The best morning workout is the one that you'll get up and do! Here's a list of my favorite tips, tricks, and considerations for crushing that morning workout and taking on the day.
Morning Workout Tips
Do you have a morning workout routine you love? Or are you looking for some tips to make your morning routine better? Maybe you're just in the mood to crush a morning workout?!
Whatever your reasoning is to get up and get after it, I've put together a list of tips to help with your morning workout routine.
How should I prepare for an early morning workout?
It's important to remember each person is unique and will have different ways to prepare for an early morning. Some tips will work for a few people but not for others.
For as long as I've been working out, I've been an early morning workout gal! I'm very used to waking up before the sun to crush a workout. I've learned a few tips and tricks along the way that can help me succeed in completing my early workout.
There are things you can do the night before and the morning of an early morning workout to wake up and seize the day!
It's all about waking up, saving time, and eliminating distractions.
The night before your workout
Before you go to bed, do as much as you can to set yourself up for success in the morning! Preparing and having a plan will help you wake up, save time, and eliminate distractions so you can succeed in completing your workout.
- Choose your workout. Before you for to bed, have a plan for what you are going to do for your early morning workout.
- Pick a playlist. Shuffling through a playlist of your favorite songs is one of the best ways to get some extra energy in the morning. I have a few playlists to choose from based on how much hype I need!
- Lay out your workout clothes. Before you go to bed, lay out your workout clothes.
- Set an alarm. Choose your wake up time based on how much time you'll need to finish your workout and get ready for the day. My tip is to NOT press snooze -- just get up and GO.
- Get nutrition ready. If you need some nutrition before a workout (water, pre-workout, food, etc.), set it out in your kitchen so it'll be ready for you when you wake up.
Early morning before your workout
Once your alarm goes off, hop out of bed and start doing these things to prepare for your early morning workout.
- Get up when your alarm goes off. As soon as your alarm goes off, get up! Don't hit snooze and force yourself to rush through a workout.
- Brush your teeth. Do the necessary hygiene care you need before your workout, but save the rest (showering, hair, makeup) until you're finished.
- Put workout clothes on. By putting your workout clothes on, your mind and body can get ready for go time. And remember: you've already laid these out the night before!
- Hydrate. If you're going to be doing a higher intensity workout, taking some time to hydrate will help you prepare for your workout. I usually chug a water bottle and then refill it to use during my workout.
- Nutrition, if needed. Whether or not you need nutrition in the morning depends on YOU and YOUR NEEDS. This answer varies for each person and the workout they're completing. If For example, if I'm going on a longer run, I usually will have some food before I workout. If I'm doing strength training in my home, I usually feel good waiting until after my workout. Listen to your body and how you feel!
- Start a hype playlist. Press play on a playlist of your favorite music to help get you excited and moving!
- GOOOOO. Just start! Even if you feel nervous, unprepared, or like you can't do it, sometimes the hardest part is just starting. Once you're moving, you will likely be able to keep going!
After your workout
Congrats! You finished your morning workout! There's a few more things to do before moving on with your day.
- Give a fist bump. If you follow along with my Instagram, you know I give a fist bump after every workout. It's my way of celebrating the fact that I showed up, worked hard, and gave it my all. It's a motivating movement to join in on—tag me after you crush your workout!
- Be proud of yourself. Whatever kind of workout you do in the morning, it's worth celebrating the fact that you did it! Give yourself a pat on the back for putting in the effort.
- Nutrition. It's important to fuel with nutritious foods after your workout. Your body needs food to rebuild its glycogen stores and repair and regrow muscle proteins. Since I workout early in the morning, my post-workout meal is always breakfast. I have several easy, healthy breakfast recipes if you need some ideas!
Is it okay to workout as soon as you wake up?
Yes, I think it is okay to workout as soon as you wake up. I'm not a doctor or a coach so I don't know your specific needs or abilities, but if you feel good about it, go for it!
I love, love waking up and crushing a morning workout because it helps me focus, gives me energy, and helps me have a positive attitude going into the day.
If I workout first thing in the morning, there's a better chance I will stay focused and motivated throughout the workout.
What kind of workout should I do in the morning?
Do whatever workout sounds fun and effective to you! Each season of life has brought different kind of workouts for me.
There was a season I was training for my first marathon and first half iron man. During those training cycles, there was a lot of early morning runs, swims, and bike rides. However, this current season of life has been full on strength training and a little bit of running.
I am really enjoying Madeline Moves workouts and trail running in the mornings. Sometimes I'll throw in some yoga, walks, or whatever else sounds interesting to me.
My biggest piece of advice is to choose a workout that sounds fun and effective that you can sustain.
Is it good to workout on an empty stomach in the morning?
Whether or not you train on an empty stomach will depend on your body and how it feels. There are some mornings when I don't eat anything before training and my body feels totally great doing that.
Usually if I'm strength training or doing a lighter activity like walking or yoga, I don't need to eat anything. However, if I am planning on doing a long run or a really intense workout, I usually plan on having some fuel beforehand.
This is usually something light like toast with peanut butter, banana and peanut butter, protein bar, or pancake sausage bites.
What should I eat before my morning workout?
This totally depends on how much fuel you need to make your body feel good. If I'm going to do a really intense workout or running longer than an hour, I usually will eat something before working out.
Typically I will have something easy that digests quick like toast with peanut butter, a banana and peanut butter, baked pancakes, pancake sausage bites, or a homemade protein bar.
I will always drink water before a workout as well! Sometimes I have a little bit of coffee or pre-workout if it's a really early morning and I need an extra boost.
- My favorite pre-workout is from Bad Athletics and my code "badjordan" will save you money on a purchase.
What should I eat after my morning workout?
One of the great things about a morning workout is that it transitions well into breakfast! Eating a nutritious breakfast after an early morning workout is important because our body needs food to rebuild its glycogen stores and repair and regrow muscle proteins.
A meal containing a balance of carbohydrates, fats, and protein is great since this is the first meal of the day. I have several easy, healthy breakfast recipes if you need some ideas!
- My favorite breakfast right now include:
I also make sure to drink plenty of water before enjoying a cup of coffee.
What's the best morning workout?
The best morning workout is one that you will do! Choose something that you enjoy and can actually finish once you start.
One of the biggest things I've learned is that we aren't always going to feel motivated or excited to workout.
However, I usually feel better if I wake up and start the morning with a workout. To do so, prepare and plan the night before and morning of so you're able to wake up and successfully complete your early morning workout!
Follow along with my Instagram if you need some extra tips and encouragement in the early mornings!
