A good morning motivation is key to success and feeling better.
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We’ve all been there. You went to bed with the best intentions, your head hits the pillow and before you know it, your 6am alarm is ringing and the snooze button is pressed.
This happens more often than not when it’s cold, dark or raining outside… and the snooze button becomes more of an attractive option. You forget all the reasons why your getting up early, and focus on excuses to sleep in an extra hour.
The downside? That extra hour is broken sleep, it’s not actually serving any purpose. So not only you’re breaking your fitness and health goals, but it also impacts your mental health.
5 disadvantages to snoozing your alarm
Fragmented sleep could have a negative impact on your health. When you hit that snooze button, you’re drifting in and out of sleep for 3-5 minutes at a time and disrupting the dreaming stage of the sleeping process (REM). This can cause stress to the body, as you are starting your day losing control of your physical state. Mentally fighting with your alarm, and eventually getting out of bed, can automatically lower your mood and energy levels. Because your body is only snoozing for 3-5 minutes, it’s not enough time to enter the restorative sleep state (deep sleep) therefore, increasing your blood pressure and heartbeat.
There are many contributing factors to oversleeping such as; sleep walking, night terrors, medication, sleeping tablets, disrupted sleeping patterns, alcohol or large quantities of food before sleeping, or bad sleep hygiene. Here is 5 reasons why snoozing your alarm could be bad for you;
- Oversleeping is linked to depression.
- Too much sleep can make you groggy and less focused.
- Waking up late will cause you to rush, and may bring on anxiety.
- Rushing also contributes to not being present and feeling stressed, leading to your mental health being impacted.
- You miss out on self-care and time for yourself
4 reasons why not working out in the morning could be bad for you
- You are more at risk of distractions or excuses by leaving your workout later in the day or after work.
- Lack of exercise in the morning can lower productivity, focus and cause depression or anxiety.
- More of a risk to gain weight.
- Laying in or snoozing, could lead to making bad food choices.
Morning motivation – 10 Benefits of Working Out in the Morning
There are lots of benefits working out in the morning, such as it can;
- Train your brains reactive response, leading to you feeling more in control and focused.
- Sets you up for a healthy day, and promoting good food choices.
- Promoting more of a positive approach to your day, leading to a more happier and kinder you.
- Endorphins are released when working out, and will provide you more energy throughout the day, therefore, enhancing your motivation.
- Improves your concentration level and promotes productivity.
- You will lose more weight by working out in the morning.
- Less risk of distractions or any excuses than if you left it later in the day.
- Improves your mood and energy levels.
- Improve your sleeping habits.
- Helps you to manage your blood pressure better.
9 Morning motivation workout Tips
Make exercise part of your routine
Focus on going to bed and getting up at the same time each day, even on weekends. It promotes regularity and soon it will become second nature. Your body easily adapts to routine, just as it adapted to laying in or snoozing. Build healthier habits over time, most adults need 7-9 hourssleep per night, depending on how active you are.
Focus on sleep hygiene
Focus on your bedtime routine, winding down for bed, reduce screen time or bright lights, take a bath etc. but also eating a healthy diet, drinking plenty of water and keep active can all help you sleep better.
Find a motivation to get up in the morning, for example set your coffee maker alarm to go off, cook a breakfast you look forward to, sign up to the gym or a call with a friend, walk your dog, have an exercise goal in mind.
Review how you wake yourself up
Most phones will now have a snooze button, try not sleeping next to your phone and place it on the opposite side of the room. Meaning that you physically have to get out of bed to turn it off. Alternatively, use an alarm clock without a snooze button, or invest in a SAAD alarm where the light gradually gets brighter, helping you get up.
Know Your “Why”
Set yourself fitness goals, why do you want to workout? Why are you losing weight? Why is it important to you? How would you feel if you didn’t achieve this goal? It’s all about creating healthy good habits, and acknowledging how good you feel once you hit a milestone or just after that one workout vs. Laying in.
Drink a Glass of Water
Keep a drink by your bed at night, one of the reasons you might sleep in, is due to dehydration. Include a herbal tea before you dose off at night, and when you get up in the middle of the night, stay hydrated too.
Cold water
Wash your face in freezing water, this is partially good for your health, a cold shower will boost your mood and energy levels for the day.
Keep things exciting
Mix up your workout routine, when things get boring, it becomes difficult to stick to it. Invest in gym gear that makes you feel good and eat well before your workout.
Improve your night routine
Getting a good night’s sleep is key to motivation, happiness and reaching your goals.
Plan your meal prep
Make Sunday your day to plan your exercise workouts and meals for the week ahead. Write it out paper so you stick to it, almost like a contract! Once it’s on paper, there’s no hiding from it!
Food ideas for your pre-workout
- Banana, peanut butter and a scoop of protein shake smoothie.
- Oatmeal with almond milk.
- Overnight oats with oat milk – top with fruit, chia seeds, Pumpkin seeds and flaked almonds
- Greek yogurt with apples and cinnamon.
- Water with lemon.
- Frozen blueberries are a convenient way to keep fruit in your diet in smoothies and oat meal etc
Morning motivation – Conclusion
It can be tempting to give in and hit that snooze button. But this comes at the cost of your mental health and wellness. With these morning routine tips you can hit your goals, get fitter and feel healthier.
Looking for a workout to start your day off right, and burn body fat while building lean muscle? Try this shoulders and triceps workout. No equipment? Try these workouts at home with no equipment.
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Excellent, just what I needed to cheer myself up