How to keep your motivation up as winter approaches
With the recent cold snap that has hit us, I thought that I would write today's blog post about keeping your motivation up over winter. Winter, just the thought makes some people feel cold. It also makes people think of things like sitting in front of a heater in a nice warm house, sleeping later in the mornings tightly tucked up in bed, and eating comfort foods to keep us warm.
Unfortunately, while these things may be great to think about, they aren't always the best things for helping us to reach our health and fitness goals. So how can we avoid the dropoff in our exercise habits that can come with the darker mornings and evenings of winter? Well, here are a few tips to help you combat this.
Firstly, you could get a workout partner. To be honest, this is a tip that can serve many purposes no matter what time of year it is. They help provide motivation, accountability, and energy when you aren't feeling like training on a particular day. They also force you to get out of bed and get to the gym (even when it is dark and raining outside) as you know someone is counting on you to be there. Very useful during the dead of winter.
Next, you could adjust your training to suit the time of year. Do you usually run every morning? Are you likely to keep running when it is cold and wet outside? If so, then awesome - go for it! If not, then perhaps you should look at joining a gym where you could run on a treadmill, or better yet, buy yourself a treadmill so you can run at home if you don't want to hit the streets. Anything to keep that habit going will pay dividends in the long run (if you'll excuse the pun).
Another thing to look at is whether you need to adjust your diet. If you are a big salad eater, that will work well for you during the summer, but it may not be so great during winter. We often tend to want warm, hearty meals when it is cold and miserable outside. This may make the thoughts of salad not so appealing. So you need to think about what you could replace the salads with that is still healthy but fills warms you up at the same time. Healthy soups could be an option, or roast vegetable salads could do the trick too. Be imaginative, but keep it warm and keep it healthy.
You could also join a group fitness class. They have similar benefits to having a workout partner but they also have the added benefit of being run by a qualified instructor/trainer. They will give you the motivation to get out of bed in the morning if others who take the class are expecting to see you, and they offer the camaraderie of working towards a similar goal.
So there are a few simple ideas to help you beat the winter blues when it comes to your health and fitness. Try and start to implement them now before winter really gets going and you will notice the difference in your health and fitness when spring arrives!
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What are your tips for staying fit and healthy over winter? I would love for you to let me know. Get in touch through my website and tell me.
Unfortunately, while these things may be great to think about, they aren't always the best things for helping us to reach our health and fitness goals. So how can we avoid the dropoff in our exercise habits that can come with the darker mornings and evenings of winter? Well, here are a few tips to help you combat this.Firstly, you could get a workout partner. To be honest, this is a tip that can serve many purposes no matter what time of year it is. They help provide motivation, accountability, and energy when you aren't feeling like training on a particular day. They also force you to get out of bed and get to the gym (even when it is dark and raining outside) as you know someone is counting on you to be there. Very useful during the dead of winter.
Next, you could adjust your training to suit the time of year. Do you usually run every morning? Are you likely to keep running when it is cold and wet outside? If so, then awesome - go for it! If not, then perhaps you should look at joining a gym where you could run on a treadmill, or better yet, buy yourself a treadmill so you can run at home if you don't want to hit the streets. Anything to keep that habit going will pay dividends in the long run (if you'll excuse the pun).
Another thing to look at is whether you need to adjust your diet. If you are a big salad eater, that will work well for you during the summer, but it may not be so great during winter. We often tend to want warm, hearty meals when it is cold and miserable outside. This may make the thoughts of salad not so appealing. So you need to think about what you could replace the salads with that is still healthy but fills warms you up at the same time. Healthy soups could be an option, or roast vegetable salads could do the trick too. Be imaginative, but keep it warm and keep it healthy.
You could also join a group fitness class. They have similar benefits to having a workout partner but they also have the added benefit of being run by a qualified instructor/trainer. They will give you the motivation to get out of bed in the morning if others who take the class are expecting to see you, and they offer the camaraderie of working towards a similar goal.
So there are a few simple ideas to help you beat the winter blues when it comes to your health and fitness. Try and start to implement them now before winter really gets going and you will notice the difference in your health and fitness when spring arrives!
_________________________________________________________________________
What are your tips for staying fit and healthy over winter? I would love for you to let me know. Get in touch through my website and tell me.
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