Posted on October 01, 2014 by Jenny Cromack

It has come to that time of year again where its remaining darker for longer in the morning, one minute its sunny and the next our mornings are plunged into darkness. This blog looks how you can stay motivated on darker mornings to maintain your healthy routine.

I’m not going to lie, these last few mornings I have woken up an been lulled into a false sense of security thinking it was the middle of the night and I had a few hours left of glorious sleep. But sadly no longer am I woken to the sun peeping through the cracks in the blinds and I have to tackle my way out of the room with my phone light to avoid waking my other half!

This is it now though this is what we have to deal with, so how can we make sure we can motivate ourselves still get up and start the day feeling full of energy!

ALARMS

I’ve said this before ..alarms are great for making sure we are up at hitting the gym but in my opinion alarm clocks have one down fall .. ..THE SNOOZE BUTTON. The bottom line is most people set their alarm well before they get up just so they can snooze! Don’t do this, set it for the appropriate time and just get up. If you get into a routine of getting up as soon as your alarm goes off you this will become a habit every day. Make sure you stick to your Summer early morning exercise routine and do not snooze! Even if you’re not an early morning exerciser then still get up when your alarm goes off and make yourself a healthy breakfast.

Top Tip – Place your alarm away from you so you have to get out of bed to turn it off, rolling over and hitting snooze is far too tempting!

SHOWER

A shower is fantastic way to get you awake, alert and clean. Even if you’re going to the gym a shower can get you alert and focused so you walk into the gym fresh and ready for your session so your productive and not aimlessly walking around the gym unsure if its upper body or legs day!

Top Tip – Even if you want to have a shower after you train make sure you wash your face, again this gets you awake and motivated as well as wipe the sleep from your eyes and gives you focus!

BREAKFAST

Breakfast is keep to get the body firing on all cylinders, remember your body will not have had fuel the whole time you have been asleep so it is vital to eat in order to feel alert and ready for a productive day. A lot of people who don’ t eat before training report feeling sick and lacking energy so it is vital to have something to eat before you train to really gain the benefits of an early morning session!

Even if you’re not training in the morning  do NOT skip breakfast as this is the most important meal of the day to make you feel focused and alert.

Top Tip – Although it does not take long to prepare some eggs you can always prepare your breakfast the night before to speed up your morning routine.

WATER as with the food you will not have taken on any fluids since you went to sleep, water is critically important in order for the body to function to its full capacity. If you’re dehydrated you will feel tired and therefore less motivated to get up and attack your early morning workout!

Top Tip- Carry a water bottle with you. This will allow you to see how much you have drank and always have water to hand.

EXERCISE

You only have to get up early and get a session in before work to realise how good it makes you feel. Admittedly,  many of my personal training clients walk into their personal training sessions feeling tired and that exercise is the last thing they want to do but after their session they really feel fantastic.It may be after they are showered and dressed or even an hour later sat at their desk but you do get the feel good factor eventually. After any workout your feel motivated and your productivity goes through the roof so although it may be dark mornings its really worth getting up and getting that session in to set you up for the rest of the day. you can then walk out the gym to the sunshine of the morning knowing your session is done instead of leaving work and having to go to the gym in the dark.

Dark mornings are not loved by anyone but it doesn’t mean you have to be in a dark mood or let it affect your work or training routine. Our bodies adapt fast so in a few weeks you will be jumping out of bed and sprinting to the gym.

LH