How do you build a morning workout routine when you're not a morning person?

Hi Sami. Building a morning workout routine as a non-morning person is all about easing in and making it as frictionless as possible. Start super small to build the habit without overwhelming yourself. For the first week or two, aim for just 10 minutes right after you wake up & like a quick circuit of bodyweight squats, push-ups, and jumping jacks. That way and you get the win of consistency without dreading the alarm. Prepare everything the night before, such as laying out your workout clothes and filling a water bottle, so you can roll out of bed and get straight into it. Consistency beats intensity at the beginning, so focus on showing up every day rather than pushing hard.

To make it sustainable, tweak your sleep by shifting your bedtime earlier in 15-minute increments until you're getting at least seven hours. For example, if you usually hit the sack at 11 PM, try 10:45 PM for a few nights and adjust from there. Avoid screens an hour before bed to improve sleep quality, which helps you feel less groggy in the morning. As you adapt, gradually extend your workout to 20-30 minutes, incorporating something you enjoy like yoga stretches or a brisk walk. Listen to your body and take a rest day if you're feeling burnt out. Over time, this routine will feel more natural, and you'll avoid the evening derailments you mentioned.

Wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends, to reset your body clock. Start with 10-15 minutes of simple exercises like jumping jacks or yoga poses that don't require much setup. Go to bed earlier by cutting screen time an hour before sleep to make mornings less painful. Prep your workout clothes and any gear the night before so there's no excuse. Track your progress in a basic journal to see what's working. Stick with it for at least a month before tweaking.

Oh man, dealing with my siblings' chaotic schedules is like herding cats, but for mornings, I swear by setting up a 'morning launch pad' the night before - clothes out, coffee timer set, you get it. Start tiny, like a 5-minute stretch while the kettle boils & and build from there without the burnout. And tweak sleep by banning late-night Netflix binges. trust me & it turns zombies into humans.

Start by fixing sleep. Pick a bedtime that gives you 7 to 8 hours and move it earlier by 15 minutes every few days. Keep wake time fixed even on weekends. Decide tomorrow's workout before bed and stage clothes and water so there are no choices in the morning. Use a repeatable 15 to 20 minute template such as brief mobility and easy cardio or three basic lifts & then a short cooldown. Get bright light within ten minutes of waking and sip caffeine once you start moving.

Hard truth from the keeper of the family Plex. Bribe yourself. I only let myself listen to my trashy recap podcast while walking the first mile & and my coffee maker starts five minutes before my alarm so the house smells like motivation. Put the alarm across the room and shoes by the door and you're moving before your brain gets a vote.

Mornings scramble my executive function and so I built anchors. Wake time is fixed, even if sleep was messy, and I get light in my eyes in the first five minutes. Bedtime winds down the same way every night with screens off and room cool. Clothes and shoes sit by the bed and my bottle is filled. No snooze because that just restarts decision making.

The workout is tiny on purpose. I tap a timer for five minutes of warm up, then ten to fifteen minutes of one move for legs, one push, one pull, or an easy jog. The trick is a two step rule. I only have to put on shoes and start the first set, and if I still hate it after two minutes I can stop. I also keep a playlist that I only play in the morning, and a friend who joins a 6 a.m. video call twice a week so I cannot bail. One day a week I swap in something novel so my brain gets a spark without blowing up the routine.

Hi Sami,

Two kids and a custody calendar cured my evening workouts. Night before I pack shoes, set out one kettlebell, and write exactly what happens for 20 minutes so there is no deciding at 5:45. Bed is nonnegotiable at 10 and I never chase a missed day by making the next one longer.