The top 5 ways to keep active over Winter

10 Jul The top 5 ways to keep active over Winter

We are right in the middle of Winter and boy is it cold (especially if you are outdoors at 6:00 am). This is typically the time of year when it is so much harder to find the motivation to get up and exercise (it is just too tempting to stay in bed a little longer).

If you fall into this category and are finding it too hard to train, let me give you 5 ways to help you keep training over the colder months.

1. Plan your Winter workouts (and pay for them) in advance

By pre-booking and pre-paying your training sessions, you’ve already put something on the line before you even show up. The trainer will be expecting you plus your bank account will suffer if you press the snooze button too many times. So start planning your activities for the week –  that way you know which days you train (and which days you can sleep in) which will make you more likely to actually turn up.

2. Visualise how you’ll feel after the session (not how hard it seems to get there)

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when it comes to getting to your Winter workouts is letting your mind go down a negative, no-can-do path. You wake up and immediately your brain starts making excuses such as “it’s so cold… it’s still dark out… my bed is so warm… I should get to work early anyway… I’m too hungry to workout…” Those lines of thought only lead to one kind of action, skipping your workout. So instead of thinking about how hard it seems to get to your session, flip your thinking and visualise how great you’ll feel after it’s over. Think about how invigorated you’ll feel for the rest of the day once your session is done, the post-workout high you’ll be on, and how toasty warm your body will be just five minutes after you start.

3. Book in a friend to boost your commitment

Research has proven time and time again that people are less likely to skip their workouts when a friend is joining them. For some reason, it’s a lot easier to skip out on yourself than it is on a friend. So try booking in a workout buddy and check in the night before to make sure you are all committed to turning up.

4. Winter is when you should be increasing your training

This is the time year when if anything, you should be looking to train even more. Because of the cold weather, we are often less active and stay at home more to keep warm. Plus we often eat more food during Winter (especially comfort food which is often heavier and has more fat). So what happens when you eat more and move less –  you put on weight. Don’t let your health and fitness go into hibernation – keep your training up so you stay in the shape of your life and are ready for the warmer weather.

5. Have a back-up plan that doesn’t require you to leave the house

If you just can’t leave the house, then use some fitness DVDs, fitness apps or use one of my home workout eBooks. Even if you only exercise for 15 or 20 minutes, that is better than nothing.

So keep moving, keep your training consistent, stay fit and healthy – remember it is only 8 weeks until Spring and 20 weeks until Summer.