Hiya! How was your weekend? I spent most of it playing a concert with the Austin Symphony. (We were playing Harry Patter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and it was a blast. 😉 Instead of performing at the Long Center where we normally play, the concert was at Bass Concert Hall. That one’s a bigger concert hall, and we had it there because the movie concerts always sell out!

I spent the rest of Sunday reading a book (currently finishing up A Gentleman in Moscow), eating at a few new places around town, and playing with my new apple watch. (Wahoo! It’s so fun!) And I woke up bright and early this morning for my 6 am Monday barre class, which is what leads me to today’s post…

Being A Morning Workout Person

I wake up at 5:30 am for barre code workouts about 3 times a week. On the other weekdays, I wake up around 6:30 am, and on the weekends, I sleep until about 7. My early morning workouts really are one of my favorite parts of the day (which is saying something because I do them before I have any coffee!). Morning workouts have always been in my life (because of my swimming background), but I’ve only recently started to really enjoy them.

The question I get asked the most about morning workouts (and it’s the same question I ask people who manage to wake up for workouts at 4 am…!!!) is:

“How do you wake up so early for a workout?”

We all know the answer: you just do it. But to me, that’s literally the most annoying answer to that question. Duh. Of course you just do it! But when I’m asking that question, here’s what I’m really wanting to know:

1. How do you go to bed early enough to not be a zombie the next day? 

2. How are you not tired all day long after waking up so early? 

3. What motivates you to get out of bed instead of pressing snooze for an hour?

These are the things I really want to know. And for the last few months while I’ve been taking 6 am classes at The Barre Code, I’ve started to learn a thing or two about how to enjoy waking up early for morning workouts. Because if my goal is to make this a long-term habit, I don’t want to just figure out how to wake up early…. I want to figure out how to love it.

1. How do you go to bed early enough? 

You start by waking up early. 🙂 Don’t try to force yourself to go to bed at 9:30 pm if you slept in until 9 am that morning. Start by going to bed whenever you naturally fall asleep, and then wake up at 5:30 for a morning workout.  If I wake up early, I’m always ready for an early bedtime the next night!

The other thing I do is make a commitment to do a workout the next morning. The Barre Code makes this easy for me…I have to sign up for a class online ahead of time, so my name is already on the schedule. The workout is definitely, 100% happening the next morning, and I know I have to wake up at 5:30 am to be on time, so I go to bed early!

I can always cancel a class at least 4 hours ahead of time (they do this because some classes sell out, so if you’re not going to go, you cancel and someone from the waitlist gets your spot). But I’m obviously not going to wake up at 2 am to cancel my 6 am class, so once I sign up, I’m committed to being there!

2. How are you not tired all day long after waking up so early?

Working out early often gives me more energy, not less. If you’ve done morning workouts, you know that there’s truly nothing as invigorating as being done with an empowering workout and ready to start your day before 7 am! And as long as I went to bed early enough the night before, I won’t be tired from waking up at 5:30.

Also….I drink coffee. 😉

{And let me say one more thing about this: our society has a bizarre obsession with bragging about how little sleep we get. We’re obsessed with one-upping each other, so if one person says “I only sleep  5 hours a night!” then the next person feels compelled to yell out, “I’m lucky if I get 4 hours!” College kids love to talk about the all-nighters they pulled.

We seriously need to stop thinking that sacrificing our sleep makes us strong. I wake up early to workout because I go to bed early….and if I need a nap, I take one! Fighting our way through sleep deprivation is not a sign a strength…. You know what a really strong person does? Treats her body with respect by giving it the rest it needs to be able to live her best life.}

3. What Motivates you to get out of bed instead of pressing snooze for an hour?

This one took me several years to figure out, but I think I’ve finally got it. Here’s my very best tip:

Find a workout that you absolutely love. 

I found out I love the classes at the barre code. I get out of bed 5:30 am because I love those classes!

• I love the instructors at the studio, because they’re always friendly, motivating, empowering, and they leave no room for negativity. They only talk about growing stronger, never “losing weight” or “looking skinny” or any of those catch phrases that can so quickly make us workout for the wrong reasons.

• I love the studio space because it’s cool and dark with tall ceilings and always has fun music playing.

• I love the clothes I get to wear to barre….basically yoga clothes + sticky socks. Kinda feels like I’m in pajamas!

• I love love love the results I feel from being in the class. My mind is more engaged throughout the day. My posture is better. My whole body feels STRONG!

When I wake up early for one of those classes, I’m setting myself up for success for the rest of the day. That feeling is what motivates me to get up when that alarm rings!

Your turn! Add to the list: if you’re a morning workout person, what are your favorite (practical) tips for learning to love that early alarm? Any special motivating factors for you? I love love love hearing anything you have to share!

Ooh, and if you live in Austin and you need a morning workout buddy, let me know (email me at kelsey@somuchlife.com) and I’ll meet ya for a morning class sometime! Any questions at all about The Barre Code? Ask away. 🙂 I’ve been going there for about 6 months now, and I’m still in love with it. It’s my favorite barre studio in town!

Thanks for stopping by today. Talk soon!

Kelsey

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