10 TIPS FOR BECOMING A MORNING GYM-GOER

1)Schedule it. You probably wouldn’t miss an appointment with 

your doctor, your dentist, or your hairdresser. Just like these 

appointments, make your morning exercise session something you 

can’t skip.

2)Get out your gear the night before. That way, you won’t 

arrive at the gym without socks or with your shirt inside-out.

3)Write it down. Jot down an exact workout plan before going to 

bed. When you wake up, you won’t have to think about what 

machine to do next or how long you’re going to run.

4)Consider a workout you have to pay for. I used to work out 

with a trainer at 5 am, and some days it was very tempting to 

stay in bed. But then I’d think about how much money I’d waste 

if I missed a session, and a few minutes later I was out the 

door and on my way. A commitment to personal training sessions 

or small group fitness workouts like TRX might help make sure 

you get out of bed.

5)Find a buddy. Maybe it’s a friend you already know, or maybe 

it’s someone you meet on your first early-morning trip to the 

gym. Make a commitment to each other that you’ll show up and 

hold each other accountable.

6)Make it a competition… with a reward, of course! If you and a 

gym buddy are both on a quest to make early exercise dates a 

habit, come up with a little challenge. Maybe you’ll decide the 

first one to miss a day has to do 20 extra push-ups. If you’re 

working out solo, treat yourself to new gym gear after a solid 

month’s worth of commitment.

7)Do a class. Many gyms offer one-hour classes that start 

around 6 am. Since no one wants to be the person that walks out 

in the middle of the class, I’d be willing to bet you’ll stay 

through the end.

8)Take baby steps. Start by setting back your alarm by five 

minutes this week. Next week, go for another five. You’ll be 

getting up an hour earlier before you know it.

9)Have something tasty to look forward to. Some experts say the 

golden window for post-workout nutrition is 30 to 60 minutes 

after we finish exercising, so make breakfast your next 

priority. Try a blended smoothie with greens, protein powder, 

and frozen berries or a parfait with granola, yogurt, and fresh 

fruit.

10)Preserve those endorphins! Make great feelings last by 

writing them down. The next time you think hitting snooze 

sounds like a better idea than lacing up, read what you wrote 

and remind yourself how on-top-of-the-world you felt last time. 

Then get moving!