Entrepreneur & Fitness Personality Michael Chernow Shares His Intense 90-Minute Morning Routine

Have you ever walked away from a conversation with someone feeling completely inspired to overhaul your life? Well, that's exactly what happened after I chatted with entrepreneur and fitness personality Michael Chernow—and I have no doubt he has a similar impact on anyone in his orbit.

During our virtual meeting, we discussed some of his favorite ways to be healthy while traveling, and I related to all of them (walk everywhere you can, BYO healthy breakfast, stay hydrated, journal daily, and enjoy yourself). But what really turned my world upside down was hearing about his meticulous morning routine. I'm not exaggerating, his 90-minute a.m. kickoff is perhaps the most intense wellness regimen I've ever heard.

Chernow fully believes in the power of habit (look no further than his brand Kreatures of Habit for proof). And while I didn't leave our convo ready to replicate his ritual, I was thoroughly inspired by the method of his morning: "Spending that first part of the day focusing on insanely selfish things ultimately converts into selfless things," he shared. "I believe you are a far better human being to the people around you. So I don't look at those things as chores. I see them as critical to success in life."

"After that, I preheat my infrared sauna to 180 degrees, because that's as high as it goes. While I sit in the sauna, the first thing I do is read for about 15 to 20 minutes, until it gets too sweaty. Then I put the book down and meditate for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how I feel.

"Right after the sauna, it's time for my cold plunge, which is set at 38 degrees. I open it up and I get right in—I don't like to ease myself in, I just get right in all the way up to my chin. I take 30 long, slow breaths, and that typically takes around four minutes.

"At this point, it's about six o'clock in the morning. I put on my robe and I go into my house, and my kids are usually up at that point. Next, I take a quick hot shower because I am freezing. I'll usually try to do a little writing in my journal. Then I hang out with my kids before it's time to get them to school.

So, if you're like me, your jaw is all the way to the floor at this point. I quite frankly told Chernow that was the most intense routine I'd ever heard in my life.

"I guess when I say it out loud, it does sound pretty intense," he thoughtfully replied. "But I just feel like, there's so much in my life that I cannot control—pretty much everything after six o'clock in the morning. Between six o'clock in the morning and nine o'clock at night I've just got to roll with the punches. And so when I have the ability to control the first hour of my day, it puts me in a far better position to manage anything that gets thrown at me."

By focusing on himself first, Chernow believes he's better able to be there for others in his life—whether that's his family, friends, or employees of his many businesses.

Ultimately, Chernow believes showing up for yourself helps you show up that much better for life—and he's certainly an embodiment of that messaging.

Personally, I left our conversation fully inspired to get more intentional about my mornings. I've since started to carve out some time for myself rather than hopping from bed to laptop, and I've already noticed a profound impact on my mental well-being as a result.