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How To Get Motivated To Exercise In the Chilly Weather

Ah, winter. ‘Tis the season to lose all exercise motivation. Because, while our friends on the other side of the globe are busy working on their tans, us folk here in Australia are settling in for a long, cold few months. It goes without saying that when the weather starts to drop, so too does our enthusiasm for anything that involves crawling out from under the doona.

But, we need to. Because exercise is important for both our physical and mental health. And it’s a great way to dodge the pesky flu or winter blues.

If, like me, you’re struggling to maintain the fitness routine you perfected in summer, don’t worry. Here’s a bunch of ways to stop hitting the snooze button, give yourself a nudge and keep moving through the cold months.

Set A Plan You Have To Stick To

Often the hardest part of exercising is deciding to do it. Once that’s out of the way, the rest is easy (sort of). The next time you go to hit the gym, think about why you’re doing it. Do you want to improve your fitness? Boost your energy levels? Deal with stress? Whatever your goals, write them down and create a plan to get there. Even just adding the workouts into your diary will make sticking to them a whole lot easier. 

Stay Inside

Cold weather doesn’t mean you can’t exercise. If all you see outside your window is dark and drizzly, or you don’t have a gym membership, your next best option is to get sweaty from the comfort of your own home. Remember, the internet is a wonderful thing. Do a quick YouTube search for home workouts and you’ll find heaps of simple exercises that can be done with zero equipment and little to no space.

Book A Trip Somewhere Warm

Finding motivation to exercise is way easier when you have something you’re working towards. In winter, a tropical holiday can be the shining light at the end of the freezing tunnel, and just the incentive you need to #shred. So, if you’re stuck in an Aussie winter rut, book a trip to follow the sun. Once you have that date circled in your calendar, you’ll have all the motivation you need to get moving.

Recruit A Buddy

Sure, you can convince yourself to skip just this one workout. You’re cozy in bed and it’s cold. You’ll go tomorrow, right? It’s much harder, on the other hand, to cancel on a friend. If you’re struggling to motivate yourself, finding an exercise buddy can give you an incentive (other than exercise) to stay active. Look for someone who has similar fitness goals, who will vow to keep you in check, and fill your group chat with inspirational quotes.

Look For Fitspo Online

If you jump on Instagram right now, you’ll find a bunch of tanned, smiling people working out in the European or American summer. They’re sweating it out on a weekend hike, hitting the beach for boot camp, or taking a mid-vacation Pilates class. Instead of going on an unfollowing spree, use their picture-perfect workouts as inspiration for your own exercise.

Image Source: NBC

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