Most days, my mornings are hectic. I hit the snooze button more times than I can count on both hands, I rush around to leave on time and usually end up forgetting something, and I have no energy until I drink at least 16 ounces of coffee. I have always longed to be one of those women who rise an hour early, fit in a kickass workout, and skip around all day because they are filled with tons of energy. I have read countless articles convincing me of the benefits of working out in the morning, but every time I attempt to set my alarm clock an hour earlier, my bed always wins. There is nothing appealing about a treadmill or aerobic video first thing in the morning; in fact, a perfect morning allows extra time to just sit and drink my coffee without moving. On a quest to improve my health and to de-stress my life, I roamed the fitness aisle at Walmart this weekend, and I discovered an intriguing workout video: AM Yoga. At first I was spectacle of any video with the words AM, but I have always enjoyed the relaxing benefits of yoga. For 10 bucks, I figured I could always do the video at night if the morning routine didn't work out. After spending my money, I had to figure out how to convince myself to actually put the video in the DVD player. Since I am not a fan of waking up earlier than necessary, I decided the best way to get in the habit was to take advantage of my current spring break schedule and to do the video on mornings I could wake up at my normal time; I figured if I enjoyed the workout enough, I would want to wake up earlier on a normal day to fit it in. This morning, I did the first workout on the DVD, and I was instantly hooked. In just 20 minutes, I felt relaxed and energized. While at work, I was actually in a good mood and felt invigorated. One small change to my morning routine improved all aspects of my day: I felt more optimistic and at ease with the world, I could relax at work instead of fidgeting in my seat to move around, I had energy to burn even after a long work day, and best of all, I actually had the energy to enjoy a wonderful evening with my boyfriend instead of falling asleep on the couch after dinner. Hopefully, I can continue this new routine by waking up a earlier hour after day.
