Fit Villains: Selfish, Shameless, Sassy, Fitness.

I know, I know… morning workouts. Ugh.

Unless you’re a morning PERSON, morning workouts are often the biggest ‘I just can’t’ I hear from my friends & clients. For some, the idea of getting up and hitting the gym, the trails or even popping in a DVD is torturous.

Now, I fully believe that the best time to workout is WHEN you’re most likely to do it. For me, afternoon/evening workouts fit best with my schedule… until life and clients took up that time. Sadly, an afternoon/evening full workout isn’t something I can rely on, and I can’t guarantee I’ll get a good sweat on with my clients. So… I turned to mornings.

The benefits of morning workouts are MASSIVE (other times are great too, but I’ll just talk about what makes morning workouts awesome).

1. You get your workout out of the way before your day starts. No thinking, no worrying. It’s DONE.
2. You’re too tired to complain about the workout: it tends to be less stressful and easier to just DO and not think about.
3. It’ll wake you up better than a cup of coffee and fires up your body for the day. There’s NOTHING like having a post-workout full day at work. You’re more productive, energized etc.
4. It puts you in a fantastic mood & lowers your stress.
5. Often gyms, your household & the roads are empty: really awesome solo YOU-time. 

Once you get used to working out in the morning, it’s addictive. The only catch with morning workouts? You have to do them to get used to them. And like everything else, giving yourself ADVANTAGES to make it happen is the key to morning sweat success.

Because we’re groggy in the mornings and slower moving, preparation can be the difference between getting it done or not getting it done. Here are some great tips from Fit Sugar to help you go from ‘Ugh’ to ‘Ahhhh when it comes to AM workouts.

P.S - I sleep in my workout clothes, or lay them out the night before, depending on how tired I am. It really helps get going! I also can set my coffee maker to go in the morning, so that it’s ready when I wake up OR get my green monster smoothie stuff out in the fridge so I can just grab & go.

Excerpt from Fit Sugar: How to Prep For a Morning Workout

• Hand wash your sports bra in the shower after your workout so it’s clean and dry for the next day. This not only saves you time in the laundry room, but it’ll also make your sports bra last longer.
• If you need to wash more than your unmentionables, throw in a load of laundry to clean smelly socks, towels, and tank tops.
• Lay out your workout clothes and gear before bed. Be sure to think of everything you need and put it all in one place including your wicking underwear and sports bra, tank top, shorts, socks, sneaks, sunglasses, hat, headband, sunscreen, iPod, headphones, yoga mat, your dog’s leash — anything and everything you’ll need.

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