This is what it looks like in our back yard at 6 am. The sun isn’t quite up yet, but it’s on its way. How do I know this? Because I’ve finally decided that there is hardly ever going to be a time when I feel like exercising after I get home from work at night. I tried fooling myself into thinking that after work was the best time for me to do it (since I am so not a morning person), but it just meant that I’d come home, not exercise, and feel slightly guilty the rest of the evening.
So, I heard about the Fitbit and thought maybe that would help. If someone says I’m supposed to walk 10,000 steps a day and do 10 flights of stairs, then those are the numbers I try to hit. And since I started getting up early in the morning to walk for an hour, it has been working. I do like getting it out of the way before work. And I get to see pretty scenes like this (finally – the sun is up above the horizon.):
And this (I love seeing mountains first thing every morning.):
These things have helped me stick to this routine for a couple of months now:
1. Personally, I need to do it every single day of the week. I do take Saturdays and Sundays off, but I’m just about ready to throw at least Saturday into the mix, too. Mondays are a bugger when 6 am rolls around again.
2. I listen to audiobooks. It makes the hour of walking pass by really quickly.
3. I fool my brain. I tell myself that I’m going to walk for 30 minutes (in one direction, away from my house) and then I’ll just walk home. That equals an hour, but the last part of it is just “walking home”. 🙂
The downside? I am tired too early in the evening. It’s affecting my knitting, FPS. Somehow I need to learn to be a morning person AND a night person. Is that possible?? I need to finish my Camp Loopy Project Three this weekend. (I’m making a Derecho out of the Loopy Solid Series. So many fun colors to choose from.)
Today’s blog contest question: Are you a night person or a morning person? (And while we’re at it, do you have any tips about sticking to an exercise routine?) Leave a comment below and I’ll draw names for two more skeins of Wollmeise Lace next week.
We do have winners from last week’s blog contest! I’m sending a skein of Wollmeise Lace to Linda in IL and Amber in IN. Congratulations to you two!
Sheri 9162stepssofarfortoday.
Mustwalkbackandforthintheshopafewmoretimes….
I am definitely a EARLY morning riser but on the flip side, I shut down by 8. You can’t ask me to do anything after that.
A morning person…and I used to be good on the exercise thing, need to get back into it!
i’m neither a morning or an evening person– i just love to sleep! for exercise, i find that early afternoon is when i feel the best. luckily i have a job with very flexible hours, so once i see the sun peek out of the fog in the afternoon (i’m in San Francisco), i throw on my running shoes and head out for a few miles.
one thing that has helped me get back into running shape was to get a bike trainer. this converts my road bike into a stationary bike. so on the days i couldn’t get on the road, i just hop on the bike in the evening and watch something interesting on tv. of course, this works well because my boyfriend has a bike trainer too, and having a buddy to exercise with makes all the difference.
I am an evening person….exercise needs to be in the morning…but a brisk walk after dinner makes the evening last for me and my KNITTING. I stick to the routine on saturday….Sunday is my day off :). (if you can call a wife and mother has a day off :). In all fairness once you reach your first call….you will enjoy the next challenge…like “Camp Loopy”. Good luck and hope I get picked this time.
I use to be a night person (before kids). Now I’m a morning person. My heart medication makes me pretty much useless after 8PM and I have to be up by 7AM to take meds.
I’m still definitely a night person, but am forced to be a morning person. Silly job! 🙁
I’m a night person who is forced to be a morning person because of my job. I’ve adapted, grudgingly. I never have gotten the ‘thrill’ of exercising, I just make myself do it whether I want to or not. Then I feel better about myself after that.
I’m a nite owl- when i was younger I worked the midnite to 8 AM shift- loved it. When I changed to teaching and had to get up at 5 AM it was a struggle. Now I’m retired and get up when I want but it is always early!(the downside of an aging body). I go to the pool 3 days a week- what helps is going with a friend. I do better with company. To improve you knit time try a 15 minute power nap at 4 PM. Refreshes and doesn’t keep you from sleeping at nite.
Good napping is an art.
I’m a morning person. I’m not an early morning person although I do have to get up at 5 am for work. If I could have an 11 to 7 sleep schedule, that would be perfect. I do some working out in the mornings, but can’t push myself to get up before my magic hour of 5 am. I jog twice a week with a friend on Friday and Sunday mornings around 7:30. I also work out at night, as I found a sport that I love, karate and kickboxing which only has week night classes.
You need to find something you love so you will look forward to doing it. I never found IT until I joined karate.
I walked a lot, and enjoyed it, did the recumbent bike and Nautilus at the gym. Maybe, you need someone to walk with you to motivate you?
You can’t be a morning and night person, trust me, I know from experience. You need to walk to be healthy, so you may have to give up some knitting time. Just think, if I’m not healthy, I won’t be able to knit!
I am a night owl. So much easier to stay up a little later than to get up a little earlier. My husband is the same way, if not moreso.
The best thing that happened to my exercise plan was to get a Border Collie. When he was a puppy I walked around a field with him morning and evening, without fail. Now that he’s grown, and more settled, I have fallen off that wagon.
Thanks to all for reporting their experiences. Every little bit helps!
I’m a morning person, though the older my kids get, the later I find I have to stay up to help them wrap up their stuff, especially if I want any time to myself to try to knit…
I am a morning person that when I get alot of knitting done. Thought I was an after work person but that never works out I am too tired!
I am definitely a morning person. Brain is engaged the minute I wake up…takes a while for the body to catch up though! As for sticking to an exercise routine – you are definitely asking the wrong person, lol. I’m good for a week or two and then all bets are off.
I am soooo a night person, but I am having the same problem you had – after I get home from work, I am too tired to exercise! My morning exercise routine starts on Monday…
Definite night person. No exercise tips.
Night person for sure. I worked second shift for years, so I can’t get to sleep until 2:00 Am most nights. Thanks for the contest!
I am definitely a morning person, and ready for bed earlier and earlier it seems as I get older 😛
The only exercise tip I have is that I put a sticker on the calendar every time I exercised- the more stickers, the less likely you want miss a day and have no sticker on that date (juvenile perhaps but works for me!).
I am a morning person, feel like I have wasted half the day if I don’t see the sun come up. Yoga is my exercise and the only way I can stick to it is to do it first thing in the morning (4am) by putting on the coffee and promise myself I can have a cup when I am done with my yoga….yoga is hard on me if I have anything in my tummy….and I LOVE my first cup of coffee, so by having it brew while I am doing my yoga, well it is win win.
Night time? I am exhausted and in bed by 9 at the very latest. But I get to see our amazing AZ dawns and sunsets so all is good.
I’m naturally a night person, but I find if I stick to a schedule of going to bed early enough and getting up at roughly the same time I can pass for a morning person (and beat the traffic, which is the real motivator).
Unfortunately, I have no luck sticking to an exercise routine. I think it’d be easier if I could set a time each day and stick to it, but something always seems to be getting in the way
Oh definately a morning person! And if I can get a nap then I can be a night person too! I used do some Denise Austin exercises in the mornings, remember her on TV in the early AM? That was a great way to stretch, do some exercises, and out the door to work. Now that she is not on our local listings, I no longer have a regular exercise time, just walk a mile here and there and chase Grandkids!
I am a morning person, always have been. I can’t give you exercise advice. It is such an engrained part of my life, I just get up and run EARLY every morning.
Age has brought out the morning person in me! No need for an alarm clock here. My eyes pop open around 5:30 a.m whether I like it or not. Exercise must be done in the a.m or doesn’t get done at all. I truly run out of steam by the end of the day and am good for nothing but knitting or watching podcasts by the end of the day!
I’m more of a night person but I have to get my exercise done in the morning. I’m in Colorado, too, and this has been a tough summer for it, between the fires and the heat. I’m a runner(although you wouldn’t know by looking at me) and the biggest help for me is getting everything set up the night before and not giving myself the option to back out. As Nike says”Just do it!”.
Read “Younger Next Year” – will totally change your outlook. Exercising for an hour every morning will become the new normal, not exercising is the exception. There is also a special version for women – “Younger Next Year for Women”. AWESOME ADVICE!
Morning is the best and a partner is often times very helpful! Keep up the good work!!
I am a morning person. The best why to stick to your exercise program is to schedule it for first thing in the morning, make it a priority, and don’t ever plan anything before you have time to exercise and shower. I have been a runner for 35 years. I wish I needed less sleep, so I could knit more!
I am neither a morning nor a night person. Sleep is way too precious! Call me an “afternoon” girl.
I’m most definitely a morning person. I’m up for a 5 mile run every morning but Sunday at 5:30 am. (this does require a headlamp in the winter!) The rest of the day I’m guilt free! I listen to audio books also so I look forward to what’s next in the book.
I am more of a morning person than a night person; I’m usually in bed by 9pm. And I’m the wrong person to ask about sticking with an exercise routine (I can’t even start one even though my Dr. would like me to).
More of a morning person, I guess, but I can stay up late when I need to. Sticking with an exercise plan is a PITA but you just have to keep doing it. How about knitting while you walk? ;}
Night person. Always. Way to stick to exercise? Schedule it at a certain time each day, just like breakfast lunch and dinner. And no excuses. I keep telling myself I can always stop at any point. And I don’t.
I am most definitely a morning person. I dislike exercise but know I have to do it and really I feel better when I exercise. I am a teacher and school has started again which has really cut into my knitting time…..
I was thinking you were going to say that you can knit while walking on the treadmill or something! I am a morning person – love taking my dog out especially when it’s cool outside.
I am neither a morning or night person. I wake up early because I have to, but it takes me a few hours to really “wake up”. I can’t drink coffee because it keeps me up at night…vicious circle. I wake up at 5:15 to feed the cats and then exercise.
I used to wake up at 4:45, get to work by 6:45, get home around 4:30 p.m. and still not workout. Evening exercise just doesn’t work for me–too many excuses available. So now I exercise in the morning. It makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something daily, even if it’s not at work. 🙂 I alternate between Tony Horton’s Power 90 and Jillian Michael’s Ripped in 30.
I’m definitely a morning person. As for the exercise motivation tips, I need some myself.
I am without question a morning person!
I am a morning person and the more you exercise you WILL begin to have more energy, I promise. Now I’ve gotten to the point that if I don’t exercise, then I just don’t feel right. By the way, listening to audio books is a great thing to do. Have you thought about getting a dog? My two dogs just stand by the bed waiting and waiting. It helps me!
I’m a night person. Unfortunately, my husband is a morning person so it’s been all about compromise at my house right now
Night! Though the older I get, the less my body will sleep in, even though I seriously need to sleep in a few days! I have no tips for exercise, wish I did!
I used to be a morning person, and when I was a teenager/in my early 20s, I was a morning person + a night owl, but now I’m a night owl. I’d rather stay up all night!! ps: i have a fitbit, too, and I love it!! 🙂 it’s the best pedometer ever. 😀
I have ALWAYS been a night person….BUT, when I am up early, I really do like mornings and feel as if I get more done on those days.
I have been a morning walker for years and years. This summer I have added riding my bike in the evenings, after the heat lets up a bit.
I’m a night Owl. I work the night shift from 10pm to 6:30AM. I’m usually in bed by 8am, sometimes 7AM. Try to sleep to 4pm but sometimes I’m up sooner. I love the afternoons, esp in the Summer time. I have 2 dogs that would enjoy taking me for a walk but so far I haven’t gone.
I am a morning person. If I sleep late I feel as if I’ve wasted so much time that could have been spent reading or knitting. I have some exercise equipment in my basement in front of my TV. I try to exercise when there’s something I want to see on TV, or I put on a music concert tape or DVD that inspires me to move faster!
Totally a night person but I have to be up at 4:30 am so I don’t get to indulge.
The trick I’ve found is to have a buddy. 2 days/wk I go at 7:30am to a core/abs class before work, 2 days we go to Spinning for 30min in the afternoon (so much fun and 530cal!) and then if we are lucky we hit 2 weight/strength classes a week during lunch. I’m very lucky that my jobsite has a gym and all these classes are free! At night, there is always an excuse (Kids, knitting deadlines for Camp, etc). But at work, it’s great stress relief and we’ve lost weight and gained a ton of confidence! Congrats on your Fitbit (they’re awesome!).
Oh I am definitely a morning person. I love having hot coffee, quiet cool breezes and my laptop to get lost in the world wide web!
Exercising on the other hand, I do not like to do in the morning….I am definitely an, “ok I will get it done around 11” so that I can shower….my stick with it tip….make it a habit, just like brushing your teeth…routine routine routine and upbeat music never hurts, it sounds like you have got both these aspects down!
Please send me some LACE!! Thanks again for the fun.
I am a morning person.
Totally a night person, even though I had to be a morning person against my will as a teenager with 5am swim practices before school and then afternoon practice. Now DH and I schedule time to walk together in the evenings and we go hiking 8-12 miles on the weekend. The trick is to vary your routine a little and maybe add a walking partner from time to time. I wish you luck come winter. 🙂
so NOT a morning person. I find making an appointment with another person (be it friend or trainer) to exercise helps. I’m less likely to ditch them. I found that after I was exercising for a while, the night sleepies got less and I could stay up later again.
I’m definitely a morning person. I’ve been trying to get motivated to start an exercise routine, doing it in the morning sounds like a great idea…I love the thought of listening to audiobooks at the same time.