6 easy tips to stay motivated with your fitness goals this Winter

As the weather gets colder, our desire to stay warm indoors can sometimes affect our exercise routines. Shorter daylight hours and longer nights mean that we often spend more time in bed, and less time getting our bodies moving. Your fitness level can easily drop. 

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some simple ways to keep motivated and stay active during winter. 

Tip 1: Create a winter fitness bucket list

One of the best ways to stay motivated is by setting fitness goals. As the winter chill starts to set in, you might want to make a bucket list of achievable goals to help you stay accountable. For example:

• Bench press 80 kilograms
• Swim 4 kilometres
• Make it to the gym 5 times in a week
• Go on 6 new hikes
• Jog 10 kilometres without stopping. 

Everyone’s bucket list will look different, and it’s important to set smart fitness goals that are relevant to your body and your capabilities. If you have never been to a gym before, maybe start out with one or two sessions per week, and then slowly build up the sessions as your body adapts. Or if you don’t usually go jogging, start out with a lighter pace and a shorter distance, and then slowly increase these things as your fitness improves. 

Setting unrealistic or clearly unattainable goals is pointless, as it will only harm your motivation and drain your body. Your muscles will already have a harder time adjusting to the cold air, so it’s important to be as practical as possible when setting your fitness goals for the winter months.

Tip 2: Wear your gym gear to bed (or always keep fresh gym gear in your car)

We all know the feeling of waking up to a blaring alarm while the room is still dark, and feeling a shock of cold air as we throw off our blankets. The last thing anyone wants to do is take off more layers when they’re already freezing, so that’s why it’s a good idea to sleep in your gym gear. 

One of the many benefits of gym gear is that it’s made of soft and pliable material, similar to our pyjamas. Waking up and knowing that you are already dressed and ready to go will give you that extra surge of motivation. If all you have to do is throw off your blanket and throw on your shoes, the idea of an early morning jog or gym session suddenly doesn’t seem so impossible. 

If you don’t like the idea of sleeping in your gym gear, another option is to keep your clothes in your car. You will always have them handy if you decide you’re in the mood for a workout. 

Tip 3: Join a fitness group or find a workout buddy

If you’re struggling to muster the enthusiasm to work out on your own, it might be helpful to link up with some like-minded people who are also looking to improve their fitness. You might want to look at joining a group fitness class. There’s a diverse range of to choose from, from Pilates and yoga to stimulate the mind and body, to a simple group cardio session to boost your heart rate and burn calories. 

But if a group fitness session doesn’t appeal to you, it’s a good idea to get together with a friend to do some winter exercise. Having another person around will help to keep you accountable, and knowing you have someone to talk to during your morning walk or afternoon gym session will make exercise seem less isolating. 

After all, no one said that exercise had to be a lonely experience. Exercise can be fun and social if you want it to be. It can improve your health and be an excuse to catch up with an old friend. Tell yourselves that you’ll catch up for a juice of coffee afterwards, and this will give you something to look forward to while you’re still jogging on the treadmill.

Tip 4: Exercise during your lunch break or after work

If dark, early mornings aren’t your thing, and you’re finding it particularly hard to leave the warmth and comfort of your bed, then there is always the option to exercise during your lunch hour. That 30-minute or 60-minute break in the middle of the day is the perfect opportunity for you to get outside and get moving. The sun is at its peak and the winter chill will be at its mildest.

Throw on some runners and go for a walk around your office building, or maybe even go for a light jog. It will provide you with the added benefits of fresh air and vitamin D – things we tend to lack during the winter months.

And if you’re wanting a longer workout or don’t want to sacrifice your lunch break, it’s a good idea to do some exercise after you finish work for the day. That’s why keeping your gym gear in your car is a great option, as you can easily get changed at work and then be ready to exercise. It also prevents you going home first and deciding you’re too tired or it’s too much hassle to go.  

Tip 5: Make use of indoor training facilities and pools

The great thing about winter exercise is that you don’t have to do it outside in the cold. Some people enjoy the fresh, brisk air, but others prefer to exercise in a milder environment. This is where indoor facilities can be especially useful. Indoor gyms and indoor pools provide warmth during the chillier months, meaning that you don’t have to sacrifice your comfort just because it’s winter. 

Tip 6: Use music as motivation (from the moment you wake up)

There’s a good chance that music is already a part of your fitness routine. Listening to music while you exercise doesn’t just reduce boredom; it can also increase your stamina and improve the quality of your workout. But many of us aren’t utilising the power of music when we truly need it: when we’re struggling to get out of bed. 

By replacing your standard, grating alarm tone with a song that’s stirring and upbeat, you’ll be less inclined to hit the ‘snooze’ button, and more inclined to get up and get moving. Keep the music playing while you get ready (or while you walk out to the car because you’ve slept in your gym gear). It’s harder to remember the cold when you’re distracted by your favourite pump-up song for the week. 

And there are mental health benefits too!

It can be frustrating, especially when you’re getting up every morning in the freezing cold, to not see immediate results from your workout sessions. A lot of people feel disheartened when they don’t lose weight or begin to feel “fit” right away, and this can cause their motivation to wane. However, it’s important to remember that physical benefits can take a longer time to achieve, and that’s completely normal. 

Just because you’re not achieving your goal weight within a matter of days, or feeling like you can run a marathon after a few weeks, doesn’t mean that you’re not benefiting from your workout sessions. Exercise can improve your mental health, and the impact can be immediate. From just one workout session, you can feel less stressed, more relaxed, and happier. That’s because when we exercise, our bodies release chemicals such as endorphins and serotonin. Those chemicals improve our mood. 

So, if you’re feeling your mood start to sour during the winter months, just remember that exercising will help to pull you out of your slump. Healthier really does equal happier! If you’re overwhelmed about where to start, there are several online resources to help you, as well as fitness guidelines and recommendations for different age groups.

How we can help

HBF Stadium in Mount Claremont has all the facilities you need to stay fit and healthy this winter, including:

• heated indoor and outdoor pools,
• a state-of-the-art gym where you can choose to either workout yourself or join one of our diverse range of group fitness classes. 

Contact us today to find out more or simply drop in to check out all our facilities. We’d love to see you!