Swim Workout Motivation - Wake Up!

Wake Up - Early Risers Are Made, Not Born!

[caption id="attachment_1039" align="alignleft" width="165"] Wake up - time to swim![/caption] Get up, get up. No really get up! It’s hard when the sun isn't out yet or it’s the middle of winter, but for those of us who workout first thing in the morning, time is of the essence! I am one of those people. I would rather wake up early before the rest of my household, swim before dawn and not miss any of my family’s day. So when that alarm goes off at 4:30 in the morning, or "o’dark thirty" as my family teases, how do I manage? How do you? Being a long time swimmer, the getting up hasn't been a problem for me in years. The alarm goes off and I'm up. More often, my problem is falling asleep despite the anxiety of knowing I have to be up in 4 hours. But we can talk about that on another day.

Escaping Your Bed - Ring The Alarm!

What can you do to maximize your morning swim workout time and avoid getting sucked back into bed with the snooze button for an extra 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes? An obnoxious alarm perhaps would be a start. But for me that would wake up my husband, the dogs, and maybe our daughter. Some people need to be startled awake and that sure would do it. Customizable alarms are awesome for waking up. With smart phones you can pick your own song to wake up to, you can pick the volume, or even make it get louder the longer it takes you to turn it off.

Get Scientific - Why Can't You Get Up?

Sleeping patterns and habits can play a factor. If you are a competitive athlete and want to optimize sleep and energy, then look into your sleep cycle and study up. Technology can be a gift and in this case you can use Apps to help you. They're made for portable devices, are reasonably priced, and can save you a more costly trip to a sleep clinic. Sleep Cycle for iOS and Sleep Bot Tracker for Android are two apps that come recommended. Place your device of choice under your pillow and it will track your movements and find an optimal time to slowly wake you with an alarm. The next step up investment-wise would be using a specified sleep cycle gadget.

Embrace Your Swim Workout Routine

Set your weekly workout schedule - and stick to it! I swim three mornings a week. Practices start at 5:15. I sleep in Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday as much as our daughter allows and do mid morning workouts at the gym. Your body loves consistency. The sooner you accept and commit to your schedule, the easier it is to rise.

Safety In Numbers - Meet A Friend

Another motivator is to add accountability by inviting a buddy to your workouts. Plan to meet each other at the pool, track, or gym. If you can’t get up for yourself, get up so you aren't letting your friend and training partner down.

Picture Your Day

Another one that works for me on groggy mornings is anticipating the day. When the alarm goes off I think about all the day is going to bring. Whether it is chores or an outing planned with family it is often enough to get my brain and body moving out of bed.

Once Last Thing - Know Your Enemy

Never. NEVER. Hit the snooze button.

What gets you out of bed?