Getting yourself into the gym or heading out for a run on cold dark mornings and evenings takes a lot more motivation than it might during the bright and warm summer days.
Here are some of the best tips for continuing to stay motivated, even when the weather outside is quite frightful.
1. Have the right clothing choices
If you are heading outdoors to hit the gym or even go on a run, then you should invest in some good quality winter activewear. Thermal leggings, gloves, and headbands, which make walking to the gym or outdoor training more bearable! Keeping warm and finding the right clothes based on the weather is one of the keys to staying motivated as well as reducing the risk of a cold.
Even if you’re in a warmer climate, investing in some new workout gear can help with your motivation to hit the gym and show off your new gear!
2. Make a plan and stick to it
Instead of waiting for New Year’s resolutions, start now. Whether your goals are to feel better about yourself or de-stress after work, create a plan to act on the goals you’ve set. Even if it’s just adding the workouts into your calendar – it’ll give those sessions a feeling of more importance!
Something that often works is scheduling your workouts into your calendar and treat them as important as a doctor’s appointment that you can’t miss.
3. Grab a buddy
Agreeing to exercise with a friend gives you an incentive to do something active. Not only will this method help with motivation, but it will also help change your perspective of working out to something a little more enjoyable and social. Also, it’s much more challenging to cancel on a friend than to decide not to go yourself.
4. Remind yourself how good you feel after a sweat session
In the moments when you have to climb out of a warm, cozy bed and face the harsh, cold weather, it can be challenging to remember how great you will feel afterward. Exercising on those dark, cold days will help boost your body’s endorphins and help turn around your winter blues. When you finish your exercise, you will feel ten times better than when you started.
5. Try the 5-Minute Rule
In the winter, it’s easy to convince yourself why you should stay in bed. However, there’s a trick called the 5-minute Rule. Just get yourself to the gym and start warming up, and if you do not want to be there past the 5-minute mark, listen to your body and allow yourself to leave.
Now we pose the question of: how often do you want to leave the gym once you’re already warming up? After starting your gym routine, it’s hard to want to stop, and maybe you’ll be so glad you stuck with it.
6. Tune your alarm to something enjoyable:
Instead of waking up to the typical, annoying alarm clock – use a song from your iTunes or similar device to play specific songs that get you going. Although EDM and rock are not my go-to uplifting songs, it’s always best to find something that lifts your mood and energy!
7. Sleep in your workout clothes:
If you’re an a.m. workout fanatic, sleep in your workout clothes (sans sports bra!), so you can stay in your warm cozy bed until the last second! It might sound silly, but it’s pretty hard to forget that you’re supposed to work out when you’re already wearing your gym clothes. And who doesn’t love an extra few minutes of sleep?!
