Sticking to your fitness routine and staying motivated over the winter months can be a huge challenge if you’re suffering from the winter blues. The weather is colder, the days feel shorter, and there can be some holiday stress.
Then the excuses begin to set in and before you know it, a few days off turns into a few weeks off.
But as much as we may try to fight it, the reality is that working out does make us feel good! It releases endorphins that help us beat stress. It gets the blood pumping, helps us sleep better, and makes us look better.
With the right strategy in place, you can stick to a regular fitness routine throughout the winter and reach any goal that you set for yourself.
Let’s look at some simple ways to give your winter workouts motivation a boost:
Set Goals
The winter months are a great time to set new goals for yourself and don’t wait until January 1st to tackle them!
If you’ve been working without goals or trying to work on the same old goals, it’s time for something new. Maybe it’s time to set some new strength goals, or a weight loss goal, or a nutrition goal.
Make it something that’s important to you, be as specific as possible, and get after it!
Schedule Your Workouts
Plan your workouts ahead of time by scheduling them in advance and then make them a priority. If you look at your calendar and see that you’re scheduled for a 6:00 a.m. workout on M/W/F, treat it like any other appointment and be there.
Once you get in the groove of working out 3-5x/week, you’ll be less inclined to skip sessions because you’ll feel guilty about breaking fitness appointment.
Find a Workout Partner
Whether it’s a friend, a co-worker, a family member or a personal trainer/coach, getting someone else involved in your workouts is one of the best ways to keep you motivated.
Working out with a buddy will make your fitness routine more enjoyable and you’ll be less likely to bail on them because you know someone is relying on you. Those that workout together tend to push each other to achieve a bit more, so results often follow.
Embrace The Outdoors
Just because it may be cold outside doesn’t mean you can’t get in an excellent workout.
Find an outdoor activity that you enjoy. Running, snowshoeing, skiing, hiking, ice skating, etc. are all great outdoor activities that will help beat the winter blues and keep you fit.
Take On A New Activity
Winter is a great time to mix things up and try something new.
I’m sure there are things out there that you’ve never tried but maybe always wanted to. Search these activities out and make them a great learning experience. Join a basketball rec league, try a yoga class, join a fitness boot camp, take dance lessons, join an indoor rock climbing gym, or learn how to use kettlebells.
Remember, fitness doesn’t always have to take place in the gym. There are plenty of activities out there, so go find them! Just remember to bundle up if you’re headed outside.
Build Some Playlists
Music is a proven motivator when it comes to working out, so create a few new playlists of your favorite songs/artists and let the music get you going!
Have some fun with your playlists and make challenges that are specific to your music. Make your own HIIT cardio workout by sprinting during only the chorus of songs. You can also test your endurance by challenging yourself to do a certain move for an entire song. Get creative!
Meditate
If you find you’re stuck inside more over the winter months, set aside a few minutes each day and practice meditation.
Meditation can increase your desire to set and reach goals and will allow you to visualize success and how you want to look, feel, act, etc. This can often provide a nice boost of motivation to attack your fitness goals.
Try an app like Headspace or something similar to make it easy as you learn how to meditate.
Whatever winter activity you do, try and stick with it! Less daylight can cause a dip in mood, but exercise is a great way to combat those winter blues! A little bit of fitness can go a long way with some consistency.
If you’re feeling motivated now, here’s a comprehensive fitness plan for the winter that we put together.