mornings

For this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m linking up with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date, so grab a mug of your fave beverage, and let’s chat.

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Catching Up Over April Coffee

Over coffee I would tell you that while we’ve hit a couple of snags, I am celebrating that our kitchen cabinets have been delivered and the painters started their work earlier this week. We’re that much closer to wrapping up the reno!

Over coffee, I’d ask you if you got swept up into March Madness? College basketball has been on non-stop in our house, and I’ve been loving that the women’s games have been as exciting as the men’s!

And speaking of college, over coffee I would you that we are in the final push to College Decision Day! We have a campus to visit on the calendar for each of the first 3 weekends of the month as my high schooler continues to narrow down his choices.

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Over coffee, I would tell you that I as part of my Spring reset, I’m doing the Miracle Morning 30 day challenge. I have been wanting to shift back to an early morning start to my day (including workouts) and this month feels like a great time to do that!

What would you tell me over coffee? Are you an earlier riser?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and The Running Teacher every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Share your fitness-related link, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!

Welcome To Fit Five Friday!

It’s time for a brand-new Friday Five, and we are thrilled to bring you this Fit Five Friday link-up! Join hosts My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday to share your weekly fitness favorites!

5 Key Elements of a Morning Routine

There’s no doubt that how you spend the first hours of your morning sets the tone for your day. With the holidays and some time off behind me, I’ve spent these first few days of January re-focusing on my morning routine.

For me there are 5 key elements to a morning routine:

Hydration — Drinking a glass of water after you wake up helps to rehydrate your body, boosting both your energy and mental clarity. Yep…as much as I love my coffee, it’s water first!

Movement — Of course you knew this one was coming! Whether you only have time for some stretching or a few yoga poses, or take on a walk/run, ride, or full-on “gym session”, any type of exercise does a body good. And, no surprise, those who exercise in the morning benefit from boosting their metabolism and enjoying more energy throughout the day.

What's in your morning routine? Sharing 5 key elements for the first edition of the #FitFiveFriday link-up Click To Tweet

Meditation — For me, meditation is a chance to get centered and connect before the chaos of the day kicks in. There are so many advantages to making meditation apart of your morning – it’s a moment to pause, set intentions, and reflect while lowering your stress level – honestly I’ll probably do a whole separate post on this at some point.

Planning/Intentions — I’m an old-fashioned pen & paper planner girl and my morning is not complete without a little time sitting quietly with my planner and a mug of coffee (finally!) to review schedules, identify the “must do’s” vs. “like to do’s” and set my plan/intentions for the day. Taking time in the morning to plan and set your intentions for the day helps you to avoid diving into the day on autopilot.

Self Care — Carve out a little time for some form of self-care. An additional step to your skincare routine, incorporating a body scrub into your morning shower, dry brushing, or the like can be very restorative. I don’t consistently do the same thing every morning, but I am trying to add a little self-care to my day.

Ultimately the key to a good morning routine is finding what works best for you. If there are elements you want to add or change in how you approach your morning, it helps to start slowly. Conventional wisdom says it takes at least 21 days to form a habit. And, taking baby steps is more likely to be effective than making one giant leap – especially if the routine you’re trying to adopt is a radical departure from where you are now. Finally, if part of your routine feels more like a chore than a source of inspiration, you might want to consider making some changes until you find what feels right for you.

What are the key elements of your morning routine?