As the weather turns and the nights close in with the onset of winter, it’s easy to lose your motivation to keep going. If, however, you lose your momentum, then it’s really difficult to get back on the horse and keep powering on towards your fitness targets. That’s why we’ve got one of our fantastic Personal Trainers, Group Exercise Managers and host of The Everyone Active Podcast, Jo Hancock to take us through here top tips to winter-proof your workout.
Tips to Winter-Proof your Workout
Whatever the season, it’s really important to maintain your motivation and that holds especially true when winter sets in. The nights close in and the weather turns, making it much more difficult to find the get up and go to keep your activity schedule on track. Well, with our top tips to winter-proof your workout, that’s all a thing of the past! Watch the video and read on to find out how to keep your motivation going throughout the year.
Supercharge your Winter Sunlight Intake
Sunlight is incredibly good for you. It’s proven to improve mood and motivation but, as the clocks have changed and the nights are closing in, there’s less natural light about. That means it’s really important to maximise the amount of natural light you get at this time of year – especially in the first two hours after you’ve woken up. It’s so important because it releases serotonin, which boost energy, improves mood and will help keep you motivated!
There’s loads of ways you can do this, such as parking a little further away from the office or the gym. This means you just spend a little longer in the open air, soaking up those rays, as well as getting those steps up!
Once you’re in the gym, maybe you can work out, warm up or cool down by the window? This will help boost the amount of natural light you’re taking in and keep those serotonin levels up. Finally, we know being next to a window or outside isn’t always an option, so perhaps consider investing in a light box? It’s important to clear this with your colleagues and your GP first – if you live with light sensitivity – however!
Keep on top of your Winter Nutrition
Keeping on top of what you eat is important whatever the season and winter is no exception. You may feel the urge to take solace in comfort foods and that’s fine occasionally, but most of the time, it’s important to eat a balanced diet. You want your plate to be colourful and packed with carbohydrates, fibre, proteins and good fats. A great example of a balanced meal is a tuna jacket potato with salad. Naturally you can swap the tuna with other plant-based proteins, such as a three-bean chilli or a lentil ragu to meet your dietary requirements if you wish.
It’s also absolutely vital to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated throughout the day, whatever the temperature may be outside.
Sense of Community
One of the best ways to stay motivated – whether that’s in the winter or throughout the rest of the year is to exercise with other people. Whether that’s with friends regularly, in one of our fantastic group exercise classes, with a Personal Trainer, in a Small Group Training session or any one of the many other ways you can exercise in a group with Everyone Active, that sense of community will help keep you coming back and keep your motivation high throughout the tough winter months.
So however you like to exercise and however tough it gets this winter, why not give some of these top tips a try to help winter-proof your workout?