I’m not a morning person.
The trainer who’s been helping me at the gym (a 61-year-old, gay, “daddy” type) suggested that I do my cardio in the morning. So I got up extra-early this morning to go to the gym.
“Extra-early” for me was 7:15.
I know, that’s not at all early. But usually I can’t pull myself out of bed until 8:15 or 8:20. My official starting work time is 9:00 am, but I rarely get to the office before 9:25. I just cannot get myself up.
I used to be more of a morning person. In high school I got up at 6:30 every day. Then again, in high school I typically went to bed around 10:30. These days I stay up and watch The Daily Show, and sometimes part of The Colbert Report, so I’m in bed sometime between 11:30 and 12. But it takes me a long time to fall asleep. Even when I fall asleep easily, in the morning I can’t get out of bed. Is it possible I need more than eight hours of sleep a night?
Anyway, I got up “early” this morning, went to the gym and did 20 minutes of elliptical followed by some suggested stomach exercises. The trainer suggests that I do cardio and weights on alternate days.
Perhaps I can get myself out of bed two mornings a week to do cardio. But the weights will probably remain an evening activity. I just can’t start out every day with the hassle of going to the gym.
I don’t think that there is anything you can do about this, Jeff: one is either a morning or an evening person in my experience. I have always been an early bird but have met quite a few people who were in an absolutely foul mood whenever they were forced to get up early – to the extent that they even had a go at those who dared to wish them a ‘Good Morning’ ..
There’s no reason to do cardio in the morning vs. evening besides what kind of person you are. I generally work out in the early evening (sometimes early afternoon on weekends). One time I did cardio at 7am and felt jet lagged for three days, and that was that.
For what it’s worth, I think the Body for Life regimen extolls the virtues of cardio in the a.m. and weights later in the day when your blood is flowing more.