When you are trying to stick to a healthy diet and exercise routine after gastric sleeve, adjusting the time of your workouts may be useful. Early morning is a great time to focus on physical fitness. Getting your workout done first thing in the morning means there is less of a chance that unexpected work or family-related commitments can interfere with exercise.
If you don’t consider yourself a morning person, you may find it hard to get into the habit of exercising in the morning — but Dr. Guillermo Alvarez and the team at Endobariatric have you covered. Read on for our best tips to start exercising in the morning.
Move Up Your Bedtime
You don’t have to sacrifice shut-eye for a morning workout. Determine what time you need to wake up in the morning and work backward, allowing yourself seven to eight hours of sleep.
Don’t expect to start falling asleep earlier automatically; you might have to work incrementally to help your body slowly adjust to your new bedtime. Every night, try to get into bed 15 minutes earlier than you did the night before.
Good sleep hygiene is important when moving up your bedtime. Avoid caffeine in the hours preceding your bedtime, and turn off your smartphone and television an hour before you get into bed. Setting a relaxing bedtime routine, such as taking a warm bath or doing some light stretching, can also help you get to sleep earlier and wake up when you need to.
Lay Out Clothes and Gear the Night Before
Preparedness is crucial, and a small effort can have a big payoff. The night before a morning workout, lay out every piece of clothing and gear you need. This saves lots of time that you may have spent looking for a missing sock or sports bra.
Raise the Financial Stakes
Make morning workouts less tempting to skip by signing up for a class or training session to which you are financially committed. It is highly motivating to know that if you don’t show up to the workout, your money goes to waste!
Find an Accountability Partner
Recruit a family member, friend or gym buddy who wants to exercise with you in the morning and will hold you accountable. You are less likely to skip the gym if you know someone is there waiting for you.
Give Yourself Other Incentives
Incentivize yourself to stick to morning workouts by setting goals and rewarding yourself when you reach them. For example, commit to working out five mornings in a row; if you hit your goal, treat yourself to a new piece of workout clothing or a special fitness class.
For more information about establishing healthy workout habits after gastric sleeve, please call or email Dr. Alvarez and the team at Endobariatric.
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Changing lives…one sleeve at a time.
