Want to always be in shape and look amazing? The key is routine, friends. Studies show that people are at least 80% more likely to stick to new exercises and diets if they make it part of their daily routine––even more so if they start first thing in the morning. We’re sharing our favorite picks for easy ways to crush your morning workout routine so that you can get on with your day. 

       1. Tabata 

Ever heard of it? Tabata is a form of HIIT workout, a high-intensity interval training that consists of eight sets of fast-paced exercises for 20 seconds  that are interspersed with a brief 10 seconds of rest. The beauty of a tabata routine is that even short interval bursts of energy can be as effective full body workout as a longer routine. It is also a very time-efficient way to get your blood pumping and muscles warmed up early in the morning. They are also great at home workouts. 

• Examples of tabata routines
• Jump rope with high knees
• Burpees, 4 sets with 10seconds rest
• Push-up to mountain climber, as many reps as possible for 20seconds
• Jumping jacks to squats, 5-10 sets 

The best part about these kinds of exercises is that they only take 4-10minutes and make great at home workouts. All you need is a 9-minute timer and mat and you’re ready for action! No matter how busy you are, anyone can find time to fit this kind of workout in. According to a recent study, this workout may even burn just as many calories or more as traditional cardio. 

2. Kickboxing

Using a quick kickboxing routine to get your day started off on the right foot. Think you need all sorts of equipment? You actually don't need to head to the gym to get the most out of kickboxing! All you need is a mat to recreate the classic moves––a guaranteed quick cardio workout to keep you fit and give you more strength.  

If you have equipment or access to a kickboxing gym or class, set aside 20-30minutes in your morning to hit it hard and reap the benefits of how a power cardio morning can kick off your day! 

• Examples of kickboxing moves
• Punching
• Jab
• Cross
• Uppercut
• Hook
• Kicking
• Front kick
• Side kick
• Back kick
• Roundhouse kick
• Knee drive

Kickboxing can burn as much as 10 - 15 calories per minute, and investing in a 30minute routine can burn off around 300 calories. Try doing one in your living room for an added challenge. 

3. Cardio Stair Climbers

Live in an apartment building or have a couple staircases at home? Turn them into your own personal stairmaster with a few rounds of cardio stair climbers every morning. While this may not seem like much, it can quickly leave you out of breath and sweaty. It only takes about 20 minutes to get the most out of this routine. It offers a myriad of benefits: 

• Cardio
• Fat burner
• Muscular strength training
• Full Lower body workout 
• Glute sculpting

Stair climbing incorporates the benefits of walking and jogging, but also includes muscular strength training. Great for your hamstrings, quads, and glutes, your lower body does most of the heavy lifting as you work against gravity. Try adding in push-ups or dips to make it a full body workout. 

4. HIIT: High Intensity Interval Training

You’ve definitely heard of this workout, and if you haven’t tried it already there’s no time like the present to start. Gaining in popularity because of it’s use of bodyweight exercises, this is truly a do-it-from-anywhere kind of workout. A quick HIIT session can boost your metabolism throughout the day and help you avoid that afternoon slump. Once again, fast interval switches make this workout ultra efficient. 

• A 20-minute HIIT routine is all it takes to keep you focused and productive throughout the day. Examples of HIT routines: 
• Russian twists
• Superman with lateral raise
• Mountain climbers
• Wall jumps
• Flutter kicks

5. Pilates

Pilates can be an excellent, low-impact alternative to other at-home workouts if jump rope and stairs are not to your taste. Pilates not only work on improving muscular flexibility, but also muscle strength and balance. Think you need a fancy reformer? Think again. Mat pilates can be just as effective strength training and still lets you go through all of the exercises. 

• Here are some examples of pilates moves that will challenge you (in a good way)
• Plank to cross-body mountain climber
• Lunge with shoulder press
• Single leg bridges
• Side hip raises

Taking just 30minutes to run through these exercises everyday can do wonders for your core strength and flexibility. Pilates offers a very comprehensive full body workout and allows you to continue to challenge yourself and build muscular strength. 

6. Bodyweight Exercises

Don’t have free weights or a gym membership? Bodyweight exercises are the ultimate at-home routine. From push-ups to squats, there’s a million different variations, especially for those that may need to work around a particular injury. Modifications come easy, and bodyweight exercises are perfect for any skill level. Beginners can adjust most exercises to suit their skill level and experts can increase the degree of difficulty by widening stances and increasing reps. 

Bodyweight exercises don’t require any equipment, but if you have dumbbells, kettlebells, or plyo boxes to increase the intensity of your workout. Here are a few examples of what to do for a well-rounded bodyweight exercises:

• Squat with pulse
• Lateral leg raises
• Donkey kicks
• Wide stance push ups
• Plank jacks
• Plank walk

7. Full-Body Resistance Band Workout

Have some resistance bands sitting around, but unsure of what to do with them? Start putting them to use with this simple routine to fire up your morning. Resistance band training can be a great full body workout and also an excellent way to build strength and balance. You can even make it a cardio workout  even if many of the moves are low-impact and don’t require running. It’s a great way to cross train if you participate in team sports or HIIT workouts––resistance band training can boost your ability to unleash explosive strength quickly. 

Some examples of resistance band workout moves:

• Chest fly
• Bicep curl
• Side-to-Side squat
• Side hip raises
• Squat to overhead press

To do these moves, simply position your feet and hands in the appropriate way around the resistance bands. To add more strength training, widen your stance over the bands, creating a smaller amount of band to pull, thus increasing the resistance and difficulty of the exercise. You can also get creative by tying the bands to nearby solid stationary objects or door frames. But always test to make sure that the band is secure. 

Support Your Morning Routine with Post-Workout Nutrition

Getting up and getting moving is only half the battle. To fully reap all the benefits of your new active morning routine, you will need to make sure to chase your workout with a healthy breakfast to fuel the rest of your day. If you don’t refuel your body after a workout, you might feel sluggish or tired during the rest of the day. The right nutrition also helps your body recover and using protein shakes and collagen supplements can help decrease muscle soreness. Less recovery time means you can go back to hitting it hard each and every morning. 

So get after it!! If you’ve read up to here that means you’ve already started taking action. Imagine how much better you are going to feel when you have put in just a short 30minutes each morning to power up and then refuel with high quality protein and collagen. You’re going to crush it!