5 Tips to Get Out the Door and Get to the Gym Faster

Even if you love your gym, getting out the door so you can workout can be a chore. In the morning, you’ve got to get ready for everything else too. If you’re a night-time gym junkie, motivation after a long day is tough. There are also the practical difficulties like making sure you don’t forget anything.

Makeover your leaving-time and earn yourself more gym-time. Here’s how to get to the gym fast:

Tip #1: Make a Date

Accountability is an excellent motivator. Telling a friend “I’ll meet you at 7 am at Gold’s” is more likely to get you there at a decent hour than telling yourself “I’ll go to the gym in the morning.”

That’s especially true if your friend is the type to bug you about being tardy.

If a friend date at the gym isn’t your style, you can enforce a workout “date” by setting up an appointment with a trainer. Or, sign up for a workout class that starts at a specific time. It’s a lot harder to drag your feet out the door when you know you’ll have to slink into the back row if you’re late.

Tip #2: Prep Ahead of Time

Packing your gym bag is never as quick as you think it will be. There’s a lot to remember, like a clean outfit and fresh snacks. Rather than getting stuck waiting on the dryer to have your shorts ready, do it all the night before.

• Prepare and pack gym bag essentials
• Lay out your clean gym outfit
• Put your socks and shoes by the door
• Have your smoothie ingredients ready to blend

Tip #3: Keep Essentials in Your Bag

You can save more time packing your bag with this simple trick: keep essentials in your bag. Instead of rummaging around every day looking for what needs to be packed, store items like these in your bag at all times:

• Non-perishable snacks
• Ear-buds
• Backup outfit
• Wet wipes
• Deodorant and other hygiene items

Tip #4: Put it in Your Phone

There’s always an excuse to be found for “forgetting” to get to the gym on time. End excuses. Set an alarm on your phone, regardless of the time of day you workout. That way, it won’t matter who you are with or what you are doing. You’ll have to make a choice to head to the gym or to procrastinate.

Tip #5: Save a Favorite Activity for Gym Time

One reason you may not get out the door for your workout quickly is that you get distracted. You scroll your social feed, get caught up with that podcast, or spend a little too long on makeup. Save activities like those until you hit the gym—or until you’re done with your workout!

When you save distractions for later and get into smart habits (like pre-packing), you guarantee you’ll be rewarded. Your prize is more time at the gym, less stress getting there, and all the perks of working on YOU.

Ready to makeover your body, too? Take the Butt challenge!