Tracy Anderson on How to Become Someone Who Works Out in the Morning

I was never a morning person—that’s for sure. My dad used to have to throw water on my face to get me to school on time. But I really believe that you get to a time in your life where you have to be a mature, responsible adult—and that getting up to work out in the morning is part of that.

I always recommend early to bed, early to rise. So much research points to the benefits of waking up early. And if you work out in the morning, you’ll get it done before other things—like someone wanting to get lunch and drinks—can tug at you and keep you from exercising.

But people still don’t want to hear that you really have to show up for your workout five to seven days a week. To see results, you need to say, “I’m going to get my 30 to 60 minutes in of showing up for my entire body.”

It’s not about the little tricks you read like putting your sneakers by the front door or sleeping in your sports bra. I really think those kind of tips are ridiculous. They’re like covering your inner child in bubble wrap.

It’s about having a bigger discussion with yourself about your goals. You’re an adult; you can set your alarm, get up, brush your teeth. You can schedule your morning.

I say all of this as a girl who wasn’t always naturally thin and fit. When I was 19 years old and went to school on a dance scholarship, I gained 40 pounds. I’m a mother of two who gained 60 pounds during my first pregnancy and 38 during my second.

I understand the difficulty in what I’m asking people to do. But if you don’t have time to go to a gym, you don’t need to go to a gym. You can wake up in the morning, stream a 30-minute or hour-long workout on your computer, then get in the shower, get dressed and go about your day. That’s strength. That’s taking care of yourself properly.

It really just comes down to mental toughness and deciding how you want to honor yourself and your health and your life.

Tracy Anderson is a fitness expert and creator of the Tracy Anderson Method, a fitness methodology that has transformed the lives of millions of people across the globe with customized training, DVDs and more.