Winter Exercise Motivation

Do you find winter months the hardest months to continue your exercise routine? There are so many factors that go into motivation to exercise but dark mornings and cold weather can be a total killer! It’s totally normal to lose motivation during winter so here is a list of tips to keep you motivated and to keep your fitness goals.

Do you work out outside?

Try doing a warm-up inside to warm yourself up before you head outside. This also helps prevent injury. Try doing a 10-minute warm-up in your home and then get outside for 20 minutes, just make sure you are bundled up. The CDC recommends 150 minutes of physical activity a week for adults. That is about 30 minutes a day for five days. Check out their website for more information on physical activity

Create a goal for yourself.

Maybe your goal is to increase exercise by 10 minutes a week. Start small and increase over time. The most common reason diets and exercise goals fail is that we set unrealistic goals for ourselves. Maybe set a goal to run a 10k by summer and train over the winter months running on the treadmill or outside. Remember tip number 1. Use a calendar to keep yourself on track and set weekly or monthly goals.

Invest in home gym equipment.

The New York Times states that “people with a home exercise machine were 73 percent more likely to start exercising.” Just having a machine or some type of equipment can increase your motivation and help you during cold months. A great way to find low-cost equipment is on Amazon, Walmart, Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace.

Find a workout buddy.

Having someone to workout with keeps you and them accountable. Find a friend who will motivate you and won’t let you cancel! The CDC found that having a workout buddy helps you feel motivated, makes you more adventurous, and more consistent.