Ride and Lagree Instructor Nikki shares her top tips to become a morning exerciser
I can’t wait to get up at 5 a.m.!
Said no one ever.
Other than kangaroos and barbecuing shrimp, Australia is best known for its glorious weather. Ten months of the year. What is not known, nor believed, about Australia is that the winter is actually f*cking miserable (trust me, I have tried to explain to Canadians back home and they are having none of it).
It’s dark, wet, cold, and it makes getting out of bed and to work for 9 a.m. nearly impossible. So we understand the the struggle is very real when it comes to getting to a 6 a.m. class. But we got you babes — have a look at our tips to get you out of bed and onto that bike or megaformer. And in a near conscious condition!
Make a list
Of all the benefits to getting up earlier. Here’s a few to get you started:
- You will be done with your workout before 7 a.m.
- The feeling of accomplishment from completing an early-morning-workout will stay with you all day and improve productivity.
- You will have time to get your look ~on point~ for the day.
- You will have time to grab coffee after class.
- You will beat traffic.
- You will burn more calories doing cardio (hello, Ride class!) in the morning because you will get a metabolic spike that lasts the rest of the day.
Set an alarm…. to go to bed earlier
Yes — obviously you should set your alarm to get up in time for class in the morning. But setting an alarm in the evening for the time you want to start the turning-in process will help you big time. Who hasn’t gotten sucked into a Netflix blackhole and before you know it, it’s 1 a.m. and you’ve watched the Undateables and you’re halfway through 100% Hotter?
When your alarm goes off, just get up
Don’t snooze. Don’t close your eyes for one more minute. Get out of bed ASAP! Brush your teeth, get music on, move your body. It only hurts for a second, I promise! Just. Get. Up.
#allthecoffee
Have a coffee. Why? Because, caffeine, but also because studies have shown that having a cuppa-Joe 45 minutes before engaging in cardio may help extend your exhaustion by up to 24 per cent. Also, if morning coffee is part of your wake up ritual, it’s worth getting up a few minutes earlier to go through the process. The familiarity to your morning routine will make it easier on you no matter how early it is.
Eat something
A bite of toast. A date with peanut butter. Apple. Egg. It will help you wake up by getting your insides pumping from brain to tummy. And in case you’re trying to go with the fasted cardio thing, recent studies have shown that while that does work for men, it actually has the opposite effect on women, and that women perform better if they’ve had something in their bellies prior to exercising. “Exercising women who consumed a carbohydrate drink prior to exercise burned up to 22 percent more fat.”
Prepare EVERYTHING the night before
Everything. Put coffee in the coffee maker. Have your mini-meal/snack ready. Put your activewear out. Pack your bag for what you need after class (work clothes, towel, hair things, makeup). Make a checklist and don’t give yourself a chance to miss class because you realized you forget to pack your undies or have you scrambling to get out the door on time. Preparing the night before means a few more minutes of sleep in the morning AND the peace of mind to just pick up and get out the door.
If you can get into the habit of hitting morning classes during the winter, by the time summer is (hopefully very quickly) upon us again, you will be dancing out of your house with that sun at 5am #Trust.
See you bright and early!
Embrace Nikki's step by step guide to making the morning your friend and book into class. Just get it done!
