Morning Motivation... Foolproof ways to keep your 6am Gym date!

Ok, so getting out of bed at 6am this morning to work out when it was dark and raining was tough. Really tough.

In fact I’m really proud that I managed to get up at all! So I thought I’d share with you guys how I managed to do it. Because our beds are only going to get even cozier as these cold mornings get worse!

Step 1: Set an alarm. Well that’s pretty obvious. However it’s easy to switch off an alarm, so I like to label the alarms to inspire me, knowing that I’ll be looking for an excuse to stay in bed.  So this morning I was awoken by   “No Excuses!” Haha. Nice try.  5 minutes later “Just get up Jade!” This one almost worked… and it wasn’t until “You had TWO muffins last night!” interrupted my second snooze that I finally rolled out of bed.  Because my alarm was right. I did have two muffins last night. And they were delicious.

Step 2: Be organised. Instead of the usual moaning and procrastinating, opening every draw and cupboard, until I decide it’s all too hard and that I need extra sleep, I got up to find my workout gear waiting for me; all ready to go with my keys and water bottle next to them. Genius. So I didn’t have running late as an excuse either. Dammit.

Step 3: Cold Water.  As if the rain outside isn’t going to be cold enough, a good way to shake off the last of your sleepiness is to wash your face with cold water. It does the trick nicely, kind of like a slap in the face.  It’s just great, really.  I also drink a glass of cold water first thing in the morning. It’s great for kick starting your metabolism and giving you a boost. 

Step 4: Gym Buddies. I’d organised to meet a girlfriend at the gym which meant I had a distraction so I didn’t nap and fall off the cross trainer. We started to warm up and catch up on the gossip and before you knew it we were actually enjoying our workout! After our cardio warm up we worked to motivate each other and did some paired crunches and a rowing challenge. There is nothing like a few rounds of hi fives with a bestie to start the day feeling great!

Step 5: Challenge Yourself.  Setting goals really helps to motivate you. Make them achievable and fun. This month I am doing a 31 day squat challenge with a friend. We started at 30 and increase our reps by 5 each day. When we're done we send each other a little text as a reminder to the other if they haven’t done them yet! This is great because we can do it anywhere, anytime (I did 75 at my desk yesterday) or incorporate it into our other routines and neither of us want to be the one who gives up. It’s much easier to let yourself down than someone else!

Step 6: Breakfast. The thought of food can usually get you through anything. Nothing beats sitting down to a delicious breakfast and hot tea or coffee feeling like you have really earned it. You can relax guilt free for the rest of the day and use all those exercise endorphins to have an amazing positive morning!!


Yes, I know it's cold. I know it's raining... But you made a promise to yourself to keep fit. So before you hit the snooze button for the 3rd time... Give these tips a try! Good luck! I'd love to hear of other ways you inspire yourselves on cold mornings so feel free to comment or send me a tweet!