Making a Morning Workout Easier

Most days, I prefer to get my workout done nice and early so that I can have the rest of the day to do all those other things that could potentially disrupt me getting my exercise in if I waited until later in the day. But getting up early in order to fit in some serious sweating does not always sound so appealing when I'm laying in bed listening to my alarm go off. Here are a few tricks I use to help myself get out of bed and get to work.

1. Prep and plan. I always make sure that I know exactly which exercise I will be doing in the morning, that my clothes are ready to go, that the living room is cleaned up, my lunch is packed and anything else that needs to be done early is ready to go. That way you don't waste any time or have to get up any earlier. 
2. Tell someone. Most often I just tell my boyfriend, and he honestly probably wouldn't care if I just rolled over and went back to sleep. But for me, telling someone makes the commitment much more real and I feel like I have to come through on it. Letting someone know about your plans, or posting it on something like Facebook, can be a good motivational tool.
3. Give yourself time to adjust. I did not become a morning exerciser overnight, the first few times are tough. It may be best to do your simpler routines the first week or so you're exercising earlier so that your body can get acclimated to a new routine. You will get used to it though, I definitely did and now I feel amazing when I can do plyometrics at 5am!
4. Eat something small. When I first began working out in the early morning I did not eat. I slowly began to notice that I could not push myself as hard as I would want to, or I would become out of breath and tired more easily. Having a small 100-calorie snack can really help you push yourself in the morning. I usually eat a small handful of almonds or a banana. 
5. Reward yourself. My reward is usually a breakfast that I really enjoy, or getting coffee out instead of making it at home. Little things that you can do for yourself will really help motivate you to keep going!

Do you workout in the morning? What works best for you?