Struggling to stay motivated for fitness in winter? Discover proven tips to overcome the cold and turn winter into your ultimate fitness season.
Many of us are struggling to make it to our gym classes right now. Even the most dedicated fitness enthusiasts can have a hard time in winter.
When the temperature drops and the days get shorter, it takes much more motivation than it does in summer months.
Here are nine tips to avoid the winter weight gain and get motivated to stay healthy and happy.
Pinpoint your ‘Why’
When you have to climb out of your warm, cosy bed and head into the cold, it can be tough trying to remember how great you’ll feel afterwards. Take some time to reflect on why you want to focus on your fitness.
Is it to feel better and more energised as spring approaches? Do you want to feel more confident in your clothes when the warmer weather arrives? Do you want to avoid winter weight gain? Maybe you want to run your first marathon? Start by finding your ‘Big Why’ for getting healthier and fitter long-term.
Exercising on those cold days will boost your body’s ‘feel good’ endorphins like serotonin and norepinephrine, helping induce a natural state of calm. It can be helpful to consider the health benefits of regular exercise: weight maintenance, lower blood pressure, stress management, improved cardiovascular health, and improved mood, to name a few.
Set Your Goal
Having a specific goal or target is one of the easiest ways to get motivated. Outline what you want to work on, then break it down into smaller, achievable goals. Whether it’s improving strength, weight loss, gym frequency, a specific event or race, ensure your goals are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Devise a Plan to Stick With
Like most things, setting out a plan for your goals is a great way to get and stay motivated. Once you’ve found your ‘Why’ and set your goals, create the plan that will get you there. Even if it’s just adding the workouts to your calendar, it gives those sessions more importance.
Set your intentions to help you stay focused and accountable. Make it a goal just to get to the gym. Focus on getting dressed and showing up, whether that’s at the gym or in your living room in front of your laptop. Once you’ve made the initial step, the rest is a lot easier.
A winter health hack: Have everything ready for when you wake up: gear, gym bag, and a healthy snack.
Find Exercise You Enjoy
People who work out consistently have found a type of exercise that they enjoy. In fact, many who exercise frequently aren’t the most motivated; they’ve just found something they love doing, so it doesn’t feel like a chore.
It takes a tremendous amount of willpower and mental energy to force yourself to do something you hate, and you’ll likely run out of this type of energy and give up. By doing something you enjoy, it doesn’t take sheer willpower or discipline to get you out of the house.
Pleasure should be the leading emotion. You may not enjoy every part of the exercise you add to your routine, but if you can identify one or two things you do enjoy, you’re more likely to keep going back for more.
Have The Right Kit
Personal trainer and fitness blogger Zanna Van Dijk says, “There is no such thing as bad weather, there are just bad clothing choices”.
Make your training as comfortable as possible. Invest in good quality winter activewear: leggings, vests, socks, a jacket – the lot. And it’s not just for training outside.
Even if you’re heading to your gym classes, investing in some new workout gear can boost your motivation. Get yourself something fresh and bright to motivate you in the cold, dark weather. Trust me, it’s hard not to take a new pair of trainers out for a spin or show off a new matching set at the gym.
Buddy Up
Exercising with a friend gives you an incentive (other than exercise) to be active. Motivating yourself through these dark months can be tough, so consider buddying up with a friend. It might help change your perspective on working out to something more enjoyable and sociable.
More importantly, when exercising alone, there is only one person you have to convince to skip a session. By exercising with a friend, there’s some social pressure.
It’s much more difficult to cancel on a friend than to decide not to go yourself. Let your friends provide the camaraderie you need to distract you from the bad weather.
Stay Inside
Cold weather doesn’t mean you can’t exercise. There are plenty of indoor exercise options available, even if you don’t have a gym membership.
You can easily workout in the warmth of your very own home with just your own bodyweight.
Free workouts can be found on YouTube that require no equipment, such as pilates, yoga, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and even dancing. Plus, remember that no journey to the gym means extra time in bed.
Book a Class or Join a Club
It is arguably the best time ever to be a fitness enthusiast in Sydney right now with so many options for fun and interesting classes at our disposal. From boot camps to endless running clubs and fantastic new gyms.
Not only will heading to a barre or hot yoga class seem much more appealing than running along a cold road, but the cancellation fee is also great motivation to get you there on time.
However, if you are a runner at heart and don’t fancy classes, try joining one of the many trendy run clubs Sydney have to offer instead. Making new friends, meeting old ones, or setting group goals can really help keep you motivated as it becomes something social rather than solely letting the running motivate you.
Most Importantly, be Kind to Yourself and Your Body
It’s much harder to stay motivated when you don’t take enough time to relax and recover, leaving you feeling tired and lacking energy. After a fitness session, treat yourself to a nice mug of magnesium-rich hot chocolate and a long hot bath with some Epsom salts to soothe tired and aching muscles.
Remember, it’s also important to make sure you’re getting enough sleep.
Think of it this way: embrace the cooler months as an ideal time to get up and go. Use the winter season as an opportunity to build positive habits and establish a routine that supports your health and fitness goals.
