If you are a mom, which most likely you are since you came to visit my blog , you probably feel like there isn’t enough time in the day to go to the bathroom (true story!) let alone enough time to exercise, right? We have all been there. Trust me, you are not alone.

One thing I struggle with as a mom of 4 is fitting a good quality exercise routine into my sometimes chaotic schedule. OK, not sometimes, almost “all the time” chaotic schedule. But it’s ok, I don’t mind the chaos. It’s part of motherhood. It’s my job to manage the chaos and keep things running smoothly. It’s my job to pick up all the confetti off the floor that spilled out onto my shag rug after just having a birthday party (Shout Out to my SIL!). That can be another post a different day.

Anyways, I constantly find myself talking silently in my head, “I really want to exercise right now”. But I end up finding something else to do instead of exercise. Then, it’s the end of the day and even though I accomplished the majority of my other tasks, I didn’t exercise. I tell my husband after he gets home from work that I really was looking forward to a good workout, but I just could not find the right time to do it. That is an excuse we all probably have, and we could keep having the same excuse for the rest of our lives. We need to set priorities in our life.

What is most important in your life? If you are not sure, consider writing it down on a sheet of paper. Is it food, fun time with friends, church and faith, family, parties, education, making memories, vacations, clothes, a clean house, make-up, money, hobbies, etc.?

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Now put your priorities in order from most important to least important

Mine Would Be:

God and my faith
Family
Health and exercise
Fun times/great memories with family and friends
Acts of service for others
Vacations and seeing the world

If exercise, health and fitness are not somewhere at the top of your list, do you think maybe it should be? That is something to think about and maybe re-evaluate. If you are passionate and determined to have a healthy lifestyle and you want to make a change in your life, then make it a priority.

I know if I save my exercise routine for the end of the day, I am more likely to not do it. I might get caught up in a battle with the kids at bedtime or maybe I am just too exhausted to put in a workout. If it is a priority for me, I do it first before anything else that is done.

Wake up 20 minutes earlier and get going to your workout spot. It doesn’t have to be fancy, it simply needs to have space so you can move around and get sweaty. Another perk with exercising first thing in the morning is that you can shower right afterwards and get ready for your work day (or your day home with the kids!). So your workout is done.

Good job! Now you don’t have this lingering cloud over you all day saying, “You need to exercise today”. Instead, you did it early, it’s out of the way and now you can focus your energy on your work or your kids.

4 Benefits to working out early in the morning:

Increases your metabolism
Morning workouts cultivate consistency and self discipline
Enhances your physical and mental energy and wakes up your mind
Research shows morning workouts help you sleep better compared to evening workouts

How you can stay motivated enough to wake up early and workout:

Put your alarm far enough away that you have to get out of bed when turning it off
Wear your workout clothes to bed so when you wake up you don’t have to change clothes.
Have your water bottle and any other workout gear ready to go the night before
Make your workout enjoyable or give yourself something you look forward to (audio book, tv show, podcast)
Warm up briefly and keep the duration of the entire workout between 30-45 minutes.

Set your alarm, pick a time and keep the alarm set. Don’t turn it off. Write down on a calendar a big X for every day you work out so you can track your progress. At the end of the month you can see how dedicated you were. Reward yourself. You are doing great. Keep up with the program. Don’t let anything or anyone stop you. Make it a priority. Don’t let the chaos stand in your way. Just do it.

Keep Smiling,

Dr. Jena Bradley, DPT

*It is important to always consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program and get medical clearance. Perform exercises at your own risk.