I get a little worried around this time of the year that people are struggling to get motivated to workout. They start to lose their motivation to eat well, train consistently, and do everything they can to improve their health and fitness.
Perhaps you’ve fallen off the fitness wagon this winter?
After all, we are deep into the winter months and when it’s still dark when the alarm goes off in the morning, or if you have had a long and frustrating day at work, the last thing you might want to do is come into the Healthy Glow studio here in Woodvale to do your workout.
Winter can be seen by many as the “off-season”. A time to wrap up and put how we look and feel on the backburner, only for it to become a priority again when we start thinking of our trips to Bali and beyond.
Before you know it, weeks pass you by and you have not attended to your health and fitness and it’s not long before you feel even more fatigued, even more run-down and then the scratchy throat makes its appearance and you end up fighting cold after cold.
All this makes you even less inclined to don your workout gear. That’s one reason why we continue to publish this blog along with our weekly emails… to help you stay on track with your lifestyle changes and workouts and inspire you to get motivated to workout.
And remember, No-one, and we do mean no-one, can stay motivated to workout all the time.
Even the most dedicated sports stars have moments when they want nothing more than to ditch their training and sit on the sofa with a family pack of crisps.
And it’s no different with all those influencers who post pictures on social media of their healthy meals and constant workouts. They happily share photos of the good stuff – they wisely choose not to take photos of the motivational crises that arise in between.
Yes, that’s right – even the Instagram Influencers you might choose to follow even have spells when they aren’t motivated to workout!
So, if all your past efforts to lose weight have fizzled out, don’t worry – you are absolutely not alone.
We all lose motivation for a variety of reasons. You might not enjoy your new diet or exercise regime, so you’ll need more willpower to stay focused.
In a normal day, you use up your reserves of mental energy getting out of bed when your alarm goes off, navigating your commute, solving problems at work and dealing with difficult colleagues.
So by the time you get home, it’s difficult to be motivated to workout. It’s easy to fall victim to the “what the hell” effect too.
This is when we slip up in a small way, like having a sweet treat in the office. Once this happens, it becomes easier to get tempted by more. A cheat day could then turn into a cheat week or month.
Motivation isn’t a permanent state, so it’s unrealistic to expect to feel motivated all the time.
Just think of the last time you felt really fired up to start a new workout routine, only to press the snooze button when your alarm went off the next morning.
Instead, it’s important to remember that feeling motivated isn’t necessary to get started and find ways to make sure you keep going even when you don’t want to.
You should consider fitness as a lifelong partner, not just a summer fling. While I find people gearing up for the summer in early spring, the same zeal should be reserved for the winter months.
Exercise is integral in the winter: it has the power to help improve mood, boost energy levels, and prepare your body to get the most out of any winter sports, and prevent injury.
A healthy diet is key, too. Stock up on these winter weight loss foods.
Now you know why you should prep for your winter body just as much as your summer one so here are three simple ways to maintain your fitness level in the winter.
1. Adopt the buddy system
I’m sure you’ve noticed that when you work out with your partner or a friend, you usually get a lot more accomplished.
Why?
It’s because you’re being held accountable. If you are working out with someone who has similar goals, you will get those extra two reps done, stay on the treadmill for an extra 10 minutes, and do that extra set of planks because it turned into a friendly competition.
Find a workout buddy through your work or social network, or through a social media community. Or join a small group training session such as the ones we hold here at Healthy Glow
2. Pencil it in
Creating a set routine isn’t easy — we all have those crazy days where fitness takes a back seat to work and family commitments.
That’s why it’s important to schedule your workouts.
I look to business professionals for inspiration: they’ll train despite their hectic schedules because they make appointments for their workouts and honour them as they would any other obligation. Accountability plays a key role in what we do here at Healthy Glow in all the sessions we offer
3. Plan Ahead
It’s noble to set a fitness goal, but it helps to break it down into steps. Keep your lofty goals in mind, but in the meantime, focus on the coming month, week, day, and finally, your current workout.
And don’t forget to have a backup plan. On days you’re feeling especially unmotivated, you can fall back on these exercises.
For example, if you’re not up to strength training at full capacity, try a simple bodyweight exercise with six moves consisting of 45 seconds of work for each exercise and fifteen seconds rest/transition time between each exercise. Have a one minute break and then repeat the exercises.
Here’s a quick and highly effective bodyweight workout…
- Push Ups
- Squats
- Pull Ups
- Plank
- Hip Extensions
- Bear Crawl
Need extra assistance?
There are even some apps you can try, like Stickk or Please Push Me, which allow you to set yourself a goal and a time period in which to achieve it.
Lots of us fall off the wagon because we aren’t enjoying what we’re doing.
So, try to combine something you love with your new behaviour.
A great way to do this is to listen to your favourite music or podcast when you’re at the gym. This can add some much-needed enjoyment to keep you going.
Finally, the most important thing to remember is not to beat yourself up if you do slip up. We’re only human and making big lifestyle changes is incredibly difficult.
People who treat themselves with compassion when they make mistakes are much more likely to keep trying, and ultimately achieve their goals.
At Healthy Glow PT Studio here in Woodvale, we help clients hit their health and fitness goals by using some of the best and most effective exercise equipment on the market.
We cater for all abilities and the hardest part of exercise is making the decision to improve your health and fitness. We have one life so don’t live half your life – live it all and you can certainly do that by focusing on your health.
Now that you know all the benefits of daily exercise, we recommend you start indulging in physical activities you enjoy as soon as possible.
And if you need or want some support, then give us a call on 9309 25 32
And if you need help, let us know. We are here to help.
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