I’ll admit, I’m not the kind of person who springs out of bed ready to work out. My movement from the bed is more like a slither. However, it’s all too easy to put off working out until the evening and then keep putting it off until I’ve run out of time. So I’m going to start trying to work out in the mornings. Maybe not first thing, but one of the first things.
That’s because the first thing you should do when you wake up is chug some water. Your body’s become mildly dehydrated during the night, so you need to replenish your fluids. In addition, just the act of getting up and drinking your water may help to wake you up. Try to drink at least 16 ounces.
I said that’s the first thing, but really let’s rewind back to the previous night, where the real first step is. You might not work out in the mornings because you don’t have enough time, so build some in for yourself. Go to bed a little earlier–15 minutes, a half hour–so you can get up earlier.
Once you’re up and hydrated, do some dynamic stretching. As well as getting out dried out, your body’s probably gotten stiff during the night. You know how good a stretch feels when you first wake up, so give your body what it wants.
Then, start small. We’re not running a marathon right after we get out of bed. Well, I’m not. You can go big if you’d like. But the best workout to start will be something challenging, but not punishing. Morning yoga is a good idea, as well as basic calisthenics.
Once you’ve gotten into the routine of getting up and getting moving, then you can ramp up the intensity. Give yourself at least a week of getting used to your new regimen, if not two weeks, and then you can start more intense workouts, like harder cardio.
