Don't let winter beat your fitness goals

If you are one of those winter morning warriors, I say kudos to you. You do what you have to do to get it done, and if that means making it happen first thing in the morning, then not only is it a great way to start the day, but it means there are no excuses at the end of the day. 

I don't often get my fitness regime done in the morning because of my work, but I am all for training in the morning before you give yourself a million excuses not to by the end of the working day. 

Regardless of whether it’s early morning or not, it still can be hard to stick to your workout routine during the winter because of the natural tendency to want to hibernate. 

If you need an extra boost, use these eight tips for staying motivated for your winter workouts.

1.Diarise your workout days

Decide on the weekend what days you are going to exercise and then set these in your phone diary. Set an alarm, and get yourself ready for your next day the night before so there are no excuses!

2. Keep track on your fitness app

Most of us these days are wearing some sort of fitness tracker. Keep track – record how far you’ve come by tracking your workouts and nutrition. Make it personal, too, by writing down how good you feel immediately after a good workout.

3. Socialise your achievements

Make an announcement – celebrate milestones on social media. Just the milestones! The compliments you receive will boost your confidence and give you motivation for the next week of workouts.

4. Get your thermals on

Buy new workout clothes – a set of compression pants, a thermal top and a beanie. Wear these in the morning and you will start to shred layers once you have warmed up!

5. Increase your cardio intensity

Start your session with a good dynamic warm up to get the body moving and to awaken your senses! Then do some jogging on the spot or light skipping (with or without a rope) to increase your heart rate - a sure way to keep you warm and energised at the same time!

6. Reflect on how far you have come

Reflect on where you are at right now. Reflect on how far you have come. Reflect on what it will take to get it back if you give it up for the winter months.

7. Write out where you want to be! 

Think about where you want to be in September and whether you are prepared to start again. This should motivate you to keep up the good work all winter long.

8. Train with a mate

Ask your trainer for 1:1 sessions or small group sessions and train with a bunch of mates. Nothing like achieving your fitness goals with a training buddy to keep you accountable.

Finally, consider that instead of fighting against these colder months, finding a way to go with the flow and look for more creative ways to still make fitness a priority during the colder months will mean that you will stick to your goals and feel better come the spring time. 

Remember June 21st is the shortest day of the year - it’s all uphill from there!