Make Your Morning Workout Happen

It's a new year and if one of your goals is to be a morning workout person, you're not alone. Getting in your workout first thing means you're more likely to do it since as the day goes on, we often find excuses or our schedules get busy. Working out first thing in the morning often means you have more energy throughout the day and can lead to better productivity and mental health.

Still hate getting up early in the dark? I hear ya, here are some of my best tips for ensuring you don't hit snooze on your morning sweat session.

1. Set Out Your Workout Clothes - We all like to get as much sleep as possible, so don't waste time fumbling around for clothes in the dark when you're half-awake. Set your clothes out the night before, or better yet, sleep in your workout clothes if they are comfortable. You'll be ready to roll right out of bed and be on your way to a great workout.

2. Get More Sleep - It will definitely be easier to get up early if you go to bed at a decent time. Try getting to sleep 15 minutes earlier to start and work your way up to 30 minutes. You'll feel better and give your body more time to recover which means you can hit your workout harder and achieve those gains.

3. Distance Yourself From the Alarm - It's much easier to roll back to sleep when you can hit the snooze right next to your bed. Put your phone or alarm across the room or somewhere you have to get out of bed to turn it off and you'll be less likely to get back under the covers.

4. Shed Some Light on the Situation - Yes it's that time of year where it's often dark when we wake up which makes it hard to not only get up but really wake up your body. Try turning on a soft light as soon as you get up to signal to your body that it's time to be awake and start moving!

5. Make Breakfast Ahead of Time - Skipping breakfast before an early morning workout isn't always the best option, but many of us don't want to get up even earlier to cook something. Plan your breakfast ahead so you can just throw it in the microwave or grab a healthy snack bar if you need to eat something before you workout. Also having breakfast ready means you can replenish those muscles post-workout quickly. (Check out my homemade bar recipes here)

6. Get Brewing - If you are a coffee drinker, this is the time to go ahead and have that cup of joe. It will not only help wake you up but studies show moderate amounts of caffeine can assist with exercise in reducing fatigue and helping you perform longer.

7. Stick With It - No matter how you feel or easy it is to snooze that alarm, remember that the more you do it, the easier it will get and become part of your routine.

8. Create Accountability - Whether it's with a personal trainer, an appointment you're paying for, or a friend you're meeting, even for a virtual workout - make yourself accountable to someone or something. Knowing someone is waiting for you will motivate you to get out of bed even when you don't feel like it.

9. Crank Up the Tunes - Don't underestimate the power of a good playlist. Having something that's going to get you moving and in a good mood is a great way to energize your morning and mood.

10. Remember those good feelings - Just remember, your workout is most likely no more than an hour which is only 4% of your entire day. Commit to making time for yourself and remember how good you will feel once you have done it and get to carry that good feeling with you for the rest of the day!

Getting your workout in first thing has a lot of benefits but ultimately, the best time of day to workout is when YOU are likely to do it and stick with it. A lot of these tips can be applied to any time of day if you're needing some extra help wih consistency.

Need even more support? I'd love to help - my exercise coaching and programming offers accountability to help you reach your goals so feel free to reach out. Happy New Year!

How to make that evening workout happen!

Get your booty to the gym!

If you just aren't a morning person and can't pull yourself away during the work day to exercise, an evening workout might be your only option to squeeze it in. It can be hard to muster the energy to get to the gym after a long day, getting up early and a million other things on your plate.

Making the time for yourself and to prioritize your workout will help you feel better, stay on track, and even sleep better! Here are some ways to make it easier.

1.  Pack your clothes ahead of time ~ Sounds simple but a stop at home to grab your clothes and change, no matter how quick, makes it that much harder to get back out the door for a run or to get the gym. If you have it with you already, you can go straight to your workout. 

2. Get dressed~  Better yet, put those clothes on before you leave work and you'll be even more likely to get your workout in. Just lacing up those shoes will send signals to your brain to get ready for exercise. Extra bonus points if your co-workers spot you, you can tell them you're heading to the gym and keep yourself accountable. 

3. Make an appointment ~ Arrange to meet a friend, sign up for a class or schedule a personal training session. Do whatever you have to do to make sure someone or something is waiting for you and promise not to let them down. 

4. Snack smart ~ Often after lunch we get a dip in energy and feel sleepy in the afternoon, making the thought of exercise even harder. Make sure to get in a healthy snack an hour before your workout and you feel more energized and ready to tackle that challenging class or session.

5. Remind yourself~ We all can get busy at work, but setting a reminder on your calendar or making sure to block off time for your workout can help you to get out of the office and make sure nothing else gets scheduled during that time, meaning you have less excuses to miss it.

6. Change your mindset ~ When making it to the gym seems a bit too much, just remember how great you'll feel afterwards and how much more energy you'll have. Not only that but it makes it easier to go the next day and the day after. Each time you get that workout in, it helps you set a pattern that you'll be more likely to stick to in the future. 

7. Set a weekly goal ~  And stick to it. Tell yourself you will make it to the gym 3 nights a week, so you have some flexibility should something come up. This also helps you stay on track if you've missed 2 days in a row, you know you have to go the next 3 days. 

8. Reward yourself  ~ Specifically with something non food or alcohol related. Once you've set that goal, make a deal with yourself that if you make it to the gym 3 nights a week for a whole month you can buy those new shoes you've been eyeing or some new workout gear.  

9. Do the minimum ~ Sometimes telling yourself that you only have to do 15 minutes of work is easier than thinking with an "all or nothing" attitude. Almost always though, once you start you'll feel so great you'll want to keep going and if not, doing something is ALWAYS better than doing nothing.  

What ways do you motivate yourself to hit the gym after a long day? Share with us in the comments or hit us up on social!

New Year - Stronger Core

If having a strong core is a resolution of yours, now is the time to start building your strength. Having a strong core is more than just looking good in your bathing suit. Feeling strong and stabilized translates to every other exercise including weight lifting, running and sports.

These plank variations are great for increasing core strength while toning up the shoulders when you're ready to take your practice to the next level. Make sure you can already complete a 1 minute regular plank before moving on to these options. 

Plank Shoulder Taps

Begin in a plank position on the hands. Slowly lift one hand off the ground to tap the opposite shoulder, and return to start. Continue alternating hands keeping hips and shoulders square to the ground. Repeat for 20 total reps.

Plank Up and Downs

Begin in a plank position on forearms, keeping your core engaged, push up onto one hand, and then the other so you are in a plank position on both hands. Lower back down to elbows one at a time. Alternate raising arms for a total of 10.

Side Plank to Knee Crunch

Lying on your side, raise up into a side plank on your forearm. Raise the top leg into the air, and top arm straight up. Bring top knee to your elbow, keeping the core stable and return to start. Do 10 reps and switch sides.

Plank Jacks

For an additional cardio challenge, begin holding a plank position on the hands, while keeping the core engaged, hop the feet out to the sides of your mat, and back to complete one rep. Continue for 30 seconds, making sure to your pelvis steady and hips level without raising the booty to the ceiling.

Spiderman Plank

Start in a plank position on hands, lifting right foot off the floor, pull right knee into towards right armpit and hold. Return to start and repeat on other side. Repeat for 10 on each side. Make sure to go slow on this one to really feel it!

Plank March

Once in plank position, on either hands or forearms, keeping leg straight, slowly raise one leg off the ground and hold for 5 seconds, slowly return to start. Continue alternating legs for 10 reps on each leg.

Can you make it through all these exercises? Let us know if you're up for the challenge!