21 Tricks Non-Morning People Should Know About Early Exercising

Yes, you can.

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1. Leave your blinds open overnight.

Alison Caporimo

Research shows a little light may be all we need to get up feeling charged instead of drained. Leave your shades open all the way (or just a little bit) and let the sun wake you up.

2. Keep your pre-workout drink in a thermos on your nightstand.

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"I put my pre-workout on my nightstand," says redditor mspickle. "When my alarm goes off, I roll over and drink it. About 10 minutes later there's no way I'm going back to sleep, so I might as well go work out."

3. Make it a date.

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Start your day by getting to spend a few extra hours with your significant other. Ask your partner to meet you for an AM gym date so you can sweat together.

4. Turn on a light as soon as you wake up.

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"You want to move beyond the state of 'I wish I was still sleeping' to where you feel like you've just started your day," certified personal trainer and Remodel Fitness creator Jessi Kneeland tells BuzzFeed Life. Turn on a bright light for stimulation.

5. Put your phone on the other side of the room.

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Once you've zombie-walked a few feet, going to bed will feel slightly less appealing.

6. Pack an energy-boosting snack—and leave your car keys on top of it so you won't forget to grab it.

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Trick yourself into being a responsible adult.

7. Keep your hairdryer in your gym locker.

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Some of us need more incentive than others to get moving. One way to troll yourself is to relocate your personal hairdryer to your gym locker, that way you need to go to the gym to get ready for work.

8. Make overnight oats to prevent stressing about breakfast in the morning...

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"Add a scoop of protein powder or Greek yogurt to the recipe if you'll be eating after a cardio workout," Brick CrossFit head coach​ and nutritionist Erica Giovinazzo, MS, RD, tells BuzzFeed Life.

9. And add a side of egg whites if you did weight training.

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"You tear a lot of muscles after weight training, which makes protein especially important," says Giovinazzo. "Add a side of protein (like egg whites) to eat with your overnight oats for the perfect post-workout meal."

10. Schedule it with a friend.

Alison Caporimo

If you're more likely to bail on your zombie self than on somebody else, book a fitness class, meet with a personal trainer, and plan to workout with a friend.

11. Drink a glass of water right after you wake up.

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"Any degree of dehydration can drastically reduce your performance during a workout," Giovinazzo says. Also, you won't be able to fall back asleep if you have to pee.

12. If you need a healthy energy boost, eat a medjool date.

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"Since they're high in carbs and natural sugar, dates can be a great way to get that energizing boost of sugar in your bloodstream," says Giovinazzo.

13. Get your workout stuff out the night before.

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Because you'd obviously NEVER forget your sports bra as your fully functional morning self.

14. Eat a banana when you wake up. Or try fresh juice if your body takes a while to digest food.

Alison Caporimo

"Try half of a banana if a whole one is too much for your stomach," Giovinazzo says. "If your stomach does't digest fast enough for your workout, drink between 6 and 8 ounces of a freshly-squeezed juice instead."

15. Make a playlist that will always keep you on-time.

Alison Caporimo

Create a playlist that runs a few minutes shy of the time you have between waking up and walking out the door. Press play after your alarm goes off and listen while you’re getting ready. When the playlist ends, get outta there!

16. Get support from social media buds.

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Stoked for an AM workout? Share an update on social so friends will give you some encouragement.

17. Pay for a class.

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Book a class and don't even worry if they give a refund. Why? Because it's extra incentive (if you need it)!

18. Try an app that forces you to take a certain number of steps before the alarm will shut off.

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Walk Me Up is the perfect tool for someone who desperately wants to but simply cannot.

19. Don't eat a lot of carbs when you wake up.

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"Eating pure carbs will set you up for a blood sugar crash post-workout," Kneeland says. "When your blood sugar crashes, you may feel grouchy, overwhelmed, and nauseous."

20. Drink coffee.

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But only if you want to. "Caffeine is great to have in the system before a workout," says Kneeland. "Give yourself 20 to 30 minutes for it to kick in. Caffeine increases your endurance and increases your pain tolerance, which can really help during a hard session."

21. Don’t leave the TV on when you go to bed.

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Unless you want lower quality sleep the night before a morning run. If you can’t sleep without some noise in the background, try a white noise machine or a fan. Find more tips on how to get your best sleep possible here.