How to Stay Motivated When the Temperature Drops
You’re certainly not alone if you are struggling to maintain your fitness routine with the temperature in Sydney dropping more and more every day.
Picture this: you’ve been up at 6AM, done your morning routine, began you commute to work, with the sun rising, complete with mittens, hat, scarf, puffer jacket or long coat (yes, I realise we are being slightly overdramatic here, most of us aren’t quite living in the snow, but go with me). You work all day, don’t get a proper lunch break, and head home at 5.30PM, in the dark. On the bus, you have two options – get off at the stop near the gym or yoga studio OR you head home and settle right in to a glass of red, dinner and the heater. I know which one I could be swayed towards in the winter…
But NO! How much better would you feel if you just pushed yourself through just one hour or 45 minutes at a class or at the gym? Trust me, thousands. And your glass of red, heater and dinner? They’ll still be waiting for you at home.
The toughest part is making the conscious choice to go and exercise instead of taking the easy, comfortable route of going home to relax straight away, especially in the absolute dead of winter. I’m no expert, but I certainly can share my tips and what I have found to work to keep motivated through the [seemingly endless] winter months. With temperatures dropping to about 8 degrees C at the coldest, you definitely need to have a schedule, routine and things to look forward to!
How to Stay Motivated in the Winter
- Tip number 1 – don’t rely on your own motivation! Create a plan or a schedule and stick to it! If you have pre-committed to scheduled classes, or possibly organised a regular gym date with your friends, you’ll be far more likely to stick to a plan than to let people down. And most classes have a late cancellation fee of $5 or more, you don’t want to pay more for hitting snooze or going straight home when you could put that $5 towards something like a holiday, or more realistically, your morning coffee(s)
- Buy yourself a new gym kit (or a warmer gym kit!) Tis the season for full-length leggings, puffer jackets, thermal running shirts, sweatshirts and leg warmers. Not only will you look and feel fresh (not to mention keep warm!), you’ll be keen to get active. Plus, it’s June, which can only mean one thing – EOFY sales!
- Try meditating either in the morning or in the evening before bed. Repeating mantras in your head can help you keep a positive, healthy outlook during these cold months, which can only assist you in keeping on track with your fitness. Try a 5 minute meditation on Youtube or download the Insight app for free guided meditations or sound healings on your mobile.
- Lay out your clothes the night before, set out your keep cup on the counter or in your gym bag, make yourself a healthy lunch for the next day, book your class the night before – getting yourself ready for the day ahead will help you get motivated to get up in the morning and instead of scrambling around in the dark, stressed or running late, you will be totally prepared in advance.
- Change up your classes. Try a class that you haven’t tried before, explore hot yoga, barre, do a HIIT-style class, or a spin session. Getting your heart pumping in a different class than what you are used to can not only help you reach your fitness goals by challenging yourself but can also be treat – you may even find your new fave routine/teacher!
- Switch your outdoor activities to indoor activities – yoga and fitness classes, the gym, even Youtube workouts can be a great way to stay warm and on track.
- Set weekly goals and reward yourself! Hold yourself accountable and keep track of what activities you are doing. There are plenty of apps such as MyFitnessPal that you can track your diet and exercise. Suppose your goal is to get to 4 classes a week – reward yourself at the end of the week with a hot choc, new shirt, glass of wine, some dark chocolate, a face mask, or something else that you do for self-care that will keep you going until the next week’s goals are achieved.
- Trendy but effective, an infrared sauna session can be just what the doctor ordered! Not only is an infrared sauna great way to recover from a sweaty session at the studio and useful for weight loss – it will certainly keep you toasty on a cold winter day.
As tempting as it is to slack off in winter – it’s important to keep yourself in a fitness routine – not only for the physical aspects and maintaining good overall health – it is imperative for your mental health as well. Shorter, darker days combined with plummeting temperatures can definitely take a toll on your mental well-being. Make sure to look after yourself no matter the season, work within your body’s boundaries and keep your body/mind/spirit nourished and energised. Always practising moderation is important too – and taking each day, each week as it comes. Our classes are available at http://www.luxeyogafitness.com.au/schedule/ or on the Luxe Yoga and Fitness app. As a community, we want to be here for you and support you through the seasons and through your fitness goals. Ask the front desk about any weight loss challenges or new classes that are coming soon, for some extra winter motivation.
