Lacking motivation to exercise in the cooler months? We are certainly starting to see dark mornings and less light, which means we are faced with the temptation to roll over and hit that snooze button! Trust me we are all guilty of that! Here are my top tips for keeping motivated this winter:
1/ Set a Goal
Having a short term goal to work towards will help you keep focused and on track. During winter is the prime season for run events such as the City 2 Surf, Blackmores Running Festival. Or maybe you want to shed a few kilos? Whatever your goal may be, having a clear vision and a strong WHY that goal is important to you is going to keep you pushing closer toward achieving it.
2/ Get a Trainer
Personal trainers are a great way to keep yourself accountable to your goal. Personal training can be expensive, so why not get a group of friends together and split the cost or join a group class?
3/ Focus on the Benefits
It’s all too easy to curl up on the sofa than to head outside and train, but the endorphins released whilst training will make it well worth the effort! Fun fact: A study by Northern Arizona University found that training in cold weather helps train your lungs and whole body to utilise oxygen more efficiently, which helps boost your overall athletic performance. The researchers found that regular training in cold weather had the potential to add an average of 29% to athletes running speed.
4/ Switch Things Up
Lack of motivation can often come from boredom so why not change things up in how you exercise? Whether it is boxing, pilates or a yoga class that you have always wanted to do, you should go do it! Grab a friend to go with and make it fun!
5/ Reward Yourself
Set yourself a BIG GOAL and break it down into MICRO GOALS. And when you reach those goals, treat yourself! Now I am not saying to reward yourself with unhealthy foods as you don’t want to undo all your hard work (self discipline is definitely required here!), but maybe its that new dress or shoes you’ve been admiring?
This post was written by Jess Cross of Sportif, an outdoor group training program in Balmoral and Mosman.
Sportif is French for Athletic! Jess believes that everyone should have the opportunity to meet the athlete they’ve always had in them! Jess offers outdoor one-on-one and small group personal training sessions that incorporate functional, high-intensity training and conditioning.
Book your first session here: http://sportif.net.au/
