Survival Tips For Your 5am Alarm

Photo Credit: Donna | Hues of Delahaye

I know plenty of you who wake up at the crack of dawn to get your workouts in. I even overheard a lady in the changing rooms saying she prefers a morning workout so she at least gets to spend the evening with her partner. I guess getting a morning workout in is also kinda awesome cos you know it’s done and don’t have to worry about losing motivation as the day goes on.

For me, I set a 5am alarms on the days I’m going to be teaching those early morning classes that everyone loves so much. Up until this year, I avoided them like the plague but when I started teaching at Frame I took on a double each and every Thursday morning.

I don’t mind adding extra early starts into my week every now and then, they just can’t be permanent! For months and months, I would come home from teaching those early classes to take a nap (which might actually have been down to being anaemic) then start my day all over again but since I started my masters in October and having lectures scheduled for that evening I’ve had to figure out how to boss my early morning alarm and sometimes stay awake for the whole day…

So I figured I would share with you how I get through a day like that (aaaaand share what’s in my bag when I’m out all day long).

Bag from Hunkemoller | Caro_e_ blogger collection

Preparation Is Everything

The night before my 5am alarm, I make sure the alarm is set on my lumi bodyclock and I also set another one on my phone for a few minutes later just in case.

It’s aptly named “Are you up yet?”. I then choose my outfit for teaching along with my outfit for the rest of the day and lay them out either on my bed, on the dressing table in my bedroom or on top of my bag along with everything else I’m going to need.

Next up, I prep my (first) breakfast for the morning so I don’t even need to engage my brain. Usually it’s something like weetabix, or granola which I pop in a Sistema Soup Mug (thanks Ryvita) with a handle so I can carry it with me on my commute.

I get everything out on the dining table even down to the spoon I’ll eat with plus my vitamins and snacks for the whole day.

Some other bits I pack: portable phone charger, headphones, passion planner, notebook

Getting That Perfect Nights Sleep

I’ve written a whole post on this topic back in January 2017. You can check that out here or these are my tips for what to do before bed:

• Fresh bedclothes sprinkled with lavender oil can work a treat
• Avoid caffeine too close to your bedtime
• Gentle exercise such as Yoga, or a short meditation
• Remove technology (iPhones, TV’s etc) from the bedroom
• Keep a notebook by your bed to write down anything which may keep you up / be on your mind
• Read a chapter of your book

Get Out Of Bed When Your Alarm Goes Off

This is no time to snooze people! Cos with just 20-30 minutes to get ready, every minute is crucial. Having prepped the night before is a huge help but if I still struggle a little, the first thing I try to do is avoid caffeine. Yes, you read that right.

Sometimes coffee / caffeine gets to my brain and makes me have a complete mind blank in the middle of teaching… which is inconvenient when the class is choreographed! If I do need an extra (gentle) kick, I opt for Vega Clean Energy!

Essentials For The Post Workout Shower

I always shower the evening before and then save my shower till post workout. If I’m not coming back home for that glorious shower then I have to pack all the bits I need… but keep it to a minimum (my bag is heavy enough already!).

Most gyms / studios have the basics like shower gel, shampoo and conditioner so the only things I personally need in addition to that is moisturiser and deodorant.

I’ve been using the E45 spray moisturiser over the past couple of months (if it’s good enough for Nicola Adams… lol) as it’s made for dry and sensitive skin so now the weather is getting colder it’s perfect as the cold weather just dries skin out! Oh and it dries quickly which is useful when you make the mistake of trying to get into a pair of leggings post shower!

Then I pack my Alchemy Super Blends Sport Elixir: it’s the perfect post workout mix of protein and other organic nutrients. Along with either some deep heat or deep freeze (I defo preferred deep freeze when it was warmer, but think I’ll swap to deep heat now winter is here), and all my pills and vitamins to pop when I eat some more food.

I started using bee pollen in smoothies / smoothie bowls in the summer then case across these capsules from Apibal. You can also open the capsules if you wanna add them to your smoothie or yoghurt on any given day to get all the benefits because it contains nearly all the nutrients required by humans!

So, all y’all who set that 5am alarm “on a regs”… any tips for us?!

Elle