Long nights, frosty mornings and rainy evenings, it’s not hard to see why Winter can be so demotivating when it comes to exercise. We are all missing a bit of vitamin D in our lives and Christmas has certainly left its mark. So how can we combat motivation when all we want to do is hibernate until Spring?
We have a few tips to help get you started…
Prepare the night before
There is very little more frustrating than rising early in the morning and spending 15 minutes which you don’t have spare, hunting around for your sport socks. Make mornings as smooth as possible by preparing the night before. Start your day off right by putting out or packing whatever you need in advance.
Adjust your lighting
As humans we are affected by the seasons and in Winter we can suffer with vitamin D sufficiency which in turn affects our moods. Investing in a lamp which simulates natural daylight which will help start our day the right way.
Turn up the thermostat
No one wants to get out from under a warm duvet, but a warm room will certainly make it a little easier . Time your thermostat so that you are not getting ready in a cold room and the temperature change is not such a shock to the system. If you can conquer getting out of bed you are already halfway there…
Equip yourself
They say that you can train in almost any weather if you can equip yourself to do so, be that wind, rain or snow. So invest a little time and money in making sure you have the right equipment to make training as successful as possible no matter the weather or visibility.
Keep it simple
Eliminate the obstacles between you and your goals, for example if travelling becomes an excuse to not go to the gym, look for a gym closer or commit to a personal trainer which will hold you accountable for your actions. Find ways to make the excuses less feasible.
Set yourself mini goals
If Rome was not built in a day, you can be sure that reaching your goal will not be something which happens overnight. So set yourself mini goals which in turn create mini victories along the way in achieving the bigger picture.
Mix it up
It’s not uncommon to get bored occasionally with the exercise you do on a regular basis, so make sure you mix it up! Change the intensity, add classes, start learning something new, and make sure you give yourself time to recover properly.
Log your progress
Sometimes it’s nice to exercise for the sake of moving and enjoying the process, but if you are working towards a goal it is important to log your progress. If not it makes it a lot harder to see whether you are remaining on track, you can also feel proud on the days you really excel, marking a point in which to work towards on your next session.
Thanks for reading
PT Workspace
P.S If you are interested in finding out about personal training or studio hire at PT Workspace you can contact [email protected]. In addition why not take a look at some of the personal trainers who already work with us here.
The internet has allowed us to access information like never before, this is no secret! The issue is being able to tell what is a load of nonsense, and what information carries legitimate weight to it. The ongoing debate around cardio vs weight training is one which has been building momentum ever since having a big booty become the latest fashion in fitness.
Now don’t be mistaken in thinking that we are not aware of the positive results weight training has all round, specially when building glutes/muscles within your routine… NO SIR the myth that need debunking is that cardio is detrimental to you having a healthy physique, that if you run you are doomed to have a flat bottom, no muscle and below average physique for the foreseeable future. Weights are good and Cardio is bad… This needs to stop! here’s why..
Cardio for one does not only come in the form of running, its rowing, cycling, hiking, swimming, HIIT and the list continues, and so when you say cardio, this is being incredibly general! Even if running is what’s implied by cardio, different forms of running such as trail running and hill sprints can be very good at working your muscles and glutes.
Second being that we all have a different genetic makeup, whilst we can to a certain degree shape/enhance our bodies by targeting specific areas through weight training and CARDIO, we may not always have the success that others have in the areas we seek for many reasons. Not everyone is born to be a natural runner, just like only few have the size and build to be as big as Arnold Schwarzenegger. Our bodies have limitations some of which you can move beyond, the rest is reserved for the elite 1% whose bodies are far superior and most likely that of an Athlete.
Thirdly we all have our own journey in fitness and so we each arrive at our destinations at different times and in different ways. So being closed minded to certain types of exercise is like not eating vegetables, they might not be your favourite thing on the plate, but deep down you know you should eat them.
Whilst ascetics can be one of the main driving forces behind exercise, the most important thing to remember is your health above all else. A diversity of both weight training and cardio should be applied to a balanced diet, not one or the other and so we really need to move beyond picking a side.
P.S If you are interested in finding out about personal training at PT Workspace you can contact [email protected]. In addition why not take a look at some of the personal trainers who already work with us here.