The 5am Workout

Until about four weeks ago, I scoffed at the notion of a 5 a.m. workout. Who in their right mind wakes up in the four o’clock hour to lift weights or run? Crazies.

But it was also about four weeks ago that I decided to follow a few happy-lutions in 2015. What is a happy-lution? Instead falling for the standard New Year’s resolution mumbo jumbo I decided to think about what makes me happy. The things that keep me sane and my light heart. No surprise, working out is a big part of that.

As a full time working mom outside the home, it gets trickier and trickier every day to maintain a fitness routine. Some weeks Mike travels. Other weeks I have morning or evening commitments. Every so often I make a weeknight plan with friends. And mostly, I hate when the gym gets in the way of my quick but precious morning and evening rituals with Rylan.

Enter the 5 a.m. workout. This time allows me to get out of the house and back with more than enough time to shower and be ready for Rylan’s morning routine. My energy level is high most of the day and I feel great about being present before and after Rylan’s day at daycare. Mike is not impacted by my schedule juggling and is asleep for most of my workout anyway! So far my 5 a.m. classes of choice rotate between Orange Theory Fitness and my regular gym, Qi Flow, which offers fusion-style classes of spin, yoga, barre and kettle bells depending on the day.

It isn’t for everyone, I get that. Before a 5 a.m. workout I aim to be in bed by 8:30 p.m., and the day of the workout I am typically a zombie by about the same time. Therefore, it eats into my evenings with Mike or ability to catch up on things like work, blogging, reading, and so on. I absolutely cannot commit to 5 a.m. classes every day, but one – two days a week feels feasible.

As busy parents we do what we have to do. I wish I could turn on a fitness DVD after Rylan goes down or get out for a quick run before my morning shower, but it doesn’t work. Unless I am signed up for a class that I have to be at in order not to lose money, I come up with every excuse in the book to “go tomorrow.”

I’m three weeks into my 2015 happy-lutions with three 5 a.m. classes under my belt. Soon to be four if I make it to a 5:30 a.m. cycle kettle bell class on Friday. 5:30 a.m. sure sounds like a treat to me now.

Yes, I’ve joined the crazies. But I am happy and a bit more sane in my continuous quest for a semblance of balance.