As I crawl into bed at night, I like to reflect and celebrate my victories from the day. I started to notice that I feel most successful when I get in a workout, and I feel unsuccessful when I didn’t do anything active that day.
So I made a change. I had to find a way to incorporate exercise into my daily routine.
I experimented with different types of fitness at various times of day. I discovered that I feel best when I workout in the afternoon…but I can’t make that happen on a regular basis (since we all know that our schedule gets busier, as the day goes on, not more open).
Finally the day came where I had to set myself straight – I need to workout first thing in the morning it I want to fit exercise into my day everyday.
Ladies, I don’t know about you but it’s tough to get out of bed in the morning. The struggle is real!
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Here’s the magical routine that helps me wake up on time, get out of bed and get movin’.
Before I go to bed….
As I’m winding down for the evening, I fill up a water bottle and leave it in my living room (where I workout). I take a few sips before bed to hydrate by body for the night, and I leave the rest for the morning.
Before I put on my pajamas, I set out my exercise clothes. It’s just one less thing I need to think about in the morning. Shorts, sports bra, athletic shirt, socks and shoes. Check. Then I put on my pajamas.
Next I go to my bathroom vanity to wash my face. I put my hair into a ponytail and wash up. Then, I leave the ponytail holder on the counter. You don’t need me to explain how bobby pins and hair ties grow legs and walk away.
Then I crawl into bed. Before I turn off the bedside lamp, I set my alarm clock for the morning. I have a small addiction to the snooze button, so I also set my cell phone alarm for ten minutes after the alarm clock, just to make sure I actually wake up.
Then I take my beauty rest, preferably around 7.5 hours.
After I wake up…
Good morning! Rise and shine!
Ha, if only I felt that perky in the morning! Usually I need a few minutes to stretch, open my eyes and disinvolve myself from my dreams. But as soon as my eyelids don’t weigh five pounds a piece, my feet hit the floor. I head to the bathroom.
First, I go to the bathroom (like most people).
Then I put on the athletic clothes I already laid out.
Next I brush my hair and put it up with the hair tie laid on the counter. (It’s so nice to not have to overthink things this early in the morning.) And I follow that by brushing my teeth.
At this point I head to the living room. First, I drink 8 ounces of water before I even begin (out of the water bottle left out the night before).
I lay out my yoga mat and dumbbells (which are conveniently located in the closet near my living room). I take another sip of water as I turn on my workout video.
I’ve been awake for 5 minutes and I’m already warming up for my exercise and have hydrated my body with water. Now that’s what I call a victory in my day!
You may be wondering where breakfast and coffee fit into my morning routine. Usually I exercise on an empty stomach and eat breakfast directly following my workout. To be honest, every once in a while I wake up incredibly hungry; on those mornings I eat a small bowl of yogurt or a handful of dry cereal.
Prepare yourself tonight so you can fit in your workout tomorrow!
