How to stay motivated during Winter
It's a little harder to find the motivation to head to the gym or go out for a run in these colder, darker months. To help combat that, the goal is to make small changes and adapt these to help make staying active easier during the winter. Here are a few things that could help:
- Train with a friend: It can be hard to stay focused and motivated when training alone. Meeting a buddy at the gym gives you the extra push to get out and train. You'll also have someone there to motivate and support you throughout your routine.
- Stay hydrated: Staying hydrated in the winter is slightly more difficult. Your body still loses moisture in cold weather, but we tend to sweat less. Because of this, you might not realise you need to drink water to replenish fluids. It's essential you drink enough water each day (especially during and after a workout) and not rely on thirst to tell you that you need to drink water.
- Warm-up: Don't skip a warm-up! Warming up is important, no matter the weather, but you should definitely warm-up for longer when it's cold outside. This helps to prevent injury and make your workouts more effective.
- Book a class: Just like training with a friend, trying a fitness class can help get you motivated to head to the gym. Having someone to push you and cheer you on helps you get through that extra rep!
- Routine: Scheduling your workouts makes it easier to find a balance and consistent time to head to the gym! Without a fitness schedule, you might fall off the exercise wagon sooner rather than later due to simply being busy or too tired. If it's scheduled, it's prioritised, so it'll get done!
- Set a goal: Remind yourself why it's important and set a goal! Create a goal and just think about how great you will feel once you have achieved it! Having an ideal goal will also help to keep you motivated and on track with the workouts that you might skip if you didn't have a goal in mind.
