Monday morning 6 am; the alarm goes off.
It’s dark, cold and wet outside, however, under the duvet it’s warm and cosy. You don’t HAVE to get up and do that workout, no one is forcing you and you’ve convinced yourself you’ll do it tomorrow.
If this rings a bell, congratulations you’re a normal human being and we all go through this process whether you’re an Olympian, budding athlete or starting out on your fitness journey.
Multiple Olympic Gold medallist & GB rower Pete Reed admits “Public think that Olympians are superhuman, but we struggle as well and it can be extremely tough to motivate yourself in the morning, especially when it’s dark and cold.”
Acknowledging that it can be difficult to motivate ourselves in the mornings, here are some tips we’ve put together which will help you better prepare, in order to nail that early workout.
Set a Specific Goal
What is the session you will do in the morning, what is the objective? Setting vague goals makes it easier to either miss the session completely or have a poor workout once you get to the gym. By writing down the session the night before, you will prepare yourself mentally for the morning and have a plan once you get to the gym.
Prepare your Kit
Packing your gym bag or kit is a tedious process. Getting this ready the night before means you can enjoy a few more minutes in bed in the morning, and it’s one less thing to worry about which can sometimes be enough to demotivate you & cut into your session time. Also investing in some new kit can help with your motivation shop our fitness range today
Sleep
Usain Bolt considers sleep the most important part of his training regime. If you want to hit that morning session well, it’s essential to get a good night’s sleep (between 7-8hrs) to let your mind and body recover. Avoid watching TV or looking at your phone before bed as it will affect the quality of your sleep.
Be Realistic
If you normally get up at 8 am, don’t immediately set your alarm for 5:30 am. Set a reasonable and achievable target based on what time you go to sleep. Set it for 7 am, and once this becomes a habit, set it to 6:45 am and so on. If it’s a realistic target you’re most likely to hit it. If you love to hit the snooze button, try to put the alarm on the other side of the room as it will force you to get up.
Become Accountable to Someone
Most people find it easy to let themselves down, but not someone else. Find a good coach or workout buddy and agree to meet and train together. It’s much more difficult to miss a session when you know someone else is waiting for you. Importantly, working out with someone else has been proven to lead to better results as you’re more motivated.
Find your Motivation
Every single person is motivated by something. Figure out what will motivate you to get out of bed and attack your morning session. Write it down and think of this when you go to bed and once you wake up before you hit that snooze button. How much do you want it?
Rewards
Rewards are motivating and they can be as small or big as you like. Treat yourself to a nice coffee, breakfast or even put £5 in a holiday fund every time you successfully accomplish a good morning session. Training 3 times a week for just 6 months and you could treat yourself to a sunny holiday some early spring.
Boost your Session
You’re up, you’ve made it to the session, you know what you have to do and now it’s key to make the most of it. Listening to music, reminding yourself of your goals or even just wearing new gym gear can be great methods to ensure you get the most out of your session and leave feeling accomplished.
Fuel
After over 8hrs of fasting, you’re about to put your body under stress. Unless your goal is purely fat loss at steady-state exercise, it is important to fuel well before and after you train.
Researchers at University College London found that it takes an average of 66 days to form a habit. Getting up early to go to the gym isn’t easy, but with the help of these tips, it will soon become much easier and then habitual.
By the time it’s the New Year you’ll be far ahead of any gym resolutions you might have and feel a lot better, which will reflect on other aspects of your life.
Good luck training.
