Sunrise Energy

Fast breakfast!  Rainbow Light's Chocolate Protein Energizer to go.

This time of year we have to get up extra early to add in time to shovel the car out or simply take the extra time needed to get from here to there.  This can throw a monkey wrench into our morning exercise routine.  Really researchers say getting in your workout early minimizes the risk of skipping it altogether.

Oregon Scientific's Semi Pro Weather Station

Some of us just aren't early risers but there is a way to get around that by re-setting your internal clock.  This may take a few weeks to accomplish but you can simply go to bed an hour earlier to wake up an hour earlier.  Simply do your same bedtime routine an hour before you usually do.  Set your alarm to wake you up gently at your new time.

Actually, I'm able to accomplish two goals at once.  I have a weather station like the one pictured that I can program to turn on at a certain time.  The light wakes me gradually and I'm able to see the current weather conditions and broadcast for the day.  I'm able to get up and quickly dress properly for the temperature and weather.

Getting yourself into a new rhythm for the season takes time but daily exposure to sunlight can help stave off the "winter blues" and vitamin D deficiencies.  Exercise improves your mood and can offer a lot of cross training benefits you don't get from your usual workout.  Try something new like snowshoeing or add "chains" to your regular athletic shoes for more traction on early morning snow and ice such as the Kahtoola MICROspikes shown here below.  Just remember you'll need sunblock due to the reflection of the sun off the snow.  Need some fresh ideas to spice up your same old, same old exercise time?  Check out the newly re-launched X-Treme X-Training blog for great tips on exercising under winter weather conditions.

Get a Grip with Kahtoolah MICROspikes!