Hi guys! My name is Kayla, I blog over at Kayla in the City about all things fitness, wellness, healthy living and NYC.
Since graduating college I’ve worked in the fitness industry in every imaginable way– as a personal trainer, group fitness instructor, front desk and behind the scenes at a fitness start-up. Suffice to say, I seriously love fitness and can talk about it all day to anyone that will listen. Hence starting Kayla in the City since my friends were getting pretty sick of hearing about my gym escapades.
Kayla in the City is all about making a healthy lifestyle accessible. I’m honestly a terrible cook and FAR from athletic, but learned that nourishing and taking care of my body is well worth it. I love inspiring others to make tiny tweaks to lead a healthier life.
I’m so so excited to be a part of the first ever Lovely Happenings event! I don’t want to spoil any of the deets about what’s going to go down in May, so in the meantime I’m here to chat about making morning workouts happen!
I’m a hardcore supporter of pre-work workouts and rarely workout at night these days. I never ever ever thought in a million years I’d become a morning person… but somehow I did. Once I started working out in the morning, there was no turning back!
Pro’s to working out early in the morning:
Nothing can get in the way of your workout! Who schedules a meeting at 6:30AM? No one, that’s who.
You don’t have to sacrifice post-work social outings for the sake of working out.
If you go home and crash on your couch immediately after work, no hard feelings.
It feels really really really awesome to be done with your workout before most people wake up. Trust me on this one.
So how do I make it happen?
– Pack what you need the night before. There’s nothing worse than trying to find a matching pair of socks at 5:30AM when you’re still half asleep and getting ready. Pack what you can the night before including what you’re going to wear the next morning, and whatever you need post workout (i.e. make up, brush, work appropriate clothes). Also double check that you have everything– you don’t want to realize in the locker room that the only bra you have for the work day is a sweaty sports bra.
– Hold yourself accountable. Invite a friend to join you, sign up for a class, book a personal training session, tweet about it, whatever it is that holds you accountable, do it for an early morning workout (at least when you’re first getting started).
– Don’t forget to eat breakfast! You don’t have to have an elaborate meal, but you definitely want a little something something in your belly to give you some energy during the workout!
– Plan your workout accordingly. I truthfully won’t go to just any class in the morning unless I know I A.) Won’t sweat buckets or B.) Will have enough time to take a shower. Don’t have time for a shower afterwards? Stick to low intensity classes with minimal cardio like barre, pilates, yoga and low-key strength training.
(Photo from Peloton)
-6AM Class at Peloton Cycle- There’s something really satisfying about a full out sweaty workout first thing in the morning, plus the locker room here is downright beautiful and the perfect place to get ready in the morning.
(Photo from Flybarre)
-6AM Power 45 Flybarre class- This class is quick and dirty and that’s why I love it! More fast paced than the traditional Flybarre class, the 45 minute version is a truncated version of this popular workout and skips a few sections to save time. It’s great because you won’t leave class drenched in sweat and in desperate need of a shower which makes getting ready for work afterwards much easier.
(Photo from Yoga Vida)
-7AM Vinyasa at Yoga Vida- Early morning yoga is arguably the best kind of yoga. This vinyasa class is the perfect blend of challenging but not too sweaty to get your day started on an energized note. Just be careful not to fall asleep during shivasana. It’s also located super close to Union Square making it easy to commute anywhere after class.
Can’t wait to meet you all on May 2nd! Be sure to stop by for a quick workout with me and say hi : )
xoxo Kayla
