Two of the most consistent groups of exercisers are those who do it early in the morning and those who go hard after it.  Both habits require a third element in order to be a success…a positive attitude.

The reason early morning workouts work is that there is less interruption in scheduling.  This solves the number one reason non-exercisers give for not moving; they don’t have time.  This excuse is really more honestly a perceived lack of time.  Everything in our lives takes time, and when we prioritize our health and wellbeing, the perception of being too busy goes away.  This doesn’t always have to mean you lose an hour of sleep, but it does mean a commitment to your alarm clock on a consistent basis.

The second key to getting your day going is to start with the right mindset.  Your choice to make the most of your morning hours is not a punishment you inflict on yourself because you’re a lazy slob.  It’s a privilege that you appreciate because you have the ability to move.  Instead of dreading being tired, look forward to the energy you receive by finishing a big accomplishment before the sun rises.  Before you waver in your commitment to your alarm clock, write down your reasons for valuing your health and fitness.  These seemingly small attitude adjustments take you out of the pity party mentality and into the life of the party!  When you anticipate great things coming from your healthy habits, you will start to realize them. 

High intensity exercise has recently become the go-to mode in exercise prescriptions.  There’s a lot of good reasons for this, not the least of which is that high intensity work doesn’t take very long until we are fatigued, and fatigue is what we are working for most of the time.  The higher the altitude (intensity through speed, resistance or range of motion) at which you can work, the faster your body has to adjust metabolically.  If you can get your metabolism to adjust, you’re on your road to improving your fitness.

Take charge of your day…start early, go hard and be excited about it.  We have one month nearly done in this new year.  Stay with what you started and see it to the finish.