So how do I do it? It’s a work in progress and I’m still making adjustments, but I’ll give you a rundown of what is working for me right now. (Also, I find it completely funny that this post is coming on the heels of a post talking about me over sleeping.)

1.  Go to bed at a decent time. If I go to bed before 10:00 pm I get enough sleep to get up in the morning and not feel completely exhausted. Enough sleep is very important to me and my former night owl self occasionally bucks against the going to bed at 10:00 pm (I mean, that is still sooooo early), but if I want results (and boy do I want results) I have to get my rear out of bed and out the door.

2. Put your alarm clock across the room. If you have to actually get out of bed to turn the stupid thing off, you might as well just stay up.

3.  Get everything ready the night before. Lay out your workout clothes. Fill your water bottle up and put it in the fridge right next to your pre-workout snack. If your pre-workout snack doesn’t require refrigeration, put it on the counter. Anything that you need for your workout, get it ready the night before. No exceptions. This way you’re not looking for a headband and clips, in the dark, at 5:45 am.

4.  Get a buddy. My mom walks with me on the mornings that Dave and I don’t workout together. We leave my house at 6:00 am to walk at the park and we have to be back by 7:00 am if I’m going to get at least 15 minutes of hula hooping done and get a shower in before I leave for work. If I am held accountable for someone else being on time to work/church/etc then I am more inclined to get up and get going. I hate to be late, and if I’m the reason someone else is late, well that is something I loathe.

5. Just do it. I know that saying is all cliché and commercial, but really. Just.Do.It. Get your butt out of bed and out the door. You have to want it. There really isn’t a list you can follow that is going to suddenly make you a morning person. You are going to make yourself a morning person. If you want it bad enough, you’ll figure out a way. If you don’t, well, you’ll stay in bed and keep doing what you always do. Nothing. I want it. So I get up. Every morning. 

I’m no expert. I’m not saying that what I say goes. I’m just telling you what works for me. I’m more focused and alert after an hour or so workout. I earn my shower every morning and boy does that shower feel great. So is it worth it? Absolutely! Get yourself out of bed and get out there. Whether it’s a walk around your neighborhood, a run on the treadmill, or a cardio circuit in your living room, rock it out! Because you can!