24 Songs That Will Motivate You to Work Out First Thing—No Matter How Early It Is

Allow me to say something that is perhaps a controversial take: Despite all the chatter—especially from so-called wellness gurus—about mornings being magical or extra productive or intrinsically superior in some intangible way, mornings aren’t inherently better than any other time of day. When it comes to things like fitness, I’m a big believer that you should work out whenever it makes sense to do so, whether that’s on your lunch break, after the kids are in bed, or at some other time entirely.

Having said all that, if you do like mornings, you’re in good company. I personally find mornings to be the perfect time to squeeze in a workout. I do this because it does make me feel accomplished—like I started the day positively by doing something that I enjoy. And when work/family/life goes sideways and the stress inevitably starts to pile up, I feel a little better knowing I had one hour to myself.

When I’m struggling to drag my sluggish body from my cozy bed, music helps a lot. This week’s playlist includes a number of songs that will help you slowly rub the sleep from your eyes and warm up your muscles for the first seven to eight tracks. After that, the music takes a turn: You’ll find more dance-friendly beats, plus up-tempo tunes to power whatever type of workout you’ve got on tap. The playlist finishes off with some straight-up feel-good songs to help you transition to the rest of your day. It’s never easy getting up so early, but in my humble opinion, it’s always worth it. Rise and shine!

Full playlist: