Skydiving and Early Morning Workouts
Sometimes, the best way to get it done, is to give yourself no other choice. Kind of.
I happened across this meme in my news feed, and as someone who sees the sun rising as I'm working out in the morning, I had to laugh. But, at the same time, it got me thinking, ya know - it's kinda true.
I previously spoke of how to get, and stay, motivated to get your body moving, and I'm gonna piggyback onto that with, what I think, is the best time of day to break a sweat. And, why, do I, as a massage therapist, keep talking about exercise? Because, keeping your muscles moving is an important ingredient to optimal muscle health. Exercise, stretching, massage, nutrition, etc.. It's a whole recipe.
So, I've tried different times of day to get my workout in, and first thing in the morning is by far my
F-A-V-O-R-I-T-E. Yes, it's that dramatic. Despite the fact that I love literally everything about working out, if I have all day to think about it, I can come up with a million reasons to put it off and knock out a few other things on my to-do list instead. For whatever reason, until I am actually exercising, I do not feel like exercising. From what I gather, a lot of other people feel that way, too. That's where the whole "willpower" thing comes in, no?
This is one of the reasons an early AM workout works so well. It eliminates *some* of the need for the willpower (or maybe just redirects it to the whole getting to bed early bit).
I roll out of bed, put on my workout clothes (unless I'm already wearing them, because sometimes I just put them on before I go to bed!), grab my gym bag and drive over there. I get everything ready the night before so I have to do as little thinking as possible when I get up, and I'm barely conscious throughout the process.
It's a lot like when I went skydiving. As we climbed higher and higher in altitude in that little plane, and I knew the only way I was exiting was to jump, I kept my mind as blank as possible so as to not think about what I was about to do, so I wouldn't find myself holding onto the plane doorway like a cat in a bathtub. No thinking until I'm already there! Once I've stepped into the gym, it's like jumping off the plane. No turning back now. Just gotta go along for the ride, and have a hell of a lot of fun in the process. If you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong!
I know not everyone's magical hour is going to be first thing in the morning, but find that sweet spot that makes it as effortless as possible, and you will keep it up!
Got questions or need advice? You've got me all to yourself for a whole hour (or however long you book) every time you come in for a massage. ;)
From the desk of Neelou Saleh Spirit of Lotus
