We’ve all been there. You went to bed with the best intentions – you even skipped that late-night rerun of Bridesmaids to get extra shut-eye. But it’s 6am and your alarm is ringing… and it’s dark outside… and the thought of emerging from your toasty duvet nest is far from appetising.
That workout you had planned? It can wait until tomorrow, right? Or you could try and fit it in after work (although deep-down you know that’ll never happen). The excuses keep coming as one hand sleepily drifts out to hit Snooze...
Stop.
Before you succumb to the false belief that, in this scenario, extra time in bed is better, it could be that all you need is a quick burst of morning workout motivation. Yes, it’s not always that easy to find first thing but remember, you are not alone. Even the fittest among you will have those morning workout motivation waivers.
Which is why WH asked some of the UK’s leading health and fitness experts to share the tips that get them going in the morning.
Read on and you’ll never have reason to hit Snooze again.
12 HACKS FOR INSTANT MORNING WORKOUT MOTIVATION
1. GET STRAIGHT UP
“Whatever you do, do not hit Snooze,” says Jodi Kerschl, triathlete and founder of active-wear brand Bellum Active. “Aim to be out the door within 10-15 minutes of waking, if you can; it’ll give you less time to think about the fact that it’s cold outside or work-up excuses not to train. Focus on your end goal – or a rewarding post-workout meal – instead.”
2. KEEP YOUR WORKOUTS SHORT
“When starting out, keep your morning session to 15-20 minutes of boxing or HIIT,” says co-founder of Boxx, Anna Samuels. “That way, if you’re working out from home, you only need to set your alarm 30 minutes earlier than usual. As you get used to the routine, you can increase your workout time, if you wish.”
3. BE PREPARED
“Lay your clothes out the night before – in winter, pop them on the radiator – and set your heating timer to 30 minutes before you get up,” says Kerschl. “This will make it easier to get dressed when you’re half asleep and will save you having to stand around shivering for a few minutes until your body warms up.”
4. HAVE A GOAL
“Set a specific goal with a timed deadline to keep up morning workout motivation on days when you can’t be bothered,” says Mark Bohannon, manager and head personal trainer of Ultimate Performance Manchester. “Make sure you are constantly looking at this – set it as the wallpaper on your phone or as a message on your alarm clock – ‘You will lose 10kg by 10th March’, for example.”
5. MAKE SURE YOUR GOAL IS REALISTIC
“Never forget that results don’t happen overnight – a lack of motivation could be the result of unachievable targets,” says Protein World health expert and nutritionist, Faye Townsend. “Set yourself small achievements that you can tick off each week. These don’t have to be based on declining numbers on a scale – aim lift slightly heavier weights, or run a little further, every week, for example.”
6. FIND YOUR PACK
“Exercising on your own, whether it’s working out in the gym or going for a run, can be a joyless experience – making it harder to find the morning workout motivation in the first place,” says fitness instructor and nutritionist Cassandra Barns. “Find a training partner or join an exercise class and give it two or three chances before you decide whether it’s something you want to continue with or not – it can take time to feel comfortable with new moves and new people.”
7. POWER UP YOUR PLAYLIST
“If you’re not normally a morning person, then get yourself pumped and in the zone by switching on your favourite tunes,” says Alex Crockford, Fiit personal trainer. “I like to call music ‘free energy’ because it really sets you up to work out hard. 'Happy’ by Pharrell Williams does it for me.”
8. WHEN IT’S DONE, IT’S DONE
“Remind yourself that once your early workout is done, that’s the physically hardest part of your day, done,” says PT Hannah Dyer. “I know that whatever mental challenges I come up against during the rest of my day, I will be in the right head space to go at them full throttle because I’ve physically and mentally prepped myself at the gym first.”
9. INVEST IN THE RIGHT KIT
“The right activewear is essential – especially if exercising outdoors during the colder months,” says Kerschl. “A base layer, top with reflective strips and, gloves and a beanie to keep your extremities warm can make a world of difference to your training experience. If the weather really is playing havoc with your motivation, stay indoors and so yoga, HIIT, an exercise class or a treadmill run."
10. MIX UP YOUR TRAINING
“A change is as good as a holiday,” says Kerschl. “And this also applies to your workouts. Add in tempo, speed and strength work to your routine, or try a new class; your body will respond to the changes and you’ll see results more quickly, without getting bored.”
11. SET MULTIPLE ALARMS
“If you’re really struggling, more than one alarm,” says Tom Jones, head trainer at F45 Stratford. “I set two; the first lets me know I’ve got a further ten minutes to sleep and gives me some time to prepare for my training session so that by the time the second alarm goes off, I’m ready to get up and tackle my morning workout.”
12. ALLOW YOURSELF THE OCCASIONAL SET BACK
“Don’t beat yourself up if you oversleep or miss a session – these things happen,” says Townsend. “One day off exercise will not ruin everything you have achieved so far. Embrace the rest and start fresh as soon as possible. Remember, it’s much harder to work up to a point that it is to fall back down, and repercussions will follow if you leave it too long.”
Still need an extra boost of morning workout motivation? Scroll through these Instagram accounts for instant fitness motivation and, if you’re trying to lose weight, here are 27 tips for weight-loss motivation.
