Winter mornings are the hardest part of my year for staying consistent. Once it is dark and cold outside, getting up and starting feels like a much bigger effort than it does in the summer. I have been trying to keep things simple, with a shorter routine I can actually finish on busy days instead of skipping entirely. Laying out my clothes the night before and keeping the first few minutes easy seems to help a little. What simple routine or habit helps you keep training through the dark winter months?
The timer for my coffee maker, well maybe just the promise of coffee, gets me up and at em’ the same time of day each day. I’ve never been a morning lifter though, so hopefully other people can weigh-in!
For about the past year I have worked out twice a week at 4:30am to 6am give or take. And then my weekend workout is usually at a more normal time, like 11am.
I agree, as it gets colder I find it harder to get out of bed that early.
For me working out at 4:30am is something that I do out of necessity not because I enjoy it lol.
Because of this I don’t put a crazy amount of pressure on myself if I need to switch things around or move a workout.
Getting up at 4:30am is hard enough. So for example if I have a terrible sleep, I will move the workout. I just can’t workout productively on 3 hours sleep.
So all this to say my best tip, is don’t be scared to be flexible especially if you have alot going on (life stress) or young kids.
Sleep and recovery matter too!
I go to the gym to workout at 2/3 am so I don’t have problems walking to the gym even during winter mornings. The bigger issue is if there is snow on my trek to the gym then it turns into an obstacle course. I always remind myself that if I don’t go to the gym early, people will occupy the power racks and combo racks and get in the way of my training.
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