We all know the story. You’ve been deeply committed to your workout regime through the year, making great progress, seeing results, and then it happens. Winter hits.
Even the most committed athlete can have trouble keeping up with their workout regime once the temperatures dip below a certain point. The days become short and dark and the freezing cold makes it hard to want to get out of bed and face the day.
What are some winter exercise tips you can use to get over the formidable hump of a winter workout? Read on and we’ll walk you through a few basics that might be exactly what you need to know.
Create An Encouraging Environment
Are you the kind of person who jumps into exercising more or less first thing in the morning? That might be pretty difficult to do if your room is dark and cold and you feel the great temptation to reach for the snooze button.
Getting over this morning hump is all about fostering an environment for yourself that will push you to get out of bed and into your workout. There are many ways to do this.
For one, it can be a huge help to prepare as much as possible for your workout before you go to bed. Have your clothes laid out at an easy to grab location, your water bottle filled up, your shoes by the door.
Putting this work in at night will make it much harder to shirk the responsibility the next morning. Treat your work out as an appointment you simply can’t miss and you’ll propel yourself forward into positive progress.
You might also want to enlist goods that can brighten up your room in the morning. There are some alarm clocks that will turn on all your lights for you, which might be a good investment.
You might also want to consider setting music to turn on when you get up or some other method of getting yourself energized and out from under the covers.
Exercise With Others
Sometimes it’s just too difficult to find the motivation to work out all on your own. Instead, what you could really use is the help of a friend (or many of them!).
Finding a workout buddy or workout group to be a part of is a great way to hold yourself accountable and force yourself into working out even when you don’t feel like facing the cold.
Skipping a session can be much more difficult if you have to convince others that you aren’t up for it. There’s an element of social pressure that can be good and can push you to follow through on reaching your fitness goals.
In addition to that little bit of peer pressure, you can also look to these other individuals for support and encouragement. It can help to make your work out fun, which can help you to forget the less than stellar weather surrounding you.
Dress Right
If you’re planning on working out outdoors, you need to make sure you have the right gear. Otherwise, you’re bound to be left feeling cold, uncomfortable, and ready to give up on your workout entirely.
What kind of gear do you need?
Most likely, you’ll want to invest in sweat-wicking fabrics to help prevent yourself from getting damp (and then cold). Breathable fabrics will help keep you cool, and windproof materials on top of it all will help break off some of that cool air hitting your body. You’ll want to keep a few workout towels nearby you as well.
Make sure to wear socks that can keep your feet warm and protect your hands and ears as needed. When these extremities get cold, it can make it difficult for your entire body to keep things at a proper temperature.
Finding the right balance between layering up and keeping cool can be difficult as the colder weather comes on. Don’t get frustrated if you don’t get the balance quite right at first. Remember, it’s always better to wear more than you think you’ll need — you can always take it off! The reverse, on the other hand, isn’t true.
Move It Inside Your Home If Need Be
Most people don’t prefer working out at home. Getting out of the house can be a necessary step to be able to focus and get the space needed to exercise properly.
However, there might become a certain point where exercising indoors is unavoidable. When temperatures hit below thirty degrees, it might actually be unhealthy for you to go through a full workout outside.
For the winter months, it might be a better idea to move around furniture in your home and create a solid workout space you can rely on. Throw down a yoga mat, bring in a few weights, and invest in a treadmill if you have the extra cash.
With this space created, you’ll be able to get a solid workout in no matter what the temperature outside is. Plus, you’ll be able to set your thermostat to whatever you need to help you get out of bed in the morning and into your workout space.
Cutting out the time needed for a commute can make it easier to work a proper exercise routine into your schedule as well.
Key Winter Exercise Tips
Even if you’re a fitness freak, it can be difficult to find the enthusiasm for working out once the cooler months of the year come on. Integrating a few of the above winter exercise tips might help make it a bit easier to hit your fitness goals even when the temperatures get tough to manage.
Need more fitness tips and tricks? Keep scrolling our blog for more.