Let’s be honest, how many of us are morning people? Let alone people that are happy to be jumping out of bed in the early hours to hit the gym or hit the park for a run. Getting up early and working out is actually an amazing way to start your day, and often it’s more of a ‘How can i do that’ than ‘why should i do do that’ question that prevents us from starting our days right.

Now I will be honest, I am not a early morning riser, and I definitely don’t have a secret bottle of motivation hidden in my underwear drawer for the moments I am lacking it, however I am someone who has consistently worked out in the morning (even hitting the gym at 4/5am) so I want to share my top 10 tips to help you get yourself up and out the door.

1. Be prepared – Work bag packed, lunch made & gym clothes on the side ready to go. If i am not prepared for the morning it all goes to poop. I like to be up and out the door before I have even had time to register what I am doing so having everything ready means I can grab & go.
2. Establish a bedtime routine – Get in bed at a sensible time, set those alarms, put your phone on ‘do not disturb’ – whatever you need to do, make it your routine and stick to it! For me I try to be asleep by 9pm, I whack a scary podcast on, take my supplements & meds and that’s it, sleep time until that alarm buzzes in the morning. Don’t have a netflix binge all night if your alarm is going to be screaming at 5am, it just won’t happen.
3. Plan your workout – Know what your training, go in with a plan and smash it! Plan exercises you actually enjoy, Schedule those PB’s in and get excited to hit some goals, even if its an extra rep, mile or 1kg!
4. Do not press snooze – Snooze will be your worst enemy! Once that alarm goes off, get up and go! If you struggle with this I highly suggest moving your phone to the other side of the room, or setting an alarm 10 minutes prior so you can trick your brain into thinking your getting a cheeky 10 minute snooze!
5. Find your support system – Surround yourself with people who will support your goals, get yourself a workout buddy, get people to help you be accountable! I love training with my mum and it brings out my competitive side as I always try to beat her to the gym, so I am more motivated to get up as soon as my alarm goes off! Plus when you train with someone you do not want to let them down!
6. Own your day – Smashing your workout in the morning means no matter how the day goes after, you have completed at least one amazing thing which does actually set your day up for a more positive start. It all boils down to the fact that there is no better way to start your day than knowing you have done something amazing for yourself.
7. Give yourself something to look forward too – Plan exciting workouts, playlists or even look forward to a tasty breakfast or post-workout shake. Planning something you enjoy for either the workout or post workout is a great way to reward yourself for getting out of bed
8. Think about how you will feel afterwards – Let’s be real, when don’t you feel good after a workout?! I mean unless you fall over and injure yourself.. Ignore that possibility and get those endorphins racing and that feel-good factor going!
9. Make it a habit – Make your workout part of your routine, just like brushing your teeth in the morning! Who skips brushing their pearly whites?! The more you do it, the more it will seem like the norm and the easier it will be to just do it without thinking!
10. Remember Life Happens – If you miss a workout, or your ‘alarm never went off’ don’t beat yourself up. Accept what happens and just reschedule it and try again.

Do you like to workout in the early mornings or do you prefer heading to the gym after work? Let me know in the comments and share your tips and tricks for getting out of bed!