As bad as waking up in the morning to go to the gym sounds, it is actually one of the best things that you can do for yourself. Exercising in the morning is actually a more effective wake-up strategy than coffee–after your workout you feel more energized and alert for class.
It took me a while to fight the temptation of getting an extra hour of sleep and actually get up and try this. Going to the gym at night is far more ideal for me, but since the gym is only open until 11pm, I usually get so swamped with class assignments that I end up staying in the library until midnight. Even when I do finish on time, I’m too tired to walk all the way back to my room and then back to the gym. Working out in the morning works best for me, and if your situation is similar to mine, it will probably work best for you too! I feel so much more energetic, productive and active and I’m much more focused in my classes.
So. How do you find the motivation to do this, and keep doing it?
1. Get a workout buddy
Get one of your friends who doesn’t mind getting up a bit earlier to get a workout in before class. You can help each other wake up and get going!
2. Set goals for yourself
Whether you want to lose weight, tone up, get into a healthy habit, you should have some sort of goal that you want to achieve so you have motivation to keep up your progress.
3. Prepare the night before.
This means lay your clothes out and fill your water bottle so as soon as you wake up, you can throw them on and go.
4. Make a playlist of your favorite songs.
Whether it’s Beyoncé or Mozart, choose your favorite songs will pump you up right before you go to the gym. If you don’t have time to do this, music players such as Spotify and Pandora have pre-made workout playlists that you can use while working out.
5. Get new workout clothes
When you buy cute, new outfits you will want to put them to use and will be more excited to go workout!
6. Switch your workout around.
Don’t do the same workout routine every time. Check YouTube for new routines or workouts that you can try in the gym or even in the comfort of your own room.
Try these tips and work towards a healthy new lifestyle!