As the weather gets cooler, it becomes harder and harder to stick to an exercise routine. Here are 7 tips to help keep you motivated this winter.
1. Take a Group Class
Group classes are fabulous for keeping you motivated and encourage you to work harder than you might normally work on your own. All you have to do is get yourself to the class and the instructor will take care of the rest. Having other people in the class also improves motivation as you don’t want to be the only one not doing the particular exercise!
2. Set-up a Regular Booking
Many studios will allow you to setup a permanent or regular booking for particular classes. This means that there is no effort required to book yourself into a class, you just simply book-out if you can’t make it. A permanent booking will get you into a regular routine and you will be more likely to stick to it if you are already booked in.
3. Exercise With a Friend
Organise to meet up with a friend and exercise together. You are much less likely to cancel if you think that you will let someone else down. Working out with a friend is also usually more enjoyable and the social aspect will give you something to look forward to.
4. Exercise Indoors
There are many great activities that you can do indoors, from group classes to indoor team sports. If your exercise is indoors, the cold weather will be less likely to put you off.
5. Schedule Your Exercise into Your Diary
If your exercise is pre-organised and already scheduled into your diary or calendar, you will automatically keep that time free, ensuring that you make time for exercise each week.
6. Schedule Something After Your Exercise
Reward yourself for exercising by scheduling something fun straight after your exercise session. Ideas include meeting up with a friend for a coffee, seeing a movie, getting a manicure… the list is endless! You will be so focussed on the reward at the end of the exercise session that you won’t want to skip the exercise.
7. Eat Soup!
During the cooler months, many people turn to unhealthy comfort food to warm-up. Soup can be a great hearty meal that is packed full of vegetables and nutrients but still gives you that ‘comfort’ feeling. Stay tuned for some fantastic healthy soup recipes in an upcoming blog post.
