Five "Alarming" Ways to Wake-up, Get Moving and Jump-start Your Day

If you have trouble rolling out of bed and getting into gear in the morning, there are ways to turn yourself into a cheerful early riser. Following are some ideas to get you started:

1. Set a bedtime and stick with it

Studies have shown that the hours before midnight are worth twice as much sleepwise as the hours after twelve. If you are into time management, or believe that your time is money, this is important news indeed.

It's hard to drag yourself out of bed when you're not well-rested, so if you have been burning the candle on both ends, try going to bed a little earlier each night. Whether your optimal bedtime is 9, 10 or 11 p.m., any one of the above is better than 1 or 2 a.m.

2. Take a shower right away

Showers are a great way to wake-up and get moving. If you want to really kick-start your metabolism, try the hot-cold routine. (Warning: this is a great tool to build self-control and willpower but is not for the faint at heart)

3. Try some alarm clock tricks

Avoid remote control alarm clocks-if there is such a thing. You need a truly annoying alarm clock placed strategically all the way across the room, so you have to get up to turn the thing off. Use lights, sirens, whatever it takes.

If you live in a place where the noise will get you in trouble, or you can't stomach the idea of an alarm clock at all, better to return to step 1 and go to bed earlier. If you go to bed early enough, you will wake up in the morning. The bladder is another effective "natural" alarm clock. You don't want to be getting up all night long, but if you drink just the right amount of water just going to bed, you will have to get up in the morning. And once you are up, stay up.

4. Start with a healthy morning meal

It's a well-known fact in fitness and exercise circles that starting the day with a healthy breakfast, particularly one that includes some protein, can have a positive effect on energy levels for the rest of the day. Krispy Kreme doughnuts won't do. What we need here are some bran flakes with milk, fresh fruit and your choices of a protein such as yogurt or an egg.

5. Get moving - even if it's only for five minutes

There is something energizing about swinging into motion. Perhaps you have noticed some energetic people who walk quickly wherever they go. They have made a habit of speed, not because they are totally stressed out, but because they like to keep their blood moving. You can do the same. The ideal situation is to have a morning exercise routine, but if this won't work for you, do something-anything-for at least five minutes. The resulting energy boost will get you moving, and stay with you, for the rest of the day.