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.
Wild how a knee click turns into ads for $200 shoes, $80 braces, and a subscription app. I'm not paying rent for insoles. If it doesn't hurt, save your cash and warm up for five minutes. Slow the descent and keep knees over toes you can see. If pain shows up or it swells, then spend money on an actual exam, not gadgets.
