Are you struggling to stick with that fitness routine right now? As we move into winter months the struggle becomes real for a lot of people. I know that over the last several weeks as the daylight hours have shortened and the temperature has dropped getting out of bed is tougher, getting motivated is tougher and staying consistent is tougher.
I wanted to talk about this today because it’s something that I’ve been struggling with over the last few weeks myself and I’m guessing that at this time of year I’m not the only one.
Although I think that we like to deny that the late fall and winter weather affects how productive we are and how committed we are to our fitness routine I know I personally feel it every year. And to be completely honest with you…I forget how much I feel it each year, but the last 2.5 weeks has been rough. So what am I doing to stay on top of my fitness routine, check them out below.
Listening to My Body
To start I’m trying to respect my body. I know myself, and know that I am always less active in the fall and winter times. It is in my nature, so I’m doing my best to respect that to a certain extent. This doesn’t mean that I am not doing anything, however there are days where I take it a lot easier than others. Typically for my in the warmer months when I’m motivated to be outside it’s easy for me to just go for a walk…even if that’s the only activity I do in the day. But I’m not one of those people who will go outside in the winter and walk (if you are one of those people I’m tipping my hat to you) so I’ve accepted the fact that there may be days when I don’t get a structured workout in. I still work to make these days active in other ways when possible because movement is movement, but throughout the colder months workouts may not always be structured and that’s okay.
Rewriting My Program
Yep, I did it…I rewrote my program as soon as I started feeling it this year. This isn’t something that I’ve ever done before but it has actually helped more than I thought it would. I’m not talking huge changes here but I did cut the program back from 6 days a week to 5 days. I’ve accepted that some weeks I only get 4 days in and that’s okay…I’m not hard on myself if that’s what happens. I’ve stuck with strength training because that’s what makes me feel the best, however I’ve brought some different exercises in and made a few changes to workout structures and it’s made a world of difference. I like the challenge of tackling something new so it can be motivating to take a reset on what you are doing for fitness. As a side note: this typically works anytime you feel like you are not feeling your routine anymore…change it up and often you will start to fall in love with it again.
Starting My Day Right
If you know me, you know that I’m typically a morning workout girl…but I find that this is even more important during the colder months. For those of you who are not morning souls you may not find this applies to you…but I also encourage you to give it a shot for a couple weeks and see if you feel differently. There are times where I adapt my workouts to take place in the evenings, however when I train in the mornings I find most things about my day are better. Typically, I feel more awake, I am more focused throughout the day, I am more productive both at work and at home and I just feel better overall throughout the day. The hardest part of this through the winter is the actual getting out of bed part…which the next two tips may help with.
Laying My Clothes Out the Night Before
Yep, I do this too. Such a simple task and yet it makes a difference. I always find that when I lay my workout clothes out the night before it’s easier to get out of bed. I know that I don’t have to fumble around in the dark or go searching for anything…I just walk into the bathroom and get dressed. Easy, peasy.
Prepping for the Work Day the Night Before
Getting my stuff together for work the next day is another way I can help myself through the winter months when I’m not as motivated. This is one I’m working on getting better about doing every night, but I find that when I do get my stuff together it makes a difference in the morning. Putting together my lunch and packing my bag for work are the two big things that I will do the night before. Although it seems simple, I find that doing this the night before helps, especially if I hit the snooze button an extra time. If your looking for an extra 5-10 minutes in the morning…put your stuff for the next day together the night before. If you have to get kids stuff together too it may even save you more time.
Although the winter months can be a grind for a lot of people when it comes to staying on top of their fitness routine there are always ways to increase your likelihood of sticking with it. The tips I shared today are things that work for me but you may find they aren’t that effective for you…feel free to head over to my social media and share your favourite tips for combatting the winter blues!
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