Inspiration may motivate you to begin working out, eating well or being mindful but it’s the formation of routines and habits that keep you going. If you start off your day on the right foot, like these wellness experts do, you’re far more likely to reach your full potential by the time night falls. We spoke to seven successful wellness pros and entrepreneurs to find out what they do as soon as they roll out of bed before they start work. Hydration, movement and mindfulness play a huge role in many of the morning routines below, but we’ll let you check them out for yourselves and adopt one that works for you.
Andrew Lauterstein
Triple-Olympic Medalist, CrossFit Games Athlete and Founder of Engine Swim Australia
“My day starts out at 5 am, and I head to the gym for a CrossFit workout. Before going to the gym, I try to drink 1L of water and have a cup of Black coffee. I finish in the gym around 7 am and head home for a shower and breakfast before shooting off to work. I like to set aside 15mins (7.30 – 7.45 am) to watch some Morning TV. I’m a massive fan of one of the hosts, and I find that I always leave my house smiling at a witty comment he has made.
I then head to my Swim Centre to set everything up for the day ahead – this usually takes around 45mins.Once the pool is ready, I head off to Engine for the day at work. On the drive into work, I listen to a podcast of some sort.”
Molly Maloof
Medical Doctor, Strategist, Researcher and Health Technologist
“I rest, go to the bathroom, hydrate and meditate. After this comes breakfast or exercise (depending on how hungry I am). Exercise these days is either 1 hour of Ashtanga yoga, 15 – 30 minutes of kettle bells or body weight exercises (I use this app, which is a 300 KB challenge) or 10 minutes of HIIT. I’ve been really getting into the idea of working different forms of exercise into my life depending on how it will enable new functional capacities. Being able to lift heavy things and run away from danger are great skills to have. I like exercise that I can do anywhere without a gym as well.”
Taylor Rank
Strength and Conditioning Coach
“Most of the time, my mornings start at 5:05 am. I wake up, roll over and immediately drink 500ml-1L of water. I get dressed, and head to coach my first class or client which is usually at 6 am. I then eat my breakfast and have a coffee before either stretching or hitting an “Endurance Based” workout. That will take me into the late morning where I will recover and supplement to perform another session of fitness.”
Kat Hurley
Life Coach, Meditation and Mindfulness Educator, Yoga Instructor, Athlete, Personal Trainer, Inspirational Speaker and Published Author
“I do a movement meditation each morning, which usually happens on a slow bike ride at 6 AM. I listen to Kundalini mantras and ride the back way to the gym. At the gym, I love a dynamic stretch warm-up before I work out. On the ride home, I tune into a personal development podcast or audiobook to get me motivated for my day.”
Elisa Haggarty
Holistic Nutrition Consultant, Natural-Foods Chef and Founder of Culinary Farmacy
“I wake up, brush my teeth and splash cold water on my face. I’ll drink some fresh lemon water while making sure my two kittens get their breakfast. I’m usually quite hungry upon waking so I’ll make food right away and then I usually take 5-10 minutes to sweep the entire apartment. It may seem random, but sweeping allows me to get centred and helps me feel tidy as the day begins. Some of my best creative ideas have come during cleaning.”
John Stanton
Co-Founder Chōsen Experiences, Investor and Entrepreneur
“I wake up to a music alarm that’s not connected to my phone, and I’m careful not to open emails, messages or social media. I have a glass of water with lemon, to kick start my gut health for the day and then shower and shave with carefully selected soaps and smells to invigorate me like handmade soap with peppermint oil.”
Robin Connelly
Co-Founder ChōsenExperiences, Competitive Kick Boxer and Serial Entrepreneur
“It’s my aim to organise my schedule so that I can wake up without an alarm as often as possible; this is a priority gift to myself. I like to wake up slowly as a rushed morning frustrates me and starting off with a cortisol spike first thing is something that’s critical to avoid. I usually go straight to the restroom, then into the kitchen for a large glass of lemon water. Next, I resist the urge to check my phone, email, news or social media… sometimes successfully, sometimes not. I try to sit down with my notebook and mentally review what I have to do for the day or reflect on how I am feeling; this helps with skipping electronics for awhile. Breakfast occurs during this part. It all begins after breakfast with emails and a team meeting.”
