How to fight the winter blues

It can be difficult to find the motivation to train during winter. Not only is it often dark and cold, but you’ll often be wearing thick, concealing clothing. No one will see if you put on a few kilos right?
Stopping your training during winter means you have to fight so much harder to get back to your desired body shape and fitness in preparation for summer. It’s much easier to maintain a healthy routine than to try and break bad habits. Additionally, training helps to keep you both physically and mentally healthy, which is a year-long priority!
So how can you keep yourself motivated and maintain your training throughout winter? Read on to find out!

Find a Motivating Friend Group
We’re heavily influenced by the people we associate with in everyday life. That’s why it’s important to find the right group of people to train with. A friend group will help motivate you on days when you’re struggling to find the motivation to train and you can hold each other accountable to a regular training schedule. It also means you can look forward to having some fun and a good laugh when you get to train together! If you prefer a more personalised approach, a personal trainer can help you keep motivated and working towards your goals during the colder months.
Finding the right motivation for you to keep you accountable to your training during winter will help you stay consistent in working towards your goals.

Prep Your Gear the Night Before
Try organising your clothes and gym bag the night before your workout. If you train in the morning you could try sleeping in your gym clothes, meaning you don’t need to motivate yourself to change in the cold. If you train at night, having your gear prepared and with you at work or university means you can head straight to the gym after you’re done. If you have to go searching around for your gym gear or have to head home before you go to the gym, you’re less likely to get out the door and get a training session in.
By having all your gear prepared and ready to go, you have one less excuse holding you back from your training.

Brighten Up Your Morning
Waking up on a dark early morning can be demotivating, and it becomes very easy to decide you’re too tired to train. There are alarm clocks which are designed to mimic a sunrise by gradually increasing their brightness as it gets closer to your pre-set wake up time. This way you don’t need to shock your body by flicking on your bright lights, and you are able to wake up gradually as if the sun is rising. Some smart lightbulbs can be programmed to perform a similar feature. These can usually be installed in your existing light fixtures and lamps, and controlled via your smartphone.
By waking up in a brighter environment, you can make it less of a struggle to get yourself out of bed and into the gym.

Reshape Your Warm Up
Wearing multiple, thin layers to the gym is also a handy tip. By doing this, you can arrive at the gym in comfort, but gradually remove the layers as you warm up. This way you can arrive at the gym nice and warm, but not have to sweat it out in thicker winter clothing during your actual workout.

​It doesn’t need to be stated that it gets cold in winter. Because of this, you may find that you feel stiffer than usual. Your muscles become stiffer, and blood flow is reduced in the extremities to help preserve your core body temperature. Try warming up for a bit longer, and increasing your mobility time in winter. This will help increase your blood flow to your muscles and increase the elasticity in your muscles. Not only will this prepare you physically and mentally for the workout, but also helps prevent any unnecessary injuries you may get from an incomplete warm up.

Just Do It!
Training during winter can be tough, but it doesn’t have to be. Equip yourself with the right tools and mindset to ensure you get the most out of your training during the colder months. Keep consistent with your training and continue to work towards your goals!