The top 5 ways to keep motivated when the weather cools

Motivation in Winter

The top 5 ways to keep motivated when the weather cools

We are now coming into the middle of winter and it is starting to get really, really cold. Exercising is hard enough let along when it is freezing, raining, dark and miserable.

But your fitness and health shouldn’t hibernate for the winter so how can you maintain your training and keep your level of fitness up when your motivation starts to drop? Well read my top 5 personal and practical ways to stay looking hot when the weather gets cold:

1. Train with a friend or find a trainer

Sometimes you need that extra incentive from a friend or a professional to get you moving. Having an exercise partner can make the difference between sitting on the couch or getting up and out of the house. You are less likely to let a friend down and lets face it, two is better that one to keep you going plus it makes the workout more fun too.

If you can’t find a friend, then this may be a great time to use a personal trainer. See my blog on how to pick the best personal trainer.

2. Do it first thing in the morning

Before your body even realises what is happening, jump out of bed and get to the gym or park. There are some great additional benefits to training first thing in the day.  During lunch you often get caught up with work or other demands and after work you may have to stay back late or are simply too tired. Gyms and parks are usually so much quieter early in the day. Exercising early morning jump starts your metabolism, injects energy into your body and clears your mind.

Training late can make it hard to calm down and sleep so train first thing to give you greater consistency and better results.

3. Lock your keys in the gym locker

Maybe this is a bit extreme but try it as it does work.

If you are a member of a fitness centre, drop in before work or during the day and lock your house or car keys in a locker. Sometimes the toughest part is actually getting to the gym. As you won’t be able to go home until you drop by the gym, well you might as well get a spot of training in as well.

4. Buy some new clothes, gadgets or shoes

As soon as we buy new clothes we want to show them off right? So this could be a good time to upgrade your activewear and spruce up your look. Get some new shoes or maybe look at some fitness gadgets. Workout clothes often do motivate people more – you are more excited to go out for a run or train at the gym when sporting great-fitting and sexy exercise gear that makes your feel comfortable and confident. So ditch the old random oversized T-shirt and make sure you look like an athlete to train like one.

5. Set a goal or train for an event

One thing you must have whether it is cold or hot is a fitness or health goal. You will dramatically increase your chance of succeeding when you have something to aim for. I recently had a goal to climb Mount Kinabalu in Borneo – a 4, 000 metre mountain which I knew was going to test all my strength and power. So I had to really up my training to make sure I was ready (and yes I did conquer the mountain in early July).

So whether it is running in your first City to Surf or fun run, wanting to look your best for that wedding or being in the shape of your life for Spring, make sure you write down what you want to achieve, when you want to achieve it by and how you are going to get there.

And when you do reach your goal, make sure you reward yourself – we all have to spoil ourselves now and then.