Buzz
Before I saw any real fitness changes from doing burpees every morning, I first realized something else: I truly did not want to leave the warmth of my bed. The moment I stepped out of it, I knew I'd have to do burpees.
However, by the end of the month I stuck to the challenge, completing my burpees daily. There were days when I simply didn’t feel like it, but every time I finished, I felt accomplished. Here are a few strategies that helped me stay motivated, which can inspire you to start exercising every morning as well.
Choose the right workout attire
The worst part about doing burpees in the morning, for me, wasn’t the workout itself—I can push through that—but rather the fact that it makes you sweaty and uncomfortable right after waking up. And if you tackle 30 burpees in your pajamas, you'll end up with drenched, sticky pajamas. Yikes.
So, if I’m planning a full workout, I swap my pajamas for proper workout clothes. If it’s not a full workout, I just throw on a sports bra and shorts, sweat a little, then peel them off and hop in a quick shower before I get ready for the day.
Allow yourself a minute to fully wake up
Another small annoyance is that I *really* don’t enjoy exercising right after I wake up. I found that I feel a lot more energized and ready if I wait about 20 minutes, giving myself a chance to sip some coffee, feed the kids, and perhaps scroll through my phone in a half-asleep daze.
Begin with a small promise to yourself
You might be able to knock out a ton of burpees when you're feeling highly motivated, but the reality is that you'll have to exercise every day, even on the days you’re exhausted. Even on the super busy workdays. So, instead of aiming for 50 burpees daily, I committed to a minimum of 10. With so many burpee variations, there’s likely something you can do 10 of. (Or five! Or even three!)
Track your progress
I have a tendency to abandon great ideas before I’ve fully seen them through. But with my goal of doing burpees every day for a month, I downloaded an iPhone app called Done to help me stay on track. It reminded me every day to complete my burpees, and I logged how many I did each time.
Something about seeing my progress really spurred me on. The app helps you maintain a streak, which is great for developing a new habit, and it also tracks the total number of times you've done your habit (in my case, burpees). As I got into a groove, I realized I was on pace to complete a thousand burpees by the month’s end—roughly 33 each day. Well, now I’m definitely not skipping a day because missing one means fitting 30+ burpees somewhere else in my schedule.
Have a contingency plan
After a few weeks, I began feeling a dull ache in my back. It’s something I’ve experienced before and I know it’s nothing serious, but it does suggest I should take it easy for a bit. But how can I rest without breaking my streak?
I went back to those modified burpees we talked about earlier. I omitted the push-up and stepped instead of jumping. While this exercise isn’t nearly as intense, it kept me in the habit and gave my body time to recover. After two days of easier burpees, I felt ready to return to my usual routine.
If I couldn’t do burpees at all, I would completely adjust my goals. For instance, if I broke my leg, I’d probably look for an arm workout I could do every day instead. I had to remind myself that I wasn’t aiming for a World Burpee Association competition; I was simply doing a fitness challenge to improve myself.
Don’t forget: there are other times during the day to get your workout in.
Having a backup plan means keeping the goal in mind, even on the days when you can’t exercise in the morning. Sometimes I’m in a phase where I prefer morning workouts, other times I shift to evening sessions.
If I’ve scheduled a morning workout but can’t fit it in—or if I stayed up late and need sleep more than the workout—I remind myself there will always be other times to exercise. Some days I can work out during lunch. Other days, I might find time in the evening. Occasionally, I’ll reschedule a workout to another day. It’s important to focus on the bigger picture and not be too hard on myself for missing a morning workout now and then. The extra sleep you got by oversleeping could actually give you more energy for your next workout.
