Confession: Last week I ditched working out seven days in a row. Why? It
was cold out, it was dark and I was visiting family. So many of us struggle
when the weather gets cold outside, but honestly, it’s during these times that
we need to stick to our routine. Don’t worry this is a judgement FREE zone! If
you too recently fell out of your workout routine, here are 5 tips to help keep
you going so the winter’s dark skies and cold temperatures don’t steal your
fitness groove.
1. Jump back in, but give yourself grace as it might be a little hard at first.
The first step is starting again and making yourself a priority again.
The more you put off getting back into your routine, the harder it is to
get back into activity later, which becomes a vicious circle.
2. Get your workout stuff ready the night before. You are less likely to
cancel when you know everything is already set out.
3. Remind yourself how much a workout does for your mood and soul.
Did you know that research shows that exercise can help boost your
mood and even alleviate long-term depression. This is even more
important during the winter. Many times it's the steps to the car that
are the hardest one. Once you back out of the driveway there is no
looking back, you are committed!
4. Still struggling to get yourself into the gym, find a workout buddy or
tell a coach that you need some accountability. Having a workout
buddy helps us get to class as the guilt of knowing someone is waiting
for you will keep you from hitting the delete button.
5. Remind yourself of why you started. Sometimes we need to reevaluate
our goals. Maybe your goal was to lose 5 pounds, now that you have
reached that goal, set a new one so that you have that extra push to
help you keep yourself motivated.
Yes, our beds feel so comfy when it’s cold and dark outside, but remind
yourself that once you get five minutes into the warm up, you will be
complaining it's too hot and your mood will be boosted.
-Erica Erickson, Group Fitness Coach
