Staying motivated to exercise can sometimes be a challenge year round, but it is especially challenging in my opinion once it gets dark and cold outside. We just had daylight savings time and now our days are getting shorter, so less daylight, sunshine, and even warmth to workout. It takes a little bit more grit to dig deep and find your reasons to get up and move. If you need some help with that, in this post I’m going to share some tips for how to stay motivated in the cold weather months, beat the feeling of seasonal slacking, and stay up on your fitness game.
Have a Schedule
This really is a tip for year round but it is especially important for when you’re already more likely to try to talk yourself out of a workout. Having a schedule so you know exactly what workout you have on tap that day is crucial and it takes the guesswork out of having to figure out what you’re going to do. Every Sunday take a look at your work/life schedule and find not only the time when you can workout (and physically write it into your calendar!) but also what exercise you’re going to do so when the time comes, all you have to do is show up.
Find Something You Really Love
It’s hard enough to talk yourself into working out if you aren’t really “in the mood” but it’s 100x harder to talk yourself into doing something you don’t even enjoy! Finding something that you really love to do is super important in staying motivated to keep it up. This may require trying a few different things first before you can really know what it is you enjoy doing for movement, but it’s worth putting in the time to figure out. Try some different classes, try some different workouts at home, go for a run or a walk or a hike and see what makes you feel good!
Get the Right Gear
Obviously when it’s cold outside you need to make sure you have the right gear to keep you warm. When I work out in the cold winter mornings, I tend to overdress intentionally because the thought of being cold at all makes me want to stop/not even start. I’d rather have on too much than not enough. Your gear doesn’t have to be super fancy either. I usually run in this big fleece jacket I got when I was in college…I have tried other things but I just love this so much because it’s warm but not too heavy, zips up under my chin and has pockets. I also don’t care if it gets sweaty and gross because it’s so old, lol. Craig makes fun of me because it’s so old and funny looking but I don’t care! Find whatever you’re comfortable in!
When it’s really cold I’ll also do gloves (the kind with the touchpad on the fingers so you can still work your phone), a headwrap like this one, and if I’m feeling really aggressive I’ll even wear my neck gaiter (that’s when temps are in the teens I’ll bust that out!!)
Have a Workout Buddy
Having a workout buddy can help motivate you during the cold weather months because first off, it just makes anything more fun to have a friend around, right?! And secondly, they are there to help hold you accountable and vice versa. You don’t want to make plans with someone for an early morning workout and then bail and not show up at the last minute!
Incentivize Yourself
I am all for #treatingyourself so why not set some incentives up around your exercise? For example, setting a goal to workout 4x a week for a month (or whatever your goal is!) and then when you hit it, treat yourself to a new pair of sneakers or a massage! I personally really love the feeling of “earning” something so this is a fun spin!
Remember How You Feel After
Many, many, many times before a workout I am not in the mood. I’m feeling lazy and sometimes want to just lay around being a bum…and when I do that I always feel more tired than if I were up and moving! A body in motion stays in motion, after all! These are the times I really have to remember how I feel after a workout or even just a walk if that’s all I’m doing. It really turns my day and usually my mood and attitude totally around. It’s 100% true what they say, you never regret a workout. So don’t focus so much on if you’re “not feeling” your workout and more on how great you will feel when you’re done. I live for that feeling!! So helpful to me on days when I feel like I am not in the mood.
Side note: This is not me saying you should always power through and workout in the cases of if you are sick or purely exhausted and need a rest. You know the difference between just not “feeling like it” versus actually needing a break or a rest day. Rest days are so important so always be sure to have at least 1 per week.
Practically Speaking
Practically speaking, exercise has so many benefits that can be especially helpful to us in the cold weather months, when feelings of seasonal depression from the lack of Vitamin D can really start to take a toll! In general it helps me be in a better mood and have more energy for my day. The holidays in particular can be really draining so it’s super important that you have your “me time” and get in a sweat session to take care of yourself.
Do you have any tips for how to stay motivated in the cold weather months??
xo,
Bess
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