15 Early morning gym motivation tips

What to keep in mind when planning your early morning gym motivation

For many, early mornings are the best time to work. We often struggle with the motivation required to wake up and get to the gym. The hardest part is getting up and out the door. There are many benefits to an early morning workout routine.

Going to the gym in the morning is a great boost. Not only does it help you achieve your fitness goals but it gives you energy to get through the day ahead. If your first win of the day comes before 8 AM it could snowball into a great day. 

If you need extra morning help, check out these great morning apps. Let’s discuss why planning is so important for motivation then explore 15 tips to motivate you to hit the gym early. 

Why is planning your early morning gym motivation important?

Saves you time

Planning your early morning gym motivation can help save you time. It’s important to get up and out fast or you risk losing motivation and missing a day. This can become a habit and before you know it you are back to square one.

Helps stay consistent

Planning your morning around a workout is a great way to help you stay consistent in the long run. If early morning workouts were easy everyone would do them. Consistency requires a plan!

Achieve greater results

A good plan will help you achieve the fitness targets you have set for yourself. Here are some workout routine & diet tips to help put that plan in motion.

Measure your success

Tracking success is an important part of early morning gym motivation. Here are some helpful tips to help you track your success at the gym.

15 early morning gym motivation tips

1) Sleep

A good night’s sleep will do wonders for your early morning gym motivation. Try to get to bed early enough to get the 7-8 hours needed.

2) Coffee

A little caffeine right when you wake up will help your motivation a lot. Caffeine is a stimulant that gets us going in the morning. If you have a timer on your coffee maker it can start right before your alarm goes off.

3) Alarm

An alarm is necessary for maintaining an early morning workout routine. Try placing it on the other side of your room so you’re forced to get out of bed to turn it off. This will reduce the chances of snoozing for another few minutes.

4) Set out gym clothes

Before you go to bed try setting out your gym clothes and have them ready to go. This will reduce the time you need to get going and the steps you need to take in the morning.

5) Gym buddy

If you struggle with motivation, a gym buddy can be someone to help motivate you. The fear of letting someone down is a great tool for motivation.

6) Set goals

Goals are necessary for motivation. If you want to make early morning workouts a habit then set some attainable goals. Your goal could be as simple as working out in the morning 4 days a week.

7) Accountability

Hold yourself accountable to your goals. This can be done by sharing your goals with friends or family. If you share your goals you are more likely to be motivated to follow through.

8) Commit yourself

Committing to working out in the morning is a great way to stay motivated. While others can hold you accountable, no one is more important than yourself. When committing, make sure you do everything you can to be successful. That might mean some sacrifices.

9) Write down the reasons

Often we run ideas through our heads. Why do you want to start an early morning workout routine? Write everything down. If they sound good on paper you will feel a lot more motivated.

10) Book a class

There are so many options for fitness classes. If you book a fitness class and pay for it (no refunds) you will be more motivated to get up and go. This is a great solution if your motivation is lacking.

11) Visualize the results

Always keep the end goal in mind. Try to picture where you will be in the future if this works out. You will be in tip-top shape, possibly less stressed at work and have the evening to enjoy being social.

12) Don’t snooze

The snooze button on your phone is a slippery slope to sleeping too late to get a workout in. Here are some tips to help you wake up early.

13) Eat something and go

Eating something, such as oatmeal and a bowl of fruit is important for the energy to have good workouts. Try to keep it simple so you don’t take a lot of time before you go.

14) Reflect on your progress

After a couple of weeks of morning workouts, don’t forget to take time to reflect on what you are doing. You may be hyper-focused on the future, at the expense of the present. Take a moment to appreciate the dedication you have put in and the successes along the way.

15) Stay away from booze

Drinking alcohol can negatively impact our sleep. This could lead to poor sleep and kill any motivation to get up in the morning after a couple of drinks. Try to save the drinks for the night before a rest day.

How to stay consistent with your early morning gym motivation

Set goals

Consistency is key when you want to achieve results. Goals are the first place to start. Setting achievable goals will help you tremendously with your early morning gym motivation.

Track your progress

Tracking your progress (mentioned earlier) will help you stay consistent with your morning workout routines. It takes 21 days (at least) to build new habits. Tracking your progress will help you get there.

Don’t beat yourself up

We all have bad days. Don’t let them derail your progress. If you need an extra hour of sleep one day, by all means, that is OK. Make sure you get there the next day and keep it up. Don’t be hard on yourself.

Keep going

Once you have achieved success and consistently go to the gym in the morning, you may have achieved your goals. Don’t stop there! Keep going. Set new goals to keep that early morning gym motivation going and you will be unstoppable.