30-Day Fitness Challenge - Day Sixteen

This week I'm going to share tips from Sparkpeople.com.  This is a great website!  You can find anything for your health and fitness needs.  These tips are from a series called "Habits of Fit People."  

Tip of the Day: Sleep in Your Workout Clothes

To stick with your morning workouts, get yourself ready the night before.  

This accomplishes three tasks:

• You get to sleep just a few minutes longer, which makes all the difference in how rested you feel—and how much sunlight is available when you run (or workout). 
 

• You stay warmer longer. No more stripping down and changing your clothes while you shiver in the morning! I find that it's a lot easier to leave my warm bed when I know I'm already dressed and ready to head out the door. 
 

• Getting dressed for your workout is half the battle sometimes.  Now you already have your clothes on, so there are no more excuses! 

Beyond these three benefits, getting ready the night before also means that you're preparing—and committing—to your workout in advance, which helps keep your accountable. Instead of thinking "Maybe I'll run tomorrow if I feel like it when I wake up," you've already prepared and decided to do it.

I know that some people would find workout clothes uncomfortable to sleep in, so if you like the idea of this tip but think it's unrealistic for you, do what you can. Whether you only wear your workout socks or just your pants (to avoid wearing a tight sports bra all night long, for example), the more you can put on the night before, the more likely you'll be to head out the door on time, without making excuses. This works whether you're going outside, to the gym or even to your own living room to exercise.

I actually do sleep in my workout clothes, head to toe, the night before I run. Since I'm already getting ready for my workout the night before, I also lay out my running shoes (unlaced and ready to slip on), iPod and headphones, my outer layers of clothes, and my house key. It's sort of like packing your gym bag, but without the bag, so you don't have to scramble in the morning. It really helps me stick with my routine.

Have you ever slept in your exercise clothes to make it easier to work out the next morning? Did it work for you? Are you willing to try it?