How do you become a morning workout person?

But really, I'm asking, how?

The sad part is, I used to be a morning workout person. I used to wake up at 5:45am every.single.day., 6 days a week (sometimes 7), and meet my bestie for a four mile run on a causeway next to the ocean and just talk the whole time and not be out of breath at the end. #thegoodoldays

This was pre-college of course; during college there's no way I could get up that early given that I really took the ol' 'going out' part of college seriously, and I worked 40 hrs a week, and I was getting my degree.

Then, I moved to NYC and was a teacher. 5:45am would no longer be even enough time because I had to be to work before 8, and realistically in NYC that means leaving by 7, for a 2 mile bus ride. Ugh. Not to mention, there's just literally no way I was running in the early morning in the NY winters, nor was I gonna run around my neighborhoods when it was dark out, by myself.

Then I was back to Tally in law school, and there was a little while there where I was working out in the morning basically with a personal trainer, but I literally have anxiety about working out "too hard" in the AM because I have (1) thrown up and (2) gone to the ER bc i (didn't realize at the time) had an exercise-induced migraine.

So, I think if I am gonna work out in the morning, to start with, I need to with walking and running. Eventually I would like to get back to adding in weights and strength training, but I think part of my problem is that I just try to do everything at once, and it's just not possible.

Anyways, so I'm going to, once again, attempt a morning workout routine. I've actually been trying to do this for a few weeks - I keep signing up for AM classes and then I back out. I've considered running, but, I do live basically in downtown Miami, and while I've never felt unsafe at the times I walk around, I wouldn't want to go running in the morning when it's still dark out. Part of exercising is that you want to be able to zone-out somewhat, amiright?

So, I don't know why I just remembered there is a gym in our building, and, instead of it being on the first floor, they conveniently (temporarily) moved it to the 10th floor - which is only 2 floors below me. Also, I'm realizing tomorrow is a Monday, so great time to start, and THEN I realized it was the start of a new month, great time to start, and when I realized it was MAY I realized it was a great time to bring back my old fave: "MileADayMay" !

So, for MAY, I am going to stick to running or walking or elliptically or stair climbing at least ONE mile every day -- when I wake up. 😑 I literally cannot take ONE day off, because all it takes for me is ONE day off and I will miss the next three. I also want to start with walking/running because I don't want to go sick and I know those exercises do not cause me to throw up/migraine. And finally, I need to start working out in the AM because of my work. I have been so busy lately, getting so many things thrown at me and that means that even on days I think: Okay, I'll do this after work, I either literally cannot because I have to work all night or I am so exhausted because the work day has been exhausting or I'm starving because -- dinner time. So, I need to workout in the morning so that I can "get it over with," and I hope eventually that turns into something I look forward to as "me" time. Also, I'm hoping this "mental" shift as to why I'm doing it will help keep me motivated (versus it being something I have to do.)

But please, enlighten me, if you're one of those crazy AM workout people - how'd ya start?

xo,
kim