My 4 Step Process to Becoming a LARK
Whether you listen to the VoiceOver for accessibility, because you’re more of an auditory learner or so you can grab some movement while we’re together—it will consistently be an option.
If I had to pick one I’d say I’ve always been a lark.
I didn’t drink coffee until after college & have pretty much consistently leaped out of bed like a puppy.
For me the promise of what could happen during any 24 hour period has always been enough to launch me from bed before sunrise.
Before we dive into how you can become an earlybirdhuman if you choose—it bears clarifying I couldn’t become a night owl even if I tried.
I absolutely believe our tendency isnt necessarily something we can change. Sleep scientists say our “chronotype” — short for whether you are a morning or night person— is determined in large part by genes.
Back when I owned my boutique training studio, I was renown for my lark-status.
As a result, I was frequently asked exactly what time of day I thought was the best to exercise.
My response to this query was always the same:
The perfect time to exercise is when you will actually do it!
I’d definitely seen greater success with clients who worked out in the morning, but I credited much of that to the fact they rarely canceled our sessions.
Meetings, kids, conference calls and LIFE seemed to intrude far less at 6am versus 6 pm.
I witnessed how morning workouts were the perfect way to launch the day for some yet for others, the OWLS among us, early sessions were to be avoided at all costs.
I respected that.
I could no more summon the motivation to exercise at 8pm (!) than I could….do absolutely anything else which demanded a preponderance of energy later in the evening.
And then I did my homework and read a few studies.
And then I moved & was reminded of the double depression whammy of colder climates & shorter days.
And then I saw this:
(Source: Health Magazine)
GONE was my benevolent:
Explore! Discover what works best for you!
BACK was my verging-on evangelical from my first days of working out:
OOOH People. There’s no question. Mornings are the ONLY time to get your workout on!!
And BACK were your questions about how on EARTH I get up at 4 am.
My 4-step process to becoming a lark:
Make decision/tell accountability partners (friends, family, social media). This is the easiest and most challenging step. In this step you’re letting the proverbial cat out of the bag (types the blogger who has a canine): Once you’ve announced your plan you cannot retract it. And, quite frankly, that’s the plan! Announce. Commit. DON’T START. Which leads me to…
Plan workout routine. For any life–transition to work it requires we set ourselves up for success. I’m currently an intuitive exerciser, but when I launched my morning-routine I planned in advance precisely what I would do. Identify the method of planning which works for you (workout log to online source) map out workouts for the next few weeks and practice them. Eliminate excuses (“It’s too early to think! I don’t know how this goes!”) before they occur. And then…
Wake up–don’t move! Set alarm for planned waking time and don’t exercise. I’m a believer in the power of visualization. I also discovered this step of visualizing myself exiting the bed/exercising in exactly the manner I’d planned acclimated my body to the new routine. Don’t get stuck on this step—I recommend a week—but do allow your body to adjust to the change. (Here’s where an expert might say: Move bedtime up earlier! I do not say that because I’m aware we’re all so busy earlier bedtime may not be an option.)
Go go go! The goal here is simple one: Get up and do your best. One morning you may rock your planned workout. The next you may practically phone it in. No one workout matters more than any other. We aren’t training for competition—we are striving to shift exercise time! Each morning you wake, climb out of bed and move yer bod is a victory. What’s most important is you commit and don’t stop. Consistency. ZERO FITS AND STARTS. That equates to success.
These 4 tips are the process I used when committing to my own early morning movement.
I wont sugar salt coat it: I repeated steps #1-3 a few times before I nailed #4.
As with all things healthy living LARK’ing is a simple process….to explain.
Change, even when chosen, requires time and patience to implement. Be kind to yourself as you transition.
Now you.
Are you an owl who’s ready to become a lark? Are you a committed hooter who never plans to move in the morning?