“I’m too tired”, “it’s pitch black”, “I’ll go later” are all excuses we hear so often when the winter months kick in.
Check out our top tips to help you keep motivated during the colder, darker days.
All the gear no idea?!
Buying new winter workout gear really does help! Popping on your new clothes that you feel comfortable and confident in could be the nudge needed to get up & workout.
Favourite tunes
Music can play a major role in motivation to move! Create a motivating playlist then get up & go to your favourite, energizing beats. Little Mix is one of our faves!
Book into a class
Check out your local gym/studio’s class timetable, find a class that looks fun and then just book yourself in right then and there. With something booked and in the diary you are much more likely to actually show up! Plus the energy in a class situation is bound to get you motivated.
Exercise with a pal
Let’s face it, exercise can be boring. Dragging a pal along with you will make it a lot more fun! Having someone along for the ride really does make the time pass quicker and the overall experience a lot more enjoyable. There is less chance of you bailing as well when your friend is there waiting for you!
Play to your strengths
If you know you hate something, why force yourself to do it as most likely it won’t get you out of bed in the morning! Plan to do something that makes you smile and you know you will enjoy but also gets you up and at ‘em. If that’s dancing around your kitchen, taking your dog for a walk, playing tennis, going horseback riding, going to a dance class, going for a scenic run in the fresh air.. whatever it is that puts a smile on your face – do it! The endorphins and positive feelings are sure to get you motivated.
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Get all your gym kit laid out and ready the night before so you don’t have to spend unnecessary time rooting through your wardrobe in the morning. Better still, pop your gym kit on the radiator so it gets nicely warmed up for you when your radiator goes on in the morning as added incentive to get out of your cosy bed! Plan a quick and easy breakkie and have your gym bag and everything ready to go so you can just get up and at ’em with no stress.
Be consistent
Try and plan your workouts in advance so you know when and where you are training each week. You want it to become part of your normal routine so plan convenient workouts and around the same times each week so you just know that’s one of your “workout days”.
Set some goals
Winter can sometimes seem never ending so be sure to set yourself some realistic goals along the way. Whether it’s to do an unassisted pull up before Christmas, get three workouts in a week consistently for 6 weeks, feel confident in your dress on New Years Eve, be able to walk up the escalators on the tube without a break by the end of the month, or to be able to run a 10k by Easter .. figure out and set yourself some goals along the way to work towards so that your training feels worth it and don’t forget to praise yourself as you go.
Plan a decent warm up
Think of your body as a car that needs warming up on an icy day. We cannot expect the body to go from zero to hero instantly. Make sure you complete a 5-10 minute warm up prior to exercise. This will help prepare the brain & body for what is about to come during the workout. It will also slowly increase the heart rate & in turn blood flow with help mobilise the joints & lengthen the muscles. A good warm up also reduces the chance of injury.
Have fun winter warriors!
