10 Easy Ways to Fit Fitness into Your Morning Routine

If you’re not a morning person, the idea of fitting anything into your routine feels ludicrous. Even if you are a morning person, you might feel like there’s already enough to do. But the way that you choose to wake up and get started has a real impact on the tone of the rest of your day. These simple ideas will help you fit fitness into your morning routine to help you level up the hours that follow.

Wake up.

Brush your teeth.

Take a shower.

Make coffee.

Cook breakfast.

Walk the dog.

Try now to forget your phone.

If your typical mornings looks anything like mine you might be wondering where the heck you’re supposed to find time to do more. But fitting fitness into your morning routine doesn’t have to be a long, drawn out process. Sure, a 7 am spin class is a great way to pump up the jams first thing but you won’t always have the time or energy for that.

Sometimes, fitting in fitness means taking just 5-minutes to turn your focus inward and prioritizing your own sanity and health.

10 EASY WAYS TO FIT FITNESS INTO YOUR MORNING ROUTINE

Do a full-body stretch before getting out of bed.

After you wake but before you put your feet on the floor take 8 long, slow breaths. Stretch from your toes, up through your calves and work your way through each muscle until you reach your shoulders. Focus on each body part, slowly breathing in the new day and breathing out tension. Give yourself this moment to be present for yourself – before the day starts in high gear.

Time taken: 3 minutes

Go for a brisk walk.

Take 10 minutes to walk around your block, breathing in the fresh air and letting the morning sunshine wake you up naturally. Your body responds to the sunlight and early morning rays reset your circadian rhythm for the day. Not only will this give you more energy in the morning, it will help you sleep better at night!

Time taken: 10 minutes

Develop a new habit.

Research shows that habit stacking – when you attach a new action that you want to incorporate into your routine with an old habit that you already have – might be the quickest way to build a new habit.

Take a habit that you already have. For example, you brush your teeth every morning (right?). While you’re cleaning your teeth, do a few squats, or tail bone tucks, or standing leg lifts. You can create a habit to build strength while doing something as mundane as brushing your teeth…in just a few weeks!

Time taken: 0 extra minutes

10 x 10 x 10 x 10.

10 squats, 10 push ups and 10 crunches all before 10 a.m.

Whether you love morning workouts or hate them, there is no denying the certain amount of bliss that comes from knowing the you’ve already finished a workout by noon time. How many times have you promised yourself a workout post-workday only to get side tracked and never end up hitting the gym? Granted, 10x10x10 isn’t necessarily a strenuous amount of exercise. But it’s something!

Time taken: 1-2 minutes.

Do a quick pick-up.

NEAT. Non exercise activity thermogenesis. Aka all of the energy you expend simply moving through your day. Walking up stairs, jiggling your foot during a meeting, dancing, cleaning. It really adds up!

Spend a few minutes in the morning, moving through your house, picking up items that were left where they don’t belong. Not only will you feel better and less stressed about the clutter, you have the potential to add a thousand or more steps to your daily count!

Time taken: 5 minutes

Morning dance party.

Nothing says wake up like a little Beyoncé radio. When you hit the button on your coffee pot, turn on the radio and dance your way through the rest of your morning routine. Booty pop from the toaster to your bathroom. Cupid Shuffle down the stairs to get the dog who can’t seem to stop yelling at the squirrel that isn’t there (that’s not just my dogs, right?).

Time taken: 0 extra minutes

Sunrise yoga.

Emotional and mental wellness play an important role in your overall health and really in any phsyical/physiological goal that you have set for yourself. Make time to release stress before it builds and center yourself with your priorities and affirmations before stepping out the door. Yoga and meditation are deeply connected with positive mental health and mood. Plus, yoga gets that blood flowing and wakes up stiff muscles. Let your practice do double duty by stretching in the sunshine!

Time taken: 5-10 minutes

Walk or bike to work.

If you don’t live close enough to bike or walk all the way in, park in the garage and take the stairs down to the bus station. Or park in the farthest spot in the lot and walk into work. Skip the elevator. Bike to the second nearest taxi stand. Increase NEAT little by little in the morning and you’re ahead of the game.

Time taken: 5-20 minutes

Sign up for a morning exercise class.

When I lived in Boston I used to take a 6 am spin class a couple of times a week. I wasn’t always stoked to wake up that early. But I was ALWAYS stoked and wide awake when I stepped out of class!

• Establish a healthy routine with your first actions.
• Boost your energy.
• Improve your mood.
• Make better food choices.
• Lower stress.

These are just a few of the benefits of fitting fitness into your morning routine in a real, conscious, big energy way.

Invest in a jump rope.

Remember when you were a kid and jumping rope wasn’t a workout, it was what you did for fun? Jumping rope stops being fun when you a) stop practicing (yes, it’s a skill), an b) start thinking of it solely as a way to burn calories. Invest in a high quality jump rope. Start practicing. You’ll laugh. You’ll probably trip yourself up. And you’ll burn some serious calories.

Time taken: 2-5 minutes.

Don’t feel like you need to do it all! Pick one or two tips from this list and fit fitness into your morning routine when and where it feels right.

p.s. Here are 15 MORE actions you can take to make an immediate difference in your health.