Introduction:
A healthy routine to start the day is something we all want, but many of us lack the discipline to do so on a consistent basis.
A classic case of easier said than done.
Well, this checklist, based off the grueling morning routine performed by Tony Robbins, is designed to help you build a habit of starting each and every day with a nutritious breakfast, a short meditation, and a quick workout to get your body and mind in an optimal state to take on the day ahead!
Waking up:
Get out of bed by 9am
First things first, get out of bed at a decent time – ideally between 7 and 9am.
According to Tony, he usually gets up around 8, having had just 3-5 hours sleep.
Drink something nutritious
After getting out of bed, drink something nutritious. There are a ton of options for nutritious morning drinks.
Even a couple of glasses of water is a good start as it flushes out toxins and increases your metabolism. Adding a slice of lemon to your glass of water is a great idea as it provides a valuable dose of immune-boosting vitamin C.
Here are some other options:
- Green tea (contains plenty of antioxidants)
- Vegetable juice (particularly leafy greens like kale and spinach)
- Goji berry juice
- Tomato juice
For more options, check out this article.
Tony's morning drink of choice is an "adrenal support co*cktail" composed of a shake made of greens powder, vitamin C, and antioxidants along with capsules of methylated B vitamins mixed with additional nutrients.
He's not messing around...
Meditation/Priming:
Spend a minute regulating your breath
Before you begin Tony's trademark priming exercise, take a minute or two to simply sit, relax, and regulate your breath.
Do this by taking slow, consistent inhales and exhales for one minute.
Do the priming exercise
Ok, this is arguably the most important component of Tony's morning routine.
The exercise lasts a total of 10 minutes, broken up into 4 sections. The 4 sections are as follows (description of each one below):
You can watch the video below to see Tony guide an audience through the exercise.
Also, use the form fields below to note down which moments came to mind during the "Express gratitude" and "Visualize success" parts of the practice.
- Breathing exercise (1 minute)
- Express gratitude (3 minutes)
- Experience connection (3 minutes)
- Visualize success (3 minutes)
Breathing exercise
Begin by sitting straight with your eyes closed. Inhale deeply through your nose while simultaneously lifting your arms in a shoulder press motion, and then exhale forcefully through your nose while bringing your arms back to your body, with your elbows pressed against the side of your ribcage.
Perform this exercise for 30 complete breaths, and then rest with your hands on your thighs, palms facing up. Keep your eyes closed.
Express gratitude
Without moving from the resting position following the breathing exercise, spend a minute each thinking on three things/moments that you are grateful for, reliving them.
The idea here is to really capture these moments in your mind. Do your best to remember them, and then step into them as if you were there. As if you were stepping into your body in that moment and seeing what you saw through your own eyes. Hearing what you heard, feeling what you felt.
Try to capture the full sensory experience you lived in each of the three moments.
Experience connection
Now spend three minutes imagining a light flowing in through your head and to the rest of your body, feeling as if the light is energizing and healing you. Then visualize the light flowing back up to your head and then flowing out to the rest of the world with loving energy.
Visualize success
The final component of the priming exercise is to imagine what it would feel like to accomplish three goals that are on your mind. Think about how these accomplishments would benefit not only you but those around you, and would enable you to help others.
A walkthrough of Tony's 10-minute priming routine
Workout:
"My whole focus is – how do you get the greatest result with the least amount of time or energy? Intensity trumps duration all day long"
Perform 3 sets of 10-15 pushups
Tony's actual morning workout routine is not the one you are about to follow. Unfortunately seeing as most people don't have access to the advanced workout equipment that Tony has, the exercise has been altered to make it accessible to everyone.
Nevertheless, these exercises are still somewhat similar to what Tony does, and is undoubtedly a valuable component to this morning routine.
You can check out Tony's intense 15-minute morning workout in the video below.
With that said, let's get started with 3 sets of good ol' fashioned pushups.
Perform 3 sets of 10-15 squats
Next, do 3 sets of squats.
Don't think squats are worth it? Here are 7 reasons why you should do squats every day.
This image is from Gesina Kunkel: Happy Vegan Fit
Perform 2 sets of 10-15 lunges
Finally, perform 2 sets of lunges.
Skeptical about the benefits of lunges? Check out these 6 reasons why you should practice lunges daily
Breakfast:
Cook up a simple and nutritious meal
You've had a healthy drink, performed Tony's trademark priming exercise, and done a quick workout. You are already off to a great start.
Now its time to nourish your body with a simple, quick and nutritious breakfast.
There are, of course, an endless number of options when it comes to healthy breakfasts.
Check out this list of 34 simple breakfast meals for busy morningsfor some inspiration.
Tony likes to keep things really simple by having a breakfast of free-range eggs and organic coconut bread. Nothing fancy.
Final steps:
Take a quick cold shower
This doesn't HAVE to be a cold shower.
Having a cold shower in the morning is a nightmare for some people and I can see why.
Nevertheless, there are a number of benefits to cold showers that make it appealing to integrate into your morning routine. Benefits include:
- Improves immunity and circulation
- Speeds up muscle soreness and recovery
- Eases stress
- Relieves depression
The way Tony likes to cap off his morning routine is to spend 5 minutes in the sauna and then jump into an 18 degrees cold plunge.
Feel proud and start the day!
You're all done!
No doubt you feel refreshed, energized, and ready to tackle the day ahead.
Feel proud of yourself for completing the routine and get ready to do it all again tomorrow!
Sources:
Related checklists:
- Daily Routine Checklist
- Lisa A. Romano: Overcoming Negative Self-Talk
- Brian Tracy: Public Speech Preparation
- Client Intake Session Checklist
- SMART Goal Setting Checklist
