Awhile ago I reported I would try to wake up before my kids for one full week and get a half hour workout done. It was really hard but…
SUCCESS!
Every morning was a struggle and some mornings I got out of bed much slower than others, but I found the time I gained in the evenings priceless. I only took Friday off. I took Friday off because I felt extraordinarily run-down and decided to listen to my body. The flu and a nasty cold is going around here, so I decided to let my body rest for a day and not stress it out. It was a good decision. I bounced back and was ready to continue this Monday.
Normally, I would be doing the BBG Workout by Kayla Itsines. I finished one 12 week cycle of her at home workouts and decided to leave myself a gap in between to pursue yoga and more cardio. So, for the last two weeks I have done 3 days of yoga and 2 days of a steep incline walk on the treadmill with weekends off. I feel relaxed and stretched out now- it’s a good feeling! This coming Monday I am going to start my second round of BBG 1. I want to see how much I have improved. And after that, who knows? I may go on to BBG 2 but I am sure I won’t limit myself to that. Now that I am feeling up to more challenges, the possibilities seem endless (Eek).
I can’t stress enough how much of a challenge it is for me to wake up even 45 minutes earlier in the morning. It’s HARD. If you don’t remember HOW hard it is, go back to my blog post about hating mornings. I find it a struggle every morning, but I remind myself: that if I am tired, there is coffee; if I feel too tired, there is the choice of an earlier bedtime; if I wake up and do this, I eat better during the day; I will have my evening free to craft, study or catch up on TV; I will feel motivated all day; and I will get more done. All of those things run through my mind as I try not to focus on my husband’s rhythmic breathing or the comfy feel of my pillow under my head. When I get up my kids aren’t quite awake yet, and the sun hasn’t decided to peek up. So quietly, using my phone light as guidance, I tiptoe down the dark stairway and in to the basement. I put on a yoga DVD, or I plug in my music and go for a quick treadmill walk. I always hate the first 5 minutes. I whine and groan in my head, wishing I was still in bed or drinking coffee. Then I tell myself to suck it up, I change my perspective, and I really go for it. Maybe one of these days, I can skip the whining part- haha!
I’ve missed a couple of days. I slept in on Friday because I felt run-down, and this week I skipped Monday because it was a holiday, but generally I have done really well. Sometimes I think of how far I have come, the hurdles I have left in the dust and the willpower I have gained and I don’t even recognize myself.
How have you empowered yourself today?
I’ve been getting up at 5 am to workout for over a year now and it is still hard to get out of bed (like, put your alarm clock across the room, hard). But, like you mentioned the time in the evenings is so nice. Plus it really sets a great tone for the day when you start with physical activity.
it IS hard. You know me, I love sleep. And it doesn’t seem to get easier. Darn. But it is worth it most days. If I am feeling really awful that morning or didn’t sleep well, I do skip waking up and do an evening workout. It helps. Friday this usually happens. It happened again this Friday. Sigh.
Oh this is good. I like your little reminders for yourself about why you’ve chosen morning workouts.
P.S. I always hate the first 10-15 minutes of my workouts usually.