How to work out before work

Let me start off by saying that the reason why I've not blogged in nearly a month is that I've been in survival mode.  With us being short-handed at work, I'm running like a nut & working nearly five ten hour days.  Whew.  Anyway, moving right along, with February being heart month, I wanted to do a post about working out! Back in April I posted this about how to keep consistent with your workouts.  It turned out that evenings did not work for me & neither did the location I was previously going to.  Now that I'm working out at my hospital, I'm able to go before work, shower there & clock in by 7am.  I've tried the morning thing & failed in the past, but this time I've got it down pat.  You'd think it'd be obvious, but it took me a lot of thought to get the routine running smoothly.  For example, the first day I realized I had no eye shadow... travesty, I know!

I recently went to one of those house parties where you feel very obligated to buy something.  This one was Stella & Dot & luckily I was in desperate need of a new, large purse.  It was a definitely splurge for me, but it met all my needs & it's the perfect size for weekdays & weekends since I rarely tote around a diaper bag these days.

 

Since I wear scrubs to work, rolling my outfit & putting it in my purse is easy.  Just make sure you don't ever forget underwear... I'm telling you this from experience! I go to sleep in my workout clothes, sports bra & all, so I get out of bed ten minutes before I have to leave the house.  The coffee pot is set to brew at 5am & I'm out the door by 5:10 & to the gym by 5:30.  If your gym doesn't have TVs on every cardio machine like mine, use Netflix on your smart phone & pick a TV show series to watch.  I've gotten through Orange is the New Black & I'm back into Grey's Anatomy after a five year hiatus. 

The true reason of how my straight to work after the workout routine is working is: 1) There are totally private showers (I do not do the shared-space, look at my boobs while I change in front of you thing..)

 

2) They supply towels... this is HUGE for me.  This means I don't have to cart a towel to the gym & cart a wet towel from the gym, adding to my nightly laundry routine.  They also supply lotion, deodorant & Q-tips.  These are bulky items I don't have to worry about schlepping with me.

3) They supply a good blow dryer; another bulky item I don't have to think about.  So, what items DO I have to concern myself with?

Think all things MINI!  The under eye concealer is great for masking the signs of that early morning wake up call! That & the blush stick are Elf brand & were a dollar each at Target.  I have a mini brush & hairspray & I use BB cream which acts as a moisturizer & concealer in one.  Get yourself everything you need so you don't have to remember to put things in your purse & take them out on gym & non-gym days.  The less thinking you have to do once you've got the routine down, the more likely you'll stick with it.

I picked up a mini perfume for $5 at Bath & Body Works & the Maybelline cream gel shadow works awesome. Fun fact, did you know that Maybelline got it's name after the founder saw his sister Mabel applying a mixture of coal dust & Vaseline to her eye lashes?  Learn something new every day!  I also use Biosilk serum, so I picked up a travel container, filled it & use it before I blow dry my hair.

Last but not least, I picked up this $20 mini straightener with case at Target to get all the disgusting waves out of my bangs.  Bonus to having all the things in my purse at all times is that I no longer have to pack makeup when I go out of town or overnight & I can put my makeup on in my car when I'm in a hurry like I did on my way to church Sunday!

So, this routine has been working great for me, other than me literally cursing my alarm clock three mornings a week & having the urge to weep on my bathroom floor, wishing I could just sleep a little longer because I'm so darn tired.  Give me ten minutes, a little coffee & I'm good to go!  I recently read a quote on Pinterest, "It's easier to wake up early & workout than it is to look in the mirror each day & not like what you see."  I've always been into fitness, wellness & nutrition, hence choosing to become a registered dietitian, but fitness is just awesome because you feel powerful & have more energy after you're done with a workout.  If I can do it, you can too!