As we hunker down into the dark days of winter, it can seem harder than ever to prioritize your health and make it to FitClub for your workout. Whether you’ve been pursuing your fitness goals for years, or getting fit is your New Year’s resolution, FitClub has five easy ways to motivate yourself to exercise this winter that can help everyone get healthier!
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Lay your workout clothes out before you go to bed. Staying in a warm bed is far too easy when you’re workout clothes are scattered about or still in drawers. Set your workout clothes by the alarm clock or coffee pot to make it as easy as possible to pull yourself out of your warm house in the early morning hours. Setting your alarm clock to play your workout playlist and leaving your workout clothes in a place you’ll see upon waking will remind you of the promise you made to yourself the night before and help you eliminate any excuses.
Build a support system. Make a date with your friends that you can’t miss. Having someone to hold you accountable makes a tremendous difference when it’s dark and cold out. Even if you don’t have an “in person” workout buddy, post your intentions on Facebook and then check in once you make it there. Having an online social network that knows you intended to work out in the morning can be all you need to get out of bed. A little bit of social media bragging is completely expected this winter when you’re chasing your goals instead of hibernating.
Create a warmup routine. It’s not just your skin that’s cold in the winter, but your muscles, too. Create a warmup routine that feels more like play than work. Jump rope, do jumping jacks, or whatever feels good to your body. As your muscles begin to warm up, you’ll quickly forget how cold it is outside, making it easier to look forward to your next workout.
Create a long-term goal with built in smaller goals. Want to be in shape for summer? That’s a great goal, but what are your mini-goals that you can work towards one week or one month at a time? A long term goal might make it easier for you to skip a workout when it’s cold and dark. To ensure that you’ll hit your long-term goals, create smaller, shorter goals that you need to reach one week or one month at a time. The less time you have to achieve your next small goal, the easier it will be to recognize the significance of every single day.
Hire a personal trainer and make a commitment to your health. Scheduling a regular routine with a personal trainer will eliminate any decision-making that you might otherwise need to plan your workout. Not only can personal trainers help you reach your goals more quickly, knowing that you’ve made a commitment to work with a professional will make it far too difficult to skip a workout!
