The nights are getting darker, the temperature is dropping and the ‘no carbs before marbs’ or ‘getting that summer bod’ posts on facebook are slowly disappearing, it’s official – winter is coming! And with the idea of cosying up inside or hitting the starbucks lattes hard, the thought of hitting the gym or craving a salad just doesn’t seem likely. Sound familiar? Then like many of us, you have hit the post summer slump. Tired and lacking motivation to exercise, and wanting those home food comforts to cosy you up in the autumnal chilly nights. It happens to us all and although an extra layer of insulation may seem ideal for the hibernating months, it will only make it more difficult to get next year’s ‘summer bod’ on the go alongside leaving you with less and less energy to keep you workout goals going.
So our aim here, is to make your life a little bit easier with the following tips so you can keep your exercise motivation strong:
1. The ‘One New Thing’ Rule
Have you ever wanted to take that hot yoga class you never got around to doing? Or pay a visit to the pole dance studio that you were too shy to check out? Get over your fears and just do it. Take a friend if you’re too intimated, or go find a new location where you don’t know anyone. It could be a great way to meet new friends and a sure way of getting out of your comfort zone. Plus, doing new things is exciting and can even give you a little adrenaline rush, which is bound to wake you up and get you going! Try and do one new thing a day/week/month, whatever your schedule allows. But just get out there and get doing, you may just find a new amazing hobby that doesn’t make you drag your feet just to get up in the morning.
2. Stop Overthinking It
In my experience, thinking and debating and planning can sometimes seriously backfire. Some of us are prone to over-analyse: do I really want to go to the gym right now? I don’t have my right shoes. I can’t find my favourite sports-bra. I didn’t sleep enough. The trick is to stop thinking about the immediate future. Put on your workout clothes, keep your mind occupied with anything but what you’re about to do, and voìla, you find yourself at the gym twenty minutes later. And why would you leave once you’re there already? Outsmart your brain!
3. Find a Friend
I’m sure you’ve heard this one before, but it’s a golden rule: you don’t bail on a friend if you’ve made a.m. running plans. They won’t forgive you if they had to get up at the break of dawn just for you to still be snoozing away in your bed. Not cool. If you don’t have any crazy fitness friends, find a local running club, athletics group or bootcamp. There’s always like-minded people around, and it’s up to you to find them!
4. Set New Goals
Regardless of what sport you’re into, it helps to have a goal, or at least a plan. You’re a hundred times more likely to do that 8-mile-run if it is written black on white on a piece of paper, rather than just an abstract idea in my mind. So find some paper and a pen, and write down some goals. It could be anything from doing 10 push-ups every day to going for a swim at least once a week or stretching more often. It also helps to have a more concrete goal, like: I want to be able to do the splits by the end of August, or I want to complete a half-marathon by October. Write down what you need to do to get there, and get there!
5. Buy Some Cute Workout Clothes
Spend some extra money on those super cute running shorts, or get that overpriced but insanely-adorable shirt that you usually wouldn’t buy. Spending all that money on something that you don’t use, would make you feel worse than actually getting your butt off the couch to do that workout. You want your purchase to pay off and you can’t really wear those short tights to work now, can you? Also, it’s a sure way to show off your new workout gear and impress the cute guy at the gym you’ve been pining after for a while now.
6. Appreciate More
Remember how lucky you are that you get to move and go outside. The absence of pain is a pleasure that most of the time we take for granted. Some people can’t even walk and here we are complaining about not wanting to make an effort to move a bit. Nobody said you have to go out there and climb Mount Everest – a thirty-minute walk will do the trick too!
Most importantly, you should try to find your own motivation to work out again. It might be hard at first, but really, anything can be practiced – even your will power. There is a reason there’s the saying ‘You fake it till you make it’ – everybody has to start somewhere!
Remember: Fitness isn’t a punishment, it’s a privilege. It’s a privilege to be strong, both mentally and physically, to be your best possible self, and to be limitless in what you do. So get out there and just do it! If you need an extra hand to get you going then get in touch with us now for a personally tailored nutrition and exercise plan, to join our fitness bootcamps or to take part in our brand new adventure – Barre Fitness classes. These are ballet inspired workout classes that are a whole new ball game to fitness and will get you working out like you’ve never done before.
Whatever you do, just get out there!
– Global Health Promotions –