The Challenge:

 

Wake up at 5.30am for 30 days.

 

The Benefits: 

• Increase productivity
• Learn how to wake up early to workout
• More time to engage in healthy habits (gym, meditation)
• Get better sleep
• Enjoy quiet time (stillness of the morning)
• Stay ahead of the game

 

Why Get Up At 5.30am?

 

It’s a common scenario:

 

You aim to hit the gym or do that side project that’s been in your head for ages. Problem is, you get in tired from a hard day’s work and it’s just too easy to think, ‘F*ck it, I’m exhausted. I’m just gonna chill tonight.’

 

Getting up early when you have no other distractions and aren’t tired from a day at the office means you’re far more likely to hit the gym and get things done.

 

For me, I wanted to go to the gym while still engaging in other morning activities such as meditation and writing a gratitude journal. These activities set you in good stead for the day, putting you in a healthy mindframe while reducing stress.

 

Soon after starting the Challenge, I started experiencing other benefits. I felt more motivated throughout the day, slept easier and began waking up in a better mood.

 

And then there’s the morning calm. There’s a beauty in hearing the birds chirp without the noise of traffic. There’s a sense of oneness with the world and nature if you’re up before everyone else. And there’s also a feeling of getting ahead of everyone when you’re watching the sun rise on the horizon and they’re still dreaming about… (insert weird stuff here).

 

With all these benefits in mind, I’m going to show you how to wake up early to workout (or whatever goal you want to achieve) by happily rising at 5.30am. Up for the challenge? Let’s do it.

 

How To Wake Up Early To Work Out

 

First off, let me say this challenge isn’t for everyone. (It’d be ethically wrong of me to say it is.)

 

According to research from the University of Surrey, England, there are such people as ‘night owls’ whose bodies are genetically suited to going to bed later and getting up later. This means if a strong night owl forced themselves to do this challenge, they’d probably end up falling out of their tree.

 

You can try this simple test to see if you’re a strong night owl before you start.

 

However, in my interview with independent Sleep expert, Dr Neil Stanley, he states around 50 percent of us have no strong genetic preference for getting up later, meaning we can likely change our habits.

 

Here’s how to wake up early to workout.

 

1 Have A Reason To Get Up

 

Ask yourself the one reason why you want to get up at 5.30am. Whether it’d be working out, working on a new business venture, or even just having some quiet time, write your main goal down where you can see it ready for when you wake up.

 

Also, write a to-do list the night before so you have some sort of action plan enabling you to remain focused.

 

2 Go To Bed At The Same Time Every Night

 

If you want to know how to wake up early to workout, here’s a crucial piece of advice.

 

In order to get up at 5.30am it’s imperative you go to bed at a regular hour.

 

“Your body craves regularity and regular hours of wake-up. The reason for this is your brain and body start preparing to wake up around 90 minutes before you actually wake up,” says Dr Stanley.

 

“If your brain and body know what time that is they can predict it and make those preparations. That’s why you can naturally wake up a few minutes before your alarm.”

 

If you don’t hit the hay at a regular hour, it will do two things:

 

1) It will be more difficult to get to sleep at a reasonable hour.

2) You’ll feel worse in the mornings as your body hasn’t made those preparations for you to wake.

 

Regular sleep allows your body to adjust and get into a rhythm.

 

Essential.

 

3 Go To Bed At The Right Time Every Night

 

According to Dr Stanley, people needing 7-8 hours a night is actually a myth.

 

“We are all individual and it’s genetically determined. Anywhere between four and eleven hours can be considered normal. What’s important is that you get the right amount of sleep for you as individual.”

 

Determining how much sleep we need as individuals can be difficult. However, Dr Stanley states that the right amount of sleep will allow you to feel “awake, alert and focused throughout the day.”

 

“Change your sleep pattern gradually by adding or subtracting 15 minutes each week,” he adds. “However, if you feel you’re getting way too little and feel awful throughout the day, add an hour and then start fine tuning it by 15 minutes.”

 

4 Develop A Wind-down Routine

 

Around one hour before bed, it’s important to wind both your body and brain down so you can easily fall asleep.

 

Try reading, listening to music (not Slipknot or Holy F*ck for obvious reasons), or even meditating — whatever relaxes you. Be sure to stay off your phone or laptop as the blue light will disturb your circadian rhythm (your body’s national rhythm that governs all your sleep processes such as falling asleep and waking up).

 

5 Optimize Your Sleep Environment

 

Having an environment that’s conducive to sleep is essential. Your room needs to be as dark as possible with a temperature between 16-18°C (61-64°F).

 

Ensure there are no noise distractions. Providing you feel comfortable sleeping in them, a good set of ear plugs will help block out any disturbing sounds (except the voices in your head). Ahem…

 

It also helps if you’ve engaged in physical activity to help tire you out throughout the day so when it comes to your head hitting the pillow, you’re gone.

 

Finally, you need a calm mind to fall asleep. Try reading a book or meditating before bed. Don’t read a book in bed as your brain will subconsciously associate your bed as a reading place rather than a sleeping place.

 

6 Don’t You Dare Snooze 

 

When the alarm goes off at 5.30am, it’s easy to hit that snooze button and get a little extra sleep — don’t do it. It only makes it harder in the long run as you realize how warm and comfortable your bed is. Like a mouse in a matchbox, with a tiny duvet, you’ll never want to leave it.

 

I place my alarm clock or phone on the other side of the room so I have to get out of bed to turn it off. If you really want to go full hardcore, put your alarm in another room. Level up even further by burying it underground with a tube connected to your ear and dig that mother*cker out with your fingers every morning.

 

7 Power Up

 

Now you’re out of bed, it’s time to wake yourself up. I find a good few splashes of freezing cold water to the face does the trick. And if you really want to wake up and feel ready to smash the day, try a cold shower [See my 30 Day Cold Showers Challenge].

 

Alternatively, you could give your face a little slap (but don’t damage yourself) or even beat your chest like a raging King Kong — anything to get your body moving and the blood flowing.

 

And that’s it. It’s pretty simple really. Knowing how to wake up early to workout is the easy part. The hardest part is will power. If you’re not dedicated then you don’t have a chance. So that thing you’re waking up for — you really got to want it. Do you?

 

Click the button below to try out the 30 Day 5.30am Wake Up Challenge and I’ll email you weekly updates, tips and the best tech suggestions to help you get up early and feel awesome. No sales b*llshit, just free advice from my experience.

The post 30 Day 5.30am Challenge: How To Wake Up Early To Workout appeared first on 30Figured.