A 30-Minute Morning Workout Routine You Can Squeeze in Before Work

Not everyone has time to hit the gym after work, but motivating yourself to get out of bed and squeeze in a morning workout before a long day can be —let’s face it—overwhelming. But if you’re motivated to get moving when the sun comes up, a morning workout routine has incredible benefits. It can truly set the stage for the day.

Depending on your schedule and preferences, your morning workout plan might involve a date with the gym. Or, you may tackle a quick, at-home workout to jumpstart your morning so you can arrive at work ready to take on the day.

Your morning workouts can be tailored to your day-to-day routine. For example, if you're glued to a chair all day, your morning workout might focus on your legs before having to sit down for hours on end. Finding yourself standing a majority of the day? Give your core some attention in the morning! Or if you have a job that requires some heavy lifting, a morning workout routine could involve more cardio and less strength training.

Feeling inspired? Let’s unpack the benefits of a morning workout routine, review a few tried-and-true morning motivation techniques, and finally, look at a 30-minute morning workout routine to energize yourself before starting your day!

Don’t start your fitness journey alone. Find a club near you for support and expert guidance when needed. 

What are the Benefits of a Morning Workout Routine?

Not quite motivated to reset your alarm clock and sacrifice precious sleep? That’s totally fair. But you’ll be ready to wake up early once we unpack some of the fantastic benefits of morning workouts. 

Here are some of our favorite morning exercise benefits:

• Increased Energy Levels. Working out in the morning can help you feel more alert and energized throughout the day by releasing endorphins, which have mood-boosting and pain-relieving effects. Morning workouts provide a natural energy boost to carry you through the day, reducing the need for excessive caffeine consumption.
• Boosted Metabolism. A positive side effect of working out is post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC. Sounds fancy, right? But it’s really simple: it means morning exercise can also kickstart your metabolism, helping you burn more calories throughout the day. So you use energy efficiently and keep your body active all day long. 
• Better Sleep. Regular morning exercise can help regulate your circadian rhythm and reduce stress and anxiety, leading to improved sleep quality. Some people find strenuous workouts too close to bedtime interfere with sleep, so find the right timing for your body.
• Improved Focus and Productivity. Exercise enhances mental clarity and alertness by increasing blood flow to the brain, which improves focus and concentration throughout the day. Starting your day with a workout can enhance productivity, so you can kill it at work later on.
• Empty Gym. If you can leave your house for an early morning workout, you might be in luck since morning gym sessions can be less crowded, allowing for a more peaceful and efficient workout. When in doubt, check the Crowd Meter for your local club in the PF App to get a better idea of what you’ll be walking into!
• Vitamin D Exposure. Getting outdoors in the morning can be an added bonus to your morning workout since you'll get exposure to natural sunlight. This helps your body produce vitamin D, essential for bone health and immune function.
• Efficiency. Morning workouts mean you can check off "exercise" from your to-do list first thing, leaving the rest of the day open to all of the accomplishments and possibilities you can imagine. 

And if physical benefits weren't enough, morning workouts also have a number of mental benefits, such as:

• Enhanced Mood. Remember those endorphins we talked about earlier? They also reduce stress and anxiety,, improve your mood, and increase your overall mental well-being. And working out in the morning means you'll enjoy the benefits of those mood boosters ALL. DAY. LONG. 
• Consistency. Morning workouts help you establish a consistent routine, creating a foundation for building other healthy habits. If you can exercise at the same time each day, what else can you do that's good for you? 
• Increased Self-Confidence. Completing a workout in the morning is a pretty amazing achievement. Give yourself a pat on the back and enjoy a sense of accomplishment to boost your self-confidence.

If it feels impossible to get out of bed to work out in the morning, don't feel like you have to force it. Evening workouts have their benefits, too. The most important thing is to find a time of day that works for you, and that is sustainable. Then, stick with it. Remember: consistency is key!

How to Become a Morning Workout Person

Listen, we know not everyone is a morning person, and that's okay. But if you’re interested in trying something new, you don’t have to give up on the idea of morning workouts altogether. You just may need to shift your habits a bit. 

So, if you're struggling to get started with morning workouts, here are a few tips:

• Sleep. Go to bed early and get enough Zzzz’s.
• Stick to It. Set an alarm, and don’t snooze it—even on weekends.
• Start Simple. Start with a short and easy workout and gradually increase the duration and intensity of your workouts over time.
• Stay Hydrated. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after your workout.
• Fuel Up. Eat a light breakfast before your workout, such as a banana or a piece of whole-wheat toast with peanut butter.
• Bring a Buddy. Find a workout partner or join a fitness class to help you stay motivated. Bonus: if you’re a PF Black Card® member, you get a free guest every visit.

Working out in the morning can be a great way to improve your overall health and well-being, but it's worth noting that the "best" time to work out varies from person to person, and it's best to find a time that fits your schedule and allows you to stay consistent.

The Ultimate Morning Workout Routine (that you can do in 30 minutes!)

Now that you’re armed with the motivation and benefits you’ll gain from a stellar morning workout, we’re ready to deliver our favorite combination of moves to get you up and moving before work. 

The routine below features moves outlined in detail in the PF App, with step-by-step tutorials and short videos available to double-check your form. 

WARM-UP

Don't jump into your routine without giving your body the heads-up that it's go time! Take five minutes to do some dynamic movements.

Start with some shoulder rolls and windmill your arms or try arm circles, then move on to leg swings and ankle circles. Next, walk in place. Increase your heart rate a little more with some jumping jacks and butt kickers. Finally, finish your warmup with some reaching side bends.

THE WORKOUT

For the next 20 minutes, perform the following routine as many times as you can, taking a break whenever you need one.

Begin with pushups, a body-weight and strength-training staple. Pushups are a great way to target your chest, arms, and abs, so drop and knock out 10 to 15 pushups!

Hop up and do a few star jumps for 30 seconds.

Spread your feet shoulder-width apart, perform 10 bodyweight squats, take a break for 30 seconds, and do 10 more. You should feel this in your legs, glutes, and core.

Time for some burpees! This might not be everyone's favorite exercise, but burpees are a great workout for your entire body, so aim to complete 10 reps.

Now for some lunges—perform 10 per leg. Lunges target your hamstrings, quads, glutes, and core. For an added challenge, lunge with a pair of lightweight dumbbells.

Add some bear crawls to your cardio routine to strengthen your core by working your arms and shoulders. In the pushup position, bear crawl forward for 10 seconds and then backward for 10 seconds.

Close out the routine with a plank, the ultimate ab exercise! Try to plank for 30 seconds.

COOL DOWN AND STRETCH

Your morning workout just asked a lot of your muscles! Time to reward yourself for working so hard with a relaxing cool down to conclude the final five minutes of your morning workout routine. 

Start by taking a few deep breaths. Raise your arms over your head as you inhale, and drop them back down to your sides as you exhale. Now, give your muscles some well-deserved stretching.

For the upper body, start with the biceps and triceps. For the biceps, place your inverted hands against a wall with your fingers pointed toward the floor. To stretch the triceps, bend one arm behind your head and then gently press down on your elbow with your other hand. 

Follow this up with some shoulder rolls and a good chest stretch. For the lower body, stretch out those hamstrings! Find a step or a wall to stretch your calves, and then lay on your side to stretch out your quads.

Afterward, congratulate yourself on a job well done! If you struggle to make time for the gym, squeezing in a 30-minute morning workout at home might be your best bet! 

Plus, with the PF App on hand, you can find trainer-created morning workout routines for free to wake you up and prepare you for the day ahead.