Morning Workout Boost!

Do you want to know the secret for getting totally pumped up for the day?  Even getting pumped up for just a random Thursday? Are you sure you’re ready for this life-changing secret?

Here it is: Get a workout in in the morning!

I have been foregoing morning workouts in favor of the extra sleep lately, mostly because it’s really hard to get up and work out when it’s wicked dark outside.  But today, since I have my work Christmas party in the afternoon and then another holiday get together after that, I knew it was a morning workout or nothing. 

So, I set my alarm for 5:15, and after not being able to fall asleep until almost 1am, just hoped for the best.  And wouldn’t you know, when my alarm went off at 5:15, I was wide awake and ready to go!

I did this back + core workout, plus 100 crunches at the end, but listening to the Andy Grammer iHeart Radio station had me smiling through the entire thing.  (I fell asleep to the Imagine Dragons station last night, and that’s a good one too, in case you’re interested.  Oh, and iHeart Radio has a sleep timer which is an advantage over the Pandora app.) 

(Follow me on Instagram: @megduv)

And then, I found myself jamming out to the radio in the car on the way to work and feeling totally ready to tackle the day.  It’s really hard to get out of bed sometimes, but breaking a good sweat really does give you such a fantastic boost of energy!

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Backtracking a little…

Yesterday I had to run a couple errands at lunch, and I was starving, so I stopped at a local bakery/café to pick up a sandwich to bring back to work with me.  I got the turkey cranberry (with turkey, fresh cranberry sauce, cheese, and lettuce) on grilled homemade wheat bread, and it was absolutely delicious.

It came with a salad and chips, but I only ate half, plus a cinnamon apple on the side:

And also some of these bad boys that I picked up while out shopping:

(Moral of the story: don’t go shopping on an empty stomach!)

After work, I headed home and did this chest + biceps workout, plus 45 minutes of running on the treadmill. 

And here’s another little secret: if anyone ever saw what I do on my treadmill at home, I would be so embarrassed.  (I guess it’s bad enough that I’m writing about it, but still.)  In between (and sometimes during) my running intervals, I’m almost always dancing.  A good song comes on, and I just can’t help it!  I sing out loud and dance around and it’s a blast – but I would be forever mortified if somehow anyone ever saw me jamming out like that with sweat dripping down my face.  Just one perk of having your own treadmill though; I don’t have to worry about looking like a fool!

I used an old playlist during my run last night, and it really had me dancing, even more so than normal:

How can you not dance to those songs?

For dinner last night, I heated up the rest of my sandwich and ate it alongside the salad and remaining chips.  Nothing easier than leftovers!

Questions:

What are some of your favorite iHeartRadio/Pandora stations?

Do you prefer morning, afternoon, or nighttime workouts?

Do you find that working out in the morning gives you an extra boost for the day?