How to become a “morning person” with your workouts…
LISTEN: APPLE PODCASTS | SPOTIFY | STITCHER
Welcome to a new episode of the Embrace Your Real podcast. In this episode, we dive into the concept of being a morning person and how it can positively impact your life, particularly when it comes to incorporating morning workouts into your routine.
While being a morning person comes naturally to some, many of us struggle to embrace the early hours of the day.
Let's face it: If we don't make a morning workout a priority, it frequently gets put off. But how can we achieve the body we want without a regular exercise schedule?
That's where the importance of becoming a morning person comes into play. In this episode, I'll be sharing practical tips and strategies to help you transition into a morning person. It may not be easy at first, but with the right tools and unwavering commitment, you can make it happen!
What I discussed:
A great morning routine starts with a great nighttime routine.
Get some sunshine!
Get some pre-movement in.
Don’t overcommit yourself.
Be consistent with your wakeup time.
Never press snooze.
Have an easy to follow workout routine.
Links mentioned in the podcast:
Movement with Julie | App: sale.movementwithjulie.com
If you want more from me, be sure to check out...
Instagram: @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie
Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/
Website: www.juliealedbetter.com
Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/influencer-6bda1ca8?ref=cm_sw_em_r_inf_pub_influencer-6bda1ca8_dp_DgsIam9salgfi
Transcript:
Hey there, beautiful human. You're listening to Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter. A podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I issue a dose of real talk and actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned if you're ready to embrace your real. Let's get it, let's go.
Hello and welcome back to another episode on the Embrace, your podcast. Do you think it's absolutely impossible to become a morning person? Like, do you genuinely just write it off because you're like, That is not me. That could never be me. Honestly, it's a lot of people like this is a topic that comes up often. People who are, you know, afternoon work hours or night work hours, they just kind of write off like there is no way I could ever do the morning routine, morning workout type of thing. And I want to encourage you that you can if this is something that you've been wanting to do, you kind of want to switch up your routine, especially as we head into the summer. Whenever seasons change, I feel like it's a perfect time to kind of take a look at our routine and ask yourself, you know, is this working out good? And for me, I know that I a lot of stuff happens on summer nights. And so I personally, especially as we head into the summer, I love getting my workout in first thing in the morning just because it's not something that I'm putting off all day to the point where it oftentimes falls through because I have plans with something else or something else comes up and just a lot more excuses can come up, especially, you know, as the seasons are warmer and a lot of activities happen at night. And so if this is you, you are wanting to kind of change your routine. You're wanting to become a morning person when it comes to your workouts, this episode is going to be for you. If it sounds impossible, trust me, I know I've been there, but I want to share some tangible tips that you can start utilizing so that you can become more of a morning person. And I know with the right tools and commitment, you can absolutely do it. Before we dive in, though, I want to share this review. It comes from her username is My Dog is my BFF, which me too have two dogs. I love them both. They're both my BFFs. I love that she gave a five star review and said Amen. Julie Finding Julie's Workout App podcast and social media has changed my life for the better. Not only did she reconnect me with my relationship with God, she's helping me become a better woman for the sake of my daughter. My daughter now has a mom who loves herself and respects herself, and I cannot wait to teach her everything that Julie has taught me. I'm so thankful for you. P.S. My username pronounced Annie Underscore says Underscore. Hi. Oh well, Annie, your username on Apple Podcasts is My dad is my wife, which I love, but I'm so grateful for this review. Thank you so much for sending this in. Honestly, the most important thing that you stated in here is that this podcast has helped you to reconnect your relationship with God. That is amazing. That's the single most important thing in my life, and it's just a humbling thing to hear. So thank you for sharing that. And then secondly, the fact that you are becoming a better woman for the sake of your daughter. That's what this podcast is all about. My hope and prayers that I can empower, encourage or inspire someone to become the best possible version of themselves so that they can go in their communities and serve in the best capacity. So thank you so much for tuning in. Thank you for taking time out of your day to send in this review. If you do have an Apple device, whether that's an iPad and iPhone or a computer, you can go to the podcast app, type in, embrace your email first, make sure you subscribe so that you never miss an episode they release every Monday and Thursday. And secondly, if you could scroll down and leave a reading and review, that would mean the absolute world to me. It not only helps us know how this podcast is helping you, but it also helps other people who stumble upon the podcast to just know what this podcast is about. And it really helps them in the decision making of Do I want to tune in to this podcast or not? So thank you. Thank you, Thank you. Okay, let's get into the meat of this episode. How to become a morning Person in your workouts. Number one, a great morning routine really does start with a great nighttime routine. This is really, really important. I think this is the mistake that I made and this is the mistake that I see many women make when they're starting to want to kind of change up their routine and work out in the morning is that they try to wake up earlier without going to bed earlier. But here's the fact. You genuinely cannot be a morning and a night person. I know some people are going to argue that, but I really don't think that you can be your absolute best in the morning and at night you kind of got to pick one. So if you want to start working out in the morning, you're going to have to make sure that you are getting enough sleep the night before. And I know many of you guys might be rolling your eyes and you're, you know, listening this and you know that. I don't have kids right now, which I don't. And I know that when you have kids, that completely changes. But I want to encourage you to take a look at what you're doing with the time that you've been given and ask yourself, like, am I scrolling in bed, you know, for, you know, thinking it's 10 minutes, but actually it's 30 minutes, or am I, you know, watching what's one more episode on Netflix and just continuing to click like next episode, next episode asking yourself the honest questions of things that you could change. And again, it's going to vary from person to person. If you are a mom with a two month old or nine month old, or you have a baby or a kid that is not sleeping through the night, my motto is always do the best that you can with what you have to give. But I just want you to kind of take an honest inventory of what you're doing and ask yourself if there are things that you can change when. Comes to your nighttime routine so that you can become more efficient when it comes to your sleep. Because blue light at night is one of the biggest culprits for not being able to fall asleep and stay asleep. There's a lot of studies that have been shown for that. So how can you mitigate that, even if it's a small shift at nighttime, that can make a huge difference for how you feel in the morning when you wake up. Number two, you get some sunshine. So thank goodness it is the time of year where we have the sun for longer. So the sun is rising before 6 a.m.. Getting sunlight first thing in the morning is possible. But why really is this helpful for becoming a morning person so you can get a solid workout in before your day starts? I know many of us we've heard that sunlight is good and we've heard that it can have a profound impact on our energy levels, our vitamin D levels, our overall well-being, but we don't really know the nitty gritty. And so I kind of want to get a little bit nerdy with you on this and just kind of share the science behind it. So exposure to natural light really helps to regulate our internal body clock, which is also known as their circadian rhythm, which ensures that we feel awake and alert throughout the day and then tired at night, which will also help us to get to sleep earlier. Plus, the natural light can also trigger the release of serotonin, right. Which is a neurotransmitter that enhances mood and reduces stress. Sunlight can also promote the production of vitamin D, which also contributes to increased energy levels and improved mood. And it can regulate melatonin, which is a hormone that directly affects your sleep patterns, resulting in better sleep quality at night, making it easier to wake up in the morning. So the neurotransmitter dopamine is released with sunlight, and that is directly responsible for alertness and focus. And it's just overall going to make it easier for you to get in a better, more effective workout in the morning because you are inputting all of that natural sunlight that does have a direct effect on your body. So all of those benefits that I just stated, those can happen if you just get 10 to 15 minutes of sunshine shortly after waking up. So whether this is a walk, this is sitting on your patio or deck enjoying breakfast outside, the exposure to natural light really can set a positive tone for the day. Now, if you are listening to this and you have, you know, limited access to outdoors, so whether you are maybe in an apartment that doesn't have a balcony or you're somewhere that just doesn't have direct access to outside positioning yourself near a window with ample amount of sunlight can still provide benefits as well. So by incorporating sunlight into your morning routine, this can also boost your energy levels, improve your mood, enhance your focus and establish that healthy sleep wake cycle, which can lead to a more energized and more fulfilled day ahead. Number three, get some pre movement in. Now, it can be difficult if you just roll out of bed and start moving your body. If you can actually get some pre movement in before your actual workout, you're going to feel a lot more alert and energized. And it's a great way to just knock out that workout and it honestly won't feel so torturous. So maybe this is getting 10 minutes of sunshine in the morning or you go for a 10 to 15 minute walk with your dog. I'm sure not only your dog is going to love it, but your body will love it as well. And even if it's dark in the morning, just getting some fresh air and cold air can be really stimulating and awake it like it can really help you be more awake if you're not psyched for the walk outside or if you work out at a gym and you have access to a treadmill. That's a great way to just kind of get some blood flowing, even if it's for, you know, 4 to 7 minutes before your workout, if you don't have access to that. A great thing to do is to literally just put on some music, whether it's your headphones or you have a big speaker and just blast your one or two favorite songs and just start dancing. Just start dancing before your workout. This is one of my favorite things to do. So I personally workout in our basement and so for me, I just walk down stairs. I put on our speaker and I just blast my favorite song and it really just helps set the tone for my workout. It helps get my blood pumping. And I do also have a treadmill, which I use sometimes, but man, there are so many ways to get creative with just getting a little bit of pre movement in before your actual movement, and that will help a lot. Number four, don't overcommit yourself. Now, if you're new to working out in the morning, it can feel like a complete struggle and it can just feel honestly very daunting. I don't want you on top of you already trying to wake up early to then be like, okay, now I'm going to crush a 60 plus minute workout. Like that's going to feel so overwhelming. You're going to dread it. You're likely going to dread it all night long before you go to sleep. You might not even get quality sleep because you're thinking about it subconsciously. So I want you to start out by setting a realistic and attainable goal of 30 minutes. When you do this, you remove the psychological barrier that can hinder your willingness to work out right. It becomes a lot more manageable and approachable with the commitment and the shorter duration not only feels like. Daunting, but it also ensures that you can fit it into your busy schedule without feeling overwhelmed. And I know so many people asked me this when they first start getting into working out or getting into it after a long break. They really genuinely ask me because inside my movement with Julie app, I have 60 and 30 minute options when it comes to workouts and people say, Can I genuinely see results with a 30 minute workout? And I always tell people, Yes, 100%. I often use the 30 minute workouts, especially in the summer time. You know, if we're on the go, I tend to just be a lot more busy in the summer, like I'm outdoors a lot more. I love the 30 minute Variations, you guys, because they're specifically programed to ensure that you're not missing anything when it comes to effective training. And so if you are following a 30 minute workout that is effective and it's hitting all the muscle groups and you do that, you know, a minimum of three days a week, you absolutely can and build the body that you want. And again, that's why I have the 30, 60 variations in the app. You get to pick which one based on your time constraints and the motivation that you have that day. And this is so great, especially when you're just starting to set up a new routine, whether that's starting to work out in the morning or starting to workout in general, start small. I even say if 30 minutes sounds daunting, do the what I like to call commit to ten. So commit to 10 minutes and ask yourself, okay, at the end of 10 minutes, if I'm done, I'm done. I'm going to let that be enough and I'm going to be okay with that. But if not, you know, once you kind of get into it, I found and I use this trick all the time, like when I'm not looking forward to my workout, I will just say, okay, I'm just going to do 10 minutes. And when I get down there, I start working out, you know, 7 minutes in, 8 minutes in by the ten minute mark, I'm like, okay, I can do another ten. And then by that, by the end of the 20 minutes, I'm like, okay, I can do, you know, another ten. I'll be make it 30. And oftentimes that trick works. So I would encourage you a 30 minutes even sounds daunting to just start with the commit to ten and trust me, you will feel so, so much better. Number five, be consistent with your wake up time. This is really important. Consistency is key when it comes to waking up in the morning. Even if you don't have a workout planned, establishing a consistent wake up time can really train your body to become more accustomed to this specific routine. So when you wake up consistently at the same time every day, your body's internal clock adjust accordingly, which can make it easier to rise and shine in the morning by maintaining this regular wake up time, Your body's natural sleep wake cycle again known as a circadian rhythm becomes more synchronized when this synchronization promotes better sleep quality and overall sleep hygiene, which can make it easier to fall asleep at night and wake up refreshed in the morning. Plus, a consistent wake up time can really optimize your body's hormone production and secretion right hormones like cortisol, which I talk about a lot on this podcast, often referred to as the stress hormone, naturally peak in the morning that can help you make you feel more alert and energized. And when you're consistently waking up at the same time, your body learns to release cortisol in a timely manner, which can promote a natural wake up response. And as a result, you'll find it increasingly easier to get out of bed to start your day without the struggle of hitting the snooze button repeatedly. But please, please, please, just remember that this habit will take time, It will take commitment. And I know it's going to feel hard at first, but I want to encourage you to stick with it over time, just like anything, when you're just starting out, it's going to feel hard, it's going to feel sticky. There's going to be days that are going to be like, No, I don't want to do this, But once you get over that hurdle, you will notice that waking up in the morning becomes more seamless and energizing, and you will start to love that part of your routine. So I want you to embrace the power of consistency and watch as your body adapts and embraces the rhythm of waking up with ease. With that being said, when you start working out in the morning, I just again want to encourage you to start with the three days a week. Like start with, start small, start attainable. I know you want to maybe push more, but just I'd rather you be consistent with the three days a week. Then you try to go all out and then be, you know, give up on week two or week three because you're just like, No, this is too hard. This is too overwhelming. I don't have the time for it. And just allow yourself to retrain your body over time and you'll just find that it's a lot easier to stick with long term. Number six, never press snooze. Just don't do it when the alarm goes off. Switch on the light right away. And this is so important when it comes to being able to really set the tone for the day. So first and foremost, pressing snooze can really disrupt your sleep cycle. So when you fall back asleep after hitting snooze, you're doing nothing but destruction for your day. Like you're not going to feel more refreshed with that extra 15, 30 or 45 minutes of sleep. And here's why. Your body will enter into a new sleep cycle. But it's often not enough time to complete the sleep cycle. So as a result, you're going to wake up feeling groggy and disoriented, and this feeling can linger for hours, which I know can really hinder your productivity throughout your day. Plus, when you do hit snooze, it can create this vicious cycle of procrastination and decrease motivation. So every time you're pressing snooze, you're essentially delaying the start of your day and you're reinforcing the habit of procrastination. And this can make it increasingly difficult to break the pattern and embrace an early morning routine. So by resisting the snooze button, your whole debating a discipline and proactive mindset which can set the tone again for having a very productive and successful day and not just successful in the sense of like how much you get done, but just this sense of like, I committed to doing this and I followed through on it. That will carry through throughout all of the tasks that you're doing throughout the day. And lastly, snoozing can lead to a time mismanagement, right? Those extra few minutes of sleep might seem appealing, but they can easily snowball into a significant delay in your morning routine. Snoozing repeatedly can throw off your schedule. It can leave you feeling rushed and stressed as you're trying to catch up with the time that you've lost. You know, to presses of the snooze button can equal no time in the morning. Thus you're just feeling completely thrown off. And that will carry through throughout the rest of your day. So I just want you to resist this news button. And one thing that I have learned that has really helped me with not wanting or not being able to press this snooze button is putting my phone in a different room. I know this sounds crazy, but I've done it for the last two years, so it's, you know, it's in our bedroom, it's in our bathroom that's connected to our bedroom, but it's not next to my bed like it was for, you know, a decade plus. I slept with my phone right next to me. And it was the first thing that I looked at, you know, before I started my day. It was the last thing that I looked at before I went to bed. And it just was setting the tone and setting up my days in a way that I didn't want them to be. I felt like I was rushed. I felt like my attention immediately went to work and to the needs of other people in terms of like notifications and text messages and all these things. And I just was not slowing down and I was not being present. And it has transformed not only my sleep but also my relationship in our marriage. So if you have a significant other and you guys can get on board with this, it will change the game genuinely. Like I now, we don't we don't have our phone in our room and we can have conversations and we're not distracted by the phone. You know, last thing before we go to sleep first thing in the morning. And also if you set an alarm when the phone is not right next to you, you are forced to get up to turn it off. And I don't know about you, but when I have to get up to turn off the alarm, I'm 99% more likely to not go back into bed and depress snooze because I'm literally getting up, walking all the way across the room just to turn it off. So that can be a hack that can help you to not press snooze. And lastly, number seven have an easy to follow workout routine. If working out in the morning is one of the hardest things you've ever done. One of the keys to success is having an easy, accessible and straightforward workout routine. So by simplifying your workout plan, you really do remove unnecessary complexities and make it significantly easier to show up and get things done. So by having an easy to follow workout routine, this can also save you the mental burden of just trying to figure out what exercises, do, how many sets and reps to do, what equipment to use. Your brain probably isn't ready to handle all of those things first thing in the morning. So instead you can enter your workout session with a clear plan in mind, allowing you to focus your energy and effort on the actual physical activity rather than the decision making. And this is one of the reasons why so many ladies inside my movement. Julie Fitness App, they love it because it really does take the guesswork out and it makes it super simple to just get up, show up and get it done. So you literally open up the app, you click on the day of the week that or the workout that you want to do and your entire workout is written for you. There's video demos for every movement. There's the amount of sets and reps to do. There's alternate exercises in case you need that or you don't have access to something. And it just it literally couldn't be more simple. So if you want to learn more about that, I will link that in the show notes below. But essentially you get five brand new workouts every single week. They are released on Saturdays at 12 p.m. Mountain Standard Time for the next week and the workout schedule is lower body, upper body, cardio and core shoulders and glutes and full body. You can pick all five of them. You can pick one of them. Two of them, three of them. I'd recommend, you know, three times a week, 30 minutes. So doing a lower body and upper body and a full body workout, that's a great place to start. But genuinely, you will love it because all you have to do is open up the app and everything is there for you. It couldn't be more easy and it will also just help you to be more excited to show up in the morning because you have it all there for you and you know, you don't have to use any of your brainpower to program anything and you can put that energy into your physical activity. I just want you to know that when you really do push past the first painful parts of starting a workout in the morning, you will event. Slowly start to crave it, you'll realize how much better you feel throughout your entire day, and you'll love the fact that it's done and dusted first thing in the morning. You don't have to worry about it. You don't have to say, Oh, you know this and this and this got a hold of me. And now, you know, I have to put my workout off. And then here you are at 8 p.m. and you're like, Do I really want to do this in your contemplating? And it's so much easier to just say no when you've put it off the entire day. But if it's the first thing in the morning, you get it done and dusted. You feel like you are accomplished. And one thing that I love about morning workouts is the work ethic that you put into your workout and to even getting out first things first and then secondly, like crashing your workout. That work ethic carries throughout the rest of your day and the various responsibilities that you hold, whether it's a mom, it's a leader at your out of business or a volunteer, whatever the roles that you play, that work ethic of you committing to getting up early and committing to a morning routine and getting your workout done, it really genuinely will carry throughout the rest of your day. Okay, so let me recap all the ways to start to become a morning person so that you can get it done first thing number one, a great morning routine starts with a great nighttime routine. Number two, get some sunshine. Number three, get some pre movement in before your movement. Number four, don't overcommit yourself. Number five, be consistent with your wake up time. Number six, never press snooze. And number seven, have an easy to follow workout routine. Again, if you want to make morning workouts simple, I want to encourage you to check out movement with Julie. You can do so by heading over to sail. That's Sally Got movement. We do e-com. I will also link it in the show notes below. But if you are a brand new subscriber, I do have a 30% off your first month sale going on right now. So if you use that link again sale as Sally, which Slate.com, that will automatically apply. So it's ten bucks for your entire first month vibrating workouts every single week. All you need is a few pair of dumbbells, a small space and your phone and you can get it done and dusted. I hope that this was helpful for you. I hope for those who may be questioned, you know, if it's possible to become a morning person and just kind of wrote it off, I hope that this gave you some inspiration or at least some some nuggets to kind of think on so that if you ever want to become a morning person or try to attempt that, you know that you can absolutely do this. If you have a friend or a coworker or someone in your life that you feel like would benefit from this specific episode, I just ask that you share it out with them. You can copy the link and send it to them in a text message. You can also screenshot this and post it up on your Instagram story. That is all that I have for today's episode. I love you so much, Anna, and I'll talk to you in the next one.
All right, sister. That's all I got for you today. But I have two things that I need you to do. First thing, if you're not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie, a lot better. Yes. It's with an eye in the middle for that daily post workout real talk, Healthy tips and tricks and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world. And I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace your real because you're worth it.