EXERCISE MOTIVATION IN WINTER
Colder weather doesn’t inspire much movement and lacks variety of social aspects the exercise in the summer has to offer. How to stay motivated and healthy during winter? Here are some top tips on managing your exercise routine in colder months.
Plan it ahead of time – A mistake is to make working out a “maybe” so plan it at least the day before. If your already committed to the decision, it’s not an option not to do it.
Be Organised – If you wake up and see your running shoes, sports bra, leggings and water bottle all ready to go, you’ll feel like you’re too invested to change your mind.
Get a Buddy – Grab a friend to join you. Having a social aspect to exercising can boost your commitment to the exercise habit and you are also committed to not letting that person down.
Prioritise – Don’t put exercise time in a place where it will easily be pushed aside by something more important. Right after work or first thing in the morning are times to do it.
Lower your expectations – Just because you’re not feeling up to a one-hour routine, don’t skip working out altogether. By doing a little exercise, even if it’s just a 20-minute bike ride, you’re keeping your brain programmed to your fitness schedule. On the other hand, if you don’t exercise at all, it won’t seem like a big deal to skip another work out in the future.
Set Yourself Goals – Try challenging yourself to work out every day for 30 Days, or every other day, for a month or longer. Wake up and I know it’s your going do it. You will actually find the challenge liberating and freeing.
Start Small – Trying to run 10k’s for your first workout isn’t a good way to build a habit. Work below your capacity for the first few weeks to build the habit. Otherwise you might scare yourself off and feel like a failure you’ve broken your commitment. Ten minutes is good enough to commit to and either you get a great, de-stressing and energizing mini workout, or once you put 10 minutes into something, it’s likely you’ll want to keep going.
Make it Fun – If you don’t enjoy yourself at the gym, it is going to be hard to keep it a habit. There are thousands of ways you can move your body and exercise, so don’t give up if you’ve decided lifting weights or doing crunches isn’t for you.
Motivation – when you just don’t want to get out there, envisage how good you feel when the workout is over and how great you will feel once you are where you want to be.
Remember, it’s not just about today, winter or even next summer; it’s about the next 5, 10 and 20 years, so whether it be a little or a lot, it will help keep you looking and feeling better.
Yours in Training
Sarah Pizzi
