The Founder of Meghan Markle's Favorite Workout Studio Shares Her A.M. 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 diving 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 Monday morning 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.

In Los Angeles (home of @thethirty headquarters), it is not that difficult to find a fitness studio for a workout. Actually, let me rephrase: It is nearly impossible to walk down any—somewhat major—street in the area without running into some sort of gym or boutique studio filled with people (at all hours) getting their sweat on. To say the market is oversaturated is an understatement. Thankfully my ClassPass membership has allowed me to dip my toes into many different pools of classes, but I can't imagine navigating the fitness world without it. 

For those who don't rely on ClassPass for exploration, however, there is a method I'm sure many of you (myself included) rely on to discover where to work out next. When I hear my friend, roommate, co-worker, heck even a random person on the street, to be honest, rave about a place, I just have to try it. It is reviews alone that have compelled me to try studios I probably wouldn't have bothered visting before (like ballet, rowing, and even "surfing"). 

When I found out that Meghan Markle not only attends a Pilates studio that is literally around the corner from my apartment but has fully endorsed it as "the best workout you can do for your body," I had to know more. Obviously, I don't know Meghan Markle personally (in my dreams) ,but if a bona fide dutchess tells me to do something, I'm probably going to at least give it a try—which I did. 

Even the person behind the studio, founder Heather Dorak, gets praise from Meghan. "Heather is amazing," shares Meghan in her testimonial, "as an instructor, as a friend, she is inspiring in every way; lastly, the people in class are cool, unpretentious, and motivating…and that is a testament to Heather’s energy."

Curious how Heather gets this Markle-approved energy from? She gives testament to her morning routine, which helps set the tone for the rest of her day. Keep scrolling for Heather's full morning routine.

5:30 a.m.

I wake up around 5:30 a.m. every day—that's when my oldest, Noah, is usually ready to go. Before getting up, the very first thing I do is check the boys' monitors and look at my text messages. With me being in Texas, which is two hours ahead of L.A., I want to make sure all is good with the L.A. studios and instructors.

6:30 a.m.

After that, I pour a bottle for Noah and make myself an almond milk latte. I create my daily to-do list while he watches his cartoons. I also take time to say what I am grateful for that day. One of my favorite daily mantras is: "There are blessings everywhere; I will find them. Or I'll release the things out of my control."

8:00 a.m.

For breakfast, my go-to is two poached eggs with sliced tomatoes on gluten free bread. I love adding @philosophielove green dream too.

9:00 a.m.

I pretty much live in activewear, I would say my go-to outfit is Carbon38 Ultrakor leggings, a Madewell T-shirt, and Golden Goose sneakers. My workouts consist of Pilates Platinum classes four times a week, and I'll run or power walk on the other days.

11:00 a.m.

I'll have my latte in the morning, but sometimes I'll have an @eboost clean energy drink for a pick me up later.

Before I had kids, my "me" time would always be in the morning, for a workout or whatever. Now my "me" time is usually in the afternoon. It was an adjustment, but I cherish my mornings with my two boys and wouldn't change a thing.

Next up: Morning Rituals You Can Do Even When You're Away From Home