How to Stay Motivated During Winter: Fitness Edition

Waking up in the biting darkness that stretches throughout the winter months is hardly an ideal situation for your fitness regime.

In fact, it seems to not be ideal for me at all as I just spilled coffee on my cream silk blouse and tailored gray pants. Excellent start to the day.

1. Stay realistic. If your early morning run outside is just not going to happen, stop setting yourself up for failure and schedule it for another time, for example: during your lunch hour.

2. Stay accountable. Whether by training for an event in the spring/summer or heading to the gym with a friend or trainer a few times a week. Knowing a skipped workout will set you further from your goal or disappoint someone else will keep you going.

3. Force hydration. During cool temperatures you will not feel the same thirst experienced on a hot summer day.

Your body is most likely sweating even more-so under all of those layers while low temperatures create a lower level of moisture in the atmosphere.

4. Use music. I cannot run without some high energy sounds emanating from my earbuds but listening to a particularly fun song prior to my workout really gets me going!

5. Try the unconventional. Recreate that early morning sunlight with an alarm like the “Wake-Up Light” by Phillips which is endorsed by the National Sleep Foundation. It simulates natural daylight by gradually increasing in brightness activating your internal clock.

My last thoughts…

I must admit my most recent motivations are hardly praise-worthy as they are: slimming down for the recent photoshoot, looking good for my boyfriend who is already in the most ridiculous shape (the more you workout the weaker his knees become)  and an upcoming vacation. A bit frivolous I’d say but it works.

One problem for me if working out in the morning, is the time it takes getting ready. Gathering my gear together and not forgetting one of my socks or mittens.

I overcome this by showering in the evening and sleeping in my first layer of workout

clothes and then laying out the rest (outer layers at the bottom of the pile) so even with my brain asleep the entire process requires no thought whatsoever.

Sometimes I just don’t feel like going to the gym so on those days a workout at home via Blogilates or 30-Day Shred is my go-to. Still a workout, just a different environment.

 How do you stay motivated during winter?

For additional information (and visual motivation) checkout my Fitness board on Pinterest  and Healthy Lifestyle board for nutrition/supplement tips!