5 Secrets to Sticking to a Morning Workout Routine

Morning workouts. We all wish we could stick to them.

What better way to start the day? Morning workouts lead to a:

• Great mood
• An energy boost
• Increased focus
• and sense accomplishment, all before 9 am

That’s why we went around and got some amazing tips from our Crunch Fitness team on how they stick to a morning workout routine.

Here at Crunch, we have one of the fittest, healthiest and most motivated teams around. It should come as no surprise then, that the majority of our employees maintain a schedule of working out  5 to 6 times a week before the sun comes up!

After asking around for tips on how to work out early in the morning we found that each of these early risers had stuck to the same 5 rules.

Check out their morning workout tips below!

1.Get your sleeping right

The first tip is to make sure you get your sleep right!

“If I know I have to wake up early, I will make sure I get as much sleep as possible. I’ll go to bed while it’s still light outside, probably around 7.30pm”. 

You may not need to get to bed this early, or it may be the perfect time for you to hit the hay.

When it comes to sleep, not everyone’s the same.

Just be sure to get enough sleep so you can wake up in the morning and feel relatively energised for the rest of your day.

Pro Tip: The first few days of waking up early will likely be tough, even if you’re getting enough sleep, simply because you are adjusting your wake up time. But stick with it and after a few weeks it will feel wrong not to wake up that early.

Can’t sleep? Try out these tricks:

• Try eating healthy carbs to help you sleep deeply and fall asleep faster. Some great options are brown rice, starchy vegetables (sweet potato/pumpkin), veggies or whole grain pasta.
• Turn off the phone and the TV. “I force myself to switch off and put down all technology the minute it means I need to fall asleep in order to get those 7 hours” 
• Stay consistent. “Go to sleep and wake up the same time every day, Monday to Sunday (with the exception of a few odd nights every few months for special occasions)” 

2. Prepare the night before

Prepare your gear

“In order to never miss my morning, 5.45am workout I ALWAYS make sure I have all my bags packed and ready to go the night before. This includes my protein shake, food, clothes and anything else I may need.”

Make a list of the things you need to get to your workout in the morning. Every night, or even every Sunday, get all those things together, ready to go. This will reduce the amount of time it takes to get all your things together in the morning.

Prepare your breakfast the night before

Another great tip here is to prepare your breakfast the night before. This way you can grab it and eat it on your commute to the gym. There are so many great breakfast meal prep options. Examples include but not limited too:

• Smoothie bowls
• Oats
• Peanut butter and banana sandwiches
• Protein shakes

Find one or a few that you love and stick to making these the night before.  This will not only help make getting ready a breeze, it will also ensure you get plenty of fuel for your workout, make healthier decisions later in the day and prevent you from grabbing something quick and unhealthy in the morning. Which brings us to our next point…

3. Fuel yourself

Each of our early risers make sure they get the right type of fuel in. This varies for each individual, but generally, the best way to go is to make sure you include some protein in your morning meal. This keeps you fuller, gives you energy and helps repair any damaged muscles.

Our Group Exercise Coordinator, Caroline, always eats before working out.

“I always make sure I eat or drink something before my morning workout, no matter how early. Fueling my body with something light for the work to come means that I will have more energy to push harder in my workout and my body won’t turn to my hard-earned muscle for fuel in the absence of food.” 

– Caroline Hynes, Group Fitness Instructor and Co-ordinator

For a high intensity cardio or plyometric workout, Caroline recommends you eat some sort of fast absorbing carbohydrate. For example, a couple of rice cakes with honey that will digest easily and provide fast, readily available energy to help you push to the max.

For a strength or muscle building session, she recommends you eat slower digesting food that will sustain your energy throughout the workout and help accelerate growth & repair of the worked muscles.

“For these workouts a balanced combo of protein, complex carbs & a small amount of fat works well for me. For example, a protein shake with a slice of toast and almond butter is one of my favourite go to’s”.

4. Partner up

Partnering up with someone ensures you show up to your workout AND you stay motivated the entire workout.

Meet someone for a workout. If you have a workout planned with someone you’re less likely to bail. This is where PTs really come in handy because they’re always going to show up and keep you accountable! Plus, they take the pressure of your workout away and guide you through the best exercises and routines for your body and your goals.

Tell your partner your exact game plan for the next day and let them know that you WILL train. This way, you hold yourself accountable and set the mindset of ”no going back”.  This tip is especially helpful on days when you are training your least favourite body parts or performing one of your harder workouts.

5. Have a game plan

One of the best tips on the list is to make sure you have a plan in mind the night before your workout.

You could plan this out on Sunday, preparing yourself for the week, and go over the list each night before bed, so you know exactly what you’re doing the next day. Before going to bed, have a game plan in your head for what body part you want to train the next day, whether it be back, legs, shoulders or cardio. That way, by creating a game plan, you can wake up on a mission, knowing exactly what you want to achieve that morning whilst training.

So just to recap, why are morning workouts good for you?

Morning workouts leave you more focused for the rest of the day.

Exercise wakes up your body, stimulates blood flow and gives you more energy. This leaves you more focused and alert for the entire day

No more guilt and worry.

By getting your workout out of the way first thing in the morning you won’t have to worry about it for the rest of the day and feel guilty all day until you have completed the workout. Instead, you’ll feel relaxed in the fact that you already got it out of the way.

You’re more likely to stick to a consistent workout routine.

By setting your workout time for the morning, it’s more likely you will actually fit it in. There are way less distractions in the morning compared to the rest of the day.

Lunchtime and evening workouts can often be pushed aside by unplanned events and a sense of fatigue.

You’ll feel more accomplished.

Starting your day with a workout will make you feel amazing for the rest of the day! It’s 9 am and you’ve already done something amazing for yourself today!

You’ll begin your day in a wonderful mood.

Working out increases the feel-good endorphins in your body, leaving you content for the rest of the day.

We can help you be accountable for your workouts!

Starting off can be a struggle. Our Crunch personal trainers know this so well because they’ve been where you are now! They will be able to plan and execute fitness goals and plans suited to what your needs are so you can get the results you want.

Get in touch with one of our friendly Crunch staff members and they will book a personal training consultation for you today at your nearest Crunch gym.