How to Wake Up Before Sunrise

If you aren’t a natural rooster like myself, it may be hard to get yourself out of bed to get your sweat on before the sun rises! We’ve all been there-you’re not alone! Like I said, I am a natural rooster and love the mornings but I also love my sleep, so there are definitely mornings I sleep through my alarm or just don’t want to get up. If I don’t get seven hours of sleep every night (like I mean every single night..), my family says they have awoken a beast-and frankly I can’t deny that! We all love our sleep but sometimes getting up a little earlier than we’d like is exactly what we need to reach our fitness goals. If you have a busy schedule like me, waking up and sweating it out early in the A.M. is a guaranteed way to get your workout in before the rest of the world rises and life decides to get in the way! Trust me-this may sound miserable to you but it is so worth it when it’s over-you have the entire day ahead of you! As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, your whole day will be more productive too. I swear!

If my word isn’t enough though..Early morning exercise is even scientifically proven to have serious health benefits such as reducing blood pressure throughout the day and improving your quality of sleep. 

So..if you are one of those people who swears they “literally can’t” wake up before 6-7am, think again. You can do anything you set your mind to, I promise ! It just takes some dedication and the right rituals to get in the habit. Try these tips below and I promise it will be that much easier to start waking up earlier until eventually you’re a morning person, like me! 

• Don’t deprive your sleep: If you are going to deprive yourself sleep to get up and work out- your workout may have an adverse effect. You know your body and how much sleep you need; some need more than others but respect yourself! If working out early means skipping out on your sleep, your body will not fully function resulting in a slower metabolism, more strenuous workout, and a less productive day. Plus-when you are lacking sleep, your hunger hormones go crazy making you far more likely to overeat ! Your mom gave you a bedtime growing up for a reason-it’s good for you! Figure out how many hours you need, what time you need to wake up, set a bedtime, and stick to it! One way I promote myself to stick to my bedtime is reserving an hour before my intended bedtime to watch my favorite TV show. This gives me something to look forward to and relaxes me for a good night’s sleep!   
• Take baby steps: If you’re used to waking up at 9am-don’t set your alarm for 4am. Start by setting your alarm just an hour earlier, then the next week try adding another 30 min earlier, and gradually build to your goal workout time. This will guarantee long term success and decrease your chances of burning out! 
• Eat Dinner Earlier: Try and be finished eating at least three hours before your planned bedtime. This may sound unnecessary but I it’s so important! Your food needs time to digest and you will get a much better night’s sleep, making it easier to wake up the next morning! 
• Plan it out: Do everything the night before! Lay your clothes out for in the morning, pack your bag for the next day, make your breakfast, prepare your coffee pot..make the next morning as seamless and easy as possible! Especially if you are not used to waking up, your body will be tired, forgetful, and you want to make it as easy on yourself as possible! Doing little things like this will also help you get that extra 15 minutes in bed. 😉 
• Give yourself something to look forward to: If you love music-make a new playlist. If you love oatmeal-make yourself some overnight oats. Whatever it is that gets you going, try to make it exciting for that next morning! I absolutely love my morning cup of coffee and can’t wait to get out of bed to make it, no matter how early my alarm went off! While I personally like to eat something small before my workout (usually a banana), I love to treat myself with a fun smoothie, some yogurt and granola, overnight oats, or something delicious afterwards to motivate myself through the workout! Whatever your pleasure is, find a healthy way to treat yourself and make that early morning enjoyable! 
• Create a buddy system: It’s the new year, spring break is coming up, you know working out is good for you and half the reason I love working out so much is because of the community! Find a friend or two and go to a class, go for a group run, or find someway to sweat together so you can hold each other accountable. This will make it that much easier to avoid the snooze button- you especially can’t leave your friends hanging before dawn! 
• Make goals: Whether it is to get up one morning a week and workout or it is five, set your intentions at the beginning of the week and make every effort to fulfill them!
• Finally..Remember your purpose: As you lay in bed and your alarm is ringing and you think “why me..” genuinely ask yourself  ‘why are you getting up?’ Is is to get your day started earlier? Is it the only time you can fit a workout in? Why should you work out? Remember your purpose and why you said you wanted to work out in the first place. Going back to your intentions will help motivate you to stick with your goals while staying true to your body!

How are you sweating this week? What is your favorite aspect to a morning workout? Comment below!