I’ve worked out in the morning for as long as I can remember…. which was incredibly helpful for me when Harper was born. Since I was already up at an hour that no one should ever be up at… I would just head to the gym after she went back down. Now that we’re no longer doing those early morning nursing sessions (well, those are long gone, thankfully), it still works since I can easily get my workout in before little miss is up and rearing to go. That does mean a pretty early wake-up on a regular basis though, and I often get asked for tips on getting up early for a workout. Today I’m sharing my top 5 tips…..

1. Baby Steps: If you’re trying to wake up earlier, I don’t recommend setting your alarm clock an hour earlier than usual. I think that just sets anyone up for hitting that snooze button one too many times. That being said, when I was trying to wake up earlier to get my workouts in, I began by setting my alarm clock back in ten minute increments, each day for a week. For me, I was waking up at 6:15am and knew that I needed a 5:30 wake up in order to get a full workout in before little miss woke up. My schedule looked like this:

Monday: 6:05am
Tuesday: 5:55am
Wednesday: 5:45am
Thursday: 5:35 am
Friday: 5:30am

And on the following Monday, I stuck with the 5:30am wake-up…. and I typically hit snooze, for 5 minutes, one time….. #JustSaying…..

2. Tie Your Workout To A Goal: This has worked so well for me when I feel way too tired to wake up in the morning. Tying my workout to a specific goal makes it feel like less of a burden and more of a challenge. If I’m feeling sluggish in the morning, my goal is typically to just increase my energy (a good run usually does that for me)…. or if I’ve been particularly stressed lately, my goal will be to relieve stress (maybe a yoga flow)… or if I wake up with a lot of pep in my step I might make my goal to feel stronger (a cardio + strength workout).

3. Lay Your Clothes Out The Evening Before: In the morning, I don’t have much wiggle room with time, so scouring my dresser for a pair of socks… or leggings… can’t happen. Each night before I go to bed, I grab my workout clothes and set them in the bathroom (since I’m up before everyone, that’s where I change…. waking up a sleeping toddler is not my goal at this hour of the morning…..). That being said, when the mornings are cool in the fall, I like to have a comfortable pullover to toss on en route to the gym. Adidas Originals makes one of my all time favorite, slightly oversized, super comfy pullovers. Nordstrom has a great selection of my favorite Adidas Originals items that I wear for working out, including this cute cropped hoodie (I own in mint), tank, and this cap (which I own in 4 colors… it’s so good!). I’m also loving these high waisted basic black leggings.

4. Grab A Small Snack: I always get asked how I work-out on an empty stomach. I typically wake up hungry, but having half of a banana is usually sufficient enough to get me through my workout. Having a simple grab and go option on hand makes it easy to literally grab it and head out the door.

5. Make A Motivating Playlist: I use anything to motivate myself in the morning, and one of the best ways is by creating a brand new playlist the night before. I’m usually excited to get jamming in the morning that it’s enough to get me up n’ out.

Annnnd, that’s it! Hope it helps a little….
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(Outfit Details || Hoodie (comes in 7 color options) | Leggings (2 colors) | Shoes (so comfortable, restocked) |Tote (3 color options) | Sunglasses | Hair Tie)

Thank you to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post.