This Fitness Influencer Breaks Down Her Productive Morning Routine

What's the first thing you do when you get out of bed in the morning? A well-rounded morning routine sets the tone for the day and gets you prepped—both mentally and physically—before you dive into a packed schedule filled with emails, chores, happy hours, workouts, and more. Our series Morning Person profiles those who have mastered the art of the morning routine.

Tune in every week here and on our Instagram to learn exactly how the pros get it all done before the sun comes up, from their go-to breakfasts to their a.m. workouts.

If there’s one piece of advice that NYC-based fitness expert and influencer Charlee Atkins wants you to know, it's that being consistent and mindful with mobility is the key to any great fitness routine. Atkins, who started training at SoulCycle over a decade ago, has since created Le Sweat, a popular fitness app and digital community, where she brings her expertise to a wide range of workout classes.

We caught up with Atkins on a typical workday as a fitness-app founder and content creator. Keep scrolling to see how she sets up her mornings for a productive day ahead.

7 A.M.

My morning wake-up call is honestly a toss-up between who wakes me up first, either my husband’s alarm clock or our 55-pound Hungarian vizsla, Gene.

Once I'm up, I'll immediately roll out of bed and throw on my Apple watch and an athleisure outfit to take Gene for his morning walk. As far as beauty goes, all I'll do is brush my hair and spray my face with Caudalie Beauty Elixir Face Mist, and I’m out the door.

7:30 A.M.

NYC morning dog walks are my favorite mainly because the streets are empty and the city is quiet. We also do at least a 30-minute walk, which is about 2000 to 3000 steps towards my daily 10K goal.

8 A.M.

Once we get back, I'll wipe Gene's feet and feed him. While he's eating, I'll brew two Nespresso Arpeggio Intenso pods and pop a slice of bread in the toaster. My daily breakfast consists of iced black coffee and peanut butter toast. I've been eating peanut butter toast for breakfast since I was a kid. It truly is a ritual.

8:15 A.M.

Next, I'll take my morning Ritual multivitamins and hop on my laptop to see what I missed overnight and start making my daily to-do list. I work for myself and from home, and the first 90 minutes of every morning are always the most productive for me.

9:30 A.M.

After the period of work, I’ll do my daily 10-minute mobility routine. If there is one piece of fitness advice I would share with anyone, it would be to add mobility into your daily routine. At 36 years young and having taught fitness for over a decade, I can confidently say I have never had an injury, and I attribute this to daily mobility.

9:40 A.M.

My beauty routine, like my fitness routine, is consistent and simple. I'll wash my hair twice a week. I swear by Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream and Supergoop! Play Everyday Sunscreen Lotion. I rarely wear makeup because I will most likely sweat it off later in the day.

10:30 A.M.

Since I work at home, I find it refreshing for my mental health to leave the house to reset the vibe. We are a buy-as-you-go type of family for groceries, so I use this opportunity to run to the local grocery store to grab some fresh avocados and any other ingredients I might need for the day. Fresh fruit makes for a good snack, and it’s almost time for coffee number two, so I grab those, too. I use my Citi Custom Cash Card for these impromptu trips because I automatically earn 5% cash back on my top eligible spend category, including grocery store purchases, and 1% cash back on everything else.

11 A.M.

With the morning officially over, it’s time to dive into meetings with my team, content creation, and more dog walks with Gene. Thanks for following along!

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