Tonight I will take my 40th class through ClassPass, and I am just as excited as I was for the first! With the help of ClassPass, I challenged myself to a week of morning workouts. Read about my experiences on the ClassPass blog, also seen below:

It Can Be Done! How I Became a Morning Class Taker

“If there is anything that I dread the most, it’s my alarm! I’m so not a morning person – I typically get up at 8:30 a.m., and I’m out the door just 20 minutes later. I shower at night and eat my breakfast on the go just so I don’t have to sacrifice any sleep.  

But I always envied those fitness enthusiasts who were finished with their daily workout before they made it to the office. I thought, how awesome would it be to have the rest of the day to yourself?! So, with the help of ClassPass, I challenged myself to a week of morning workouts.

Here is what happened: 

Sunday (1 day until the early morning wake up call)

9:45 a.m.: Even with daylight savings, I still had trouble getting out of bed this morning! This is not going to bode well for my extra early mornings this week. I’m currently searching ClassPass for potential Monday classes. I think I’ll go with Pure Barre because I’m a regular and the studio is walking distance from my apartment.

10:30 p.m.: Turns out I got engaged today! I am so excited, but did my week of early-morning fitness really have to start after a night of champagne binging?? Uh oh…

Monday at Pure Barre

6:35 a.m.: My alarm just went off and my stomach is rumbling, but I didn’t even leave myself enough time to eat breakfast before heading to class. Need to make sure I take water…hello dehydration.

7:00 a.m.: Made it to Pure Barre with 0 minutes to spare. I still feel half-asleep, but let’s get this started.

8 a.m.: Wow! I can’t believe its 8 and I’ve finished my workout for the day! I was sleepy in the middle of it but now I have so much time this afternoon for my manicure and Trader Joe’s trip. I must admit, holding a plank while dozing off wasn’t easy. Gotta jump in the shower before work.

9:45 a.m.: I was feeling so alive…until now. Coffee. Please.

5:30 p.m.: The world is my oyster! I’m finally able to do things after work and not feel rushed to head to a class. Having all of this time to relax really makes me appreciate my morning workout.

9:50 p.m.: Set my alarm for 6:50 a.m. Checking out another barre class, but one I’ve never had a chance to go to and always wanted to try. It’s a mix of Pilates, barre, and cardio—all while using an interesting U-shaped prop. Nighty-night. 

Tuesday at Best U Studio

6:50 a.m.: I swear waking up early was easier yesterday. Thank goodness I prepped my clothes next to the bed so I don’t have to think this early.

7:25 a.m.: I just wrote on the form that my birthday is in 2014 and spelled “children” wrong … wow. I’m tired.

8: 20 a.m.: Amazing class! I love it. So glad I got to try it. 

8:35 a.m.: Rushing home to get ready for work! Feeling energized from that class. Maybe I should become a permanent morning exerciser?

3:30 p.m.: The couch at work is looking comfortable. I’m pretty certain if I sat on it I would fall asleep immediately.

Wednesday at Made in LA

6:45 a.m.: Remind me again why I agreed to this? Just think…all I have to do is pay the $20 cancel fee and I can stay cozy in bed for at least another hour. That’s totally worth it, right?

6:58 a.m.: Wait, but how many iced coffees can I get for $20?! I would much rather spend my money on coffee than waste it on not getting out of bed! Just put your feet on the ground…ready, set,GO!

7:16 a.m.: Thanks to the snooze button, I’m late and class has started. The nice front desk girl is handing me my shoes and helping with my bike. Thank you for being kind to me, Made in LA!

8:05 a.m.: Ouch! Feeling good, strong and sweaty, time to rush home to shower.

9:15 p.m.: Should I feel lame that I can’t even stay up to watch anything on Netflix? Looks like it’s time for some shut eye.

Thursday at FlyBarre

6:41 a.m.: Is it just me, or was it way easier to wake up and get out of bed today? I think I’m getting used to this, finally.

6:55 a.m.: It’s official…four days into it and I am hooked on morning workouts. No traffic, who can complain?!

8:05 a.m.: Finished a sweaty FlyBarre session and headed to the amazing showers. These bath products make it incredibly worth it. I now smell of Bliss Lemon and Sage…almost like I’ve been to a spa!

Friday at Harmony Studio

6:32 a.m.: Yes!!! I made it to Friday! I think this week is catching up with me though. I can’t wait to sleep in a bit tomorrow.

6:54 a.m.: Just got to the Pilates studio, the door is locked and the lights are off. There is a phone number so I called and the woman said the instructor should be there any minute. I have to say, I’m impressed with myself that I made it before anyone else.

7:40 a.m.: The instructor said she’s always impressed by people who come to the 7 a.m. class – how’s that for positive reinforcement?!

8:05 a.m.: I cannot believe I just accomplished an entire week of this. It’s good to know it’s possible, and kind of pleasant actually. I can definitely see this becoming a lasting routine!

Want to give working out in the morning a chance? Here’s what I learned in my week challenge: 

• Lay your clothes out the night before and have the address set up in your maps app so you don’t have to think when you wake up. You just have to move!
• Look into whether or not the studio has a shower beforehand, so you can potentially head straight to work. You can see if the studio has a shower by looking at their studio page on ClassPass.
• Plan your week ahead of time. It felt good not having to worry about last-minute booking and it gave me a good balance of workouts.
• If you’re worried about getting up, enlist a friend to join you! You’ll feel better knowing that someone is counting on you. 

Become a morning class taker by signing up for ClassPass. Not a member? Request an invite now.

Rachael Kester is a fitness class fanatic in Los Angeles. When she’s not looking silly during the ballet inspired parts of barre class, she’s blogging about them. Follow her sweaty adventures on sweatandrepeat.com and on Instagram.”