Making yourself exercise in winter can be tough going. If you’re in a regular routine and tend to be a bit of a gym bunny, the colder weather and darker nights might not seem quite as intimidating. If like most of us, you start to find it harder to keep yourself on track, here are a few tips to keep your motivation levels up.
Table of Contents
- Say Goodbye To The Easy Way
- Walk It Out
- Dance Like Nobody’s Watching
- Say Yes To Home Workouts
- New Year, New Me
Say Goodbye To The Easy Way
They say something is better than nothing and that’s so true. Try to walk past escalators and lifts, taking the stairs whenever you can. It’s such a simple and straightforward thing, but it adds a little extra activity to your day when you might otherwise have been dormant. As long as it’s not too snowy or rainy, perhaps park your car a block or two away from where you need to be and get into the habit of walking an extra 10 minutes from your car to where you need to be.
Walk It Out
Winter walks are also amazing! The sun is low and often shining brightly even though it’s cold. Take advantage of any beautiful days like that at the weekend and why not go for a walk by the ocean, explore a public garden you’ve never been to before or take a quick trek through the woods. Remember it doesn’t have to be all about the gym. You could even borrow a friend’s dog for the afternoon!
Dance Like Nobody’s Watching
Finding an exercise class is a great way to get you engaged and enthused. This could be the time you try something different like a trampoline class, pole aerobics or Zumba. A little dash of fun combined with your workout always helps. If you can, try paying in advance to give you that added incentive to get up and out the house. If you’ve already paid, you’ll be less inclined to miss it. Enrolling a friend can also be great support and extra motivation.
Say Yes To Home Workouts
If leaving the house in the dark and the cold is the thing you struggle with, you could try using a DVD or finding a routine on YouTube. There’s plenty of DVD’s out there to suit everyone’s taste and YouTube is packed with free content. Perhaps exercising in the warmth of your own home is the answer for you?
New Year, New Me
If all else fails, remember it’s the party season coming up and, like most of us, you’ve probably got a new frock to fit into. For extra inspiration why not pin a picture of it onto your fridge? Or think about all the things you could indulge in over Christmas if you keep up your level of activity now? January 2018 and the time of new resolutions is just around the corner, so if all else fails it’s never ever too late.
What are your favorite winter workouts?