It’s Monday. Your alarm goes off at 7:00 a.m. You roll over and hit “snooze” and decide that your goal for working out in the morning is definitely not happening.

We’ve all been there – working out in the morning can be tough, and it’s very hard to find motivation for actually doing it. However, I’ve done some research and found a handful of good tips on becoming a morning exerciser, and why you should work out in the morning.

1.Be practical. One thing that goes along with becoming a morning exerciser is understanding that it’s not going to happen instantly – especially if you go to bed every night at 2:00 a.m. and expect to be fully rested by 7:00 a.m. (If you can actually do this, more power to ya!) To help make this more possible, start making your bedtime earlier. I’m not saying go to bed at 8:00 p.m. every night, but in order to wake up ready to work out, sleep is important. However, don’t expect to instantly fall asleep if you start going to bed two hours earlier. Try going by 15-minute intervals. Eventually, your body will get used to this sleep schedule, although it will be difficult at first.

2. Bribe yourself. Promising yourself something in exchange for a morning workout will definitely help keep you motivated. If you love having coffee in the morning, make a deal with yourself that coffee can only happen if you work out first. Or, keep a jar in your room. Put a dollar (figuratively or realistically) in the jar every time you work out or lose a pound. When you get to a certain amount of money, reward yourself with a new pair of jeans or shoes that you have been wanting. This way, when your alarm goes off in the morning, you have something to work toward.

3. Have an accountability partner. Working out with a friend can make it easier, and sometimes more fun. Tell your friends about your new plan and you can hold each other accountable. Or, if you want to work out alone, have your friends be accountable in a different way. Have them encourage you by making sure you go to the gym, or keep to your goal. This will help you remember that you don’t have to do it alone.

4. It gets it out of the way. Working out in the morning will then mean that you don’t have to find time for it later in the day. We, as college students, already have to enough to worry about. Between homework, meetings, studying and sleep, finding time to work out can be tough. However, the thing I enjoy most about working out in the morning is that I then don’t have to do it later.

5. It boosts your metabolism and energy. I find this to be true. On days that I work out in the morning, I am energized for the rest of the day. Getting your muscles warmed up and moving early in the day gets your digestion and metabolism moving as well, which only helps you lose weight. It wakes up your body and your mind, and you can feel good about yourself for the rest of the day.

6. Have a backup plan. This is true for any workout. What if you plan to go running around campus in the morning, and it’s raining? Luckily, the Rec is open mostly all day, every day. But, what if you and your friend planned to go to the Rec together, but they cancel. Then what? Although it is nice to have a friend to workout with, be sure to not completely rely on them. Work out for yourself, and be sure to be your own motivation as well.

7. Plan to fail. Yes, this will happen. No, it is not all rainbows and butterflies. Working out at seven in the morning is difficult. Don’t completely give up if you miss one day. It happens. Sometimes you may not get enough sleep; don’t beat yourself up. Also, becoming a morning exerciser won’t happen over night, so be prepared for it to take some time before you are used to it.

We all know getting up early is hard, and adding a work out on top of that makes it almost impossible. But these tricks have worked for me, and will hopefully get you where you want to be.