Brrr! It’s getting chilly! However, the cold weather is no excuse for you to stop exercising – but we understand that it can get a little tougher to stay motivated when you are starting, or finishing your work day in the dark! Here are a few tips to help stay focused in these wintery weeks!
Buy the right gear! Sometimes spending that extra dollar on a slightly thicker pair of tights or that wind jacket can be the difference between you exercising and not. Grab a wetsuit and continue surfing, or the right thermals if you’re going cycling or running. It’s a small price to pay if it means continuing or getting into healthy habits.
5 minute rule! Most of the time the biggest battle to overcome is getting yourself out of bed or to the gym. Try using the 5 minute rule. If, after 5 minutes of starting exercise you still don’t want to continue, then you give yourself a free pass to go home. More often then not, once you get going you feel much better! Remember it’s still important to have adequate rest. Making sure you have at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night (more if you need it!), at least one rest day during the week, and take time off to let your body heal and recover if you down come down with a sickness.
No excuse! Sometimes as hard as it can be to get up in the winter mornings, exercising in the morning will free up the rest of the day, leaving you no time to make excuses or other plans during the day and avoid fitting in some exercise. If mornings really aren’t your thing, then make sure you hit the gym on the way home from work, before you settle down at home and have other distractions which deter you from keeping to your schedule! After a workout, there will be no better feeling then heading home for a hot shower and a well-earned sleep!
Create a goal! Creating a goal to work towards can help you to stay accountable. Rather than focusing on subjective goals such as how you look, trying and set goals which are objective. Having objective goals will make it quick and easy to evaluate your progress. For example, an objective goal might be that for everyday in August, you want to complete 50 push ups, you might want to run 30kms each week or maybe you want to improve your consistency and mark off 4 days of exercise every week. Keeping yourself accountable by marking it off on a calendar, in a diary or on your phone (you could even set a reminder!), will help you keep moving!
Find a friend! Exercising with someone else is so much more enjoyable isn’t it? Finding a friend to exercise with can sometimes be a challenge as everyone has different work schedules and commitments. If finding someone to exercise before and after work isn’t possible, then grab a colleague and go for a walk outside during your lunch break. It’s the perfect time to get some fresh air, sunlight and vitamin-D! Getting a personal trainer or simply booking in to participate in a class also is a great way to stay motivated. It’s always easier to exercise when you are surrounded by positive people with the same mindset as you!
Exercise inside! Exercising doesn’t always have to be about going to the gym or outside for a run. Exercising can be done right in your own home! Check out our article on exercising indoors for savvy savings on equipment and smart ways to exercising in the convenience of your own home
PIP TOCKUSS
B.CLINEXERPHYS, AES, ESSAM
Accredited Exercise Physiologist
