Five Ways to Stay Motivated and Fit During Winter

Byangela @marathonsandmotivation
15 Comments

Happy Monday, I hope you had a great weekend! It was cold and snowy here and I had to stick to the treadmill for running. Not to mention, I am stuck on my bike trainer and the indoor pool from now until Spring! I definitely found myself lacking in motivation to workout. When it starts to get colder and it gets dark earlier, it can be hard to stay motivated enough to exercise. It got me thinking about different ways to stay on track with training. So, today I am sharing Five Ways to Stay Motivated and Fit During Winter.

Five Ways to Stay Motivated and Fit During Winter

1. Find a Workout Buddy- One of the best ways to motivate yourself is to find a friend who wants to stay on track to! Having someone work out alongside you means you're less likely to to skip a workout. 

2. Join A Gym- I do love running outside, even in winter. However, when it is icy, I know it is best to head to the treadmill at the gym. I had a friend that ended up having knee surgery for a torn meniscus after slipping while running last winter! So, joining a gym is a great way to ensure you get in your workout despite the weather. If you're worried about having to join on a contract, find a gym that allows you to pay as you go, or cancel your membership at anytime.

3. Make Sure to Eat Nutrient Dense Foods- Sticking to a healthy diet can be hard during winter, especially over the Holidays. Maintaining a nutritious diet will not only help motivate you, but it will also help prevent the dreaded winter weight gain. If you're finding it hard to stay on track, and you're eating in between meals here are some healthy snacking ideas.

4. Find A Home Exercise Routine- Again, if you don't want to exercise outside, finding a way you can workout at home is a great way to ensure you stay on top of things. There are a lot of different ways you can exercise in the comfort of your own home. For example, following exercise videos or an online workout routine is very convenient!  

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5. Set Winter Fitness Goals- Setting goals is a great way to keep you motivated as it will help you stay on track. I know that I personally have a hard time getting myself to the pool when it is really cold out. So every year I sign up for a Swim Challenge that runs from November to February at the club where I swim. This is a huge motivator to get me to the pool as I know I need to hit a certain number of yards each week or I will not be able to complete the challenge.

So Tell Me...

How do you stay motivated and fit during the winter? What is your favorite exercise during the colder months?

Thank you so much for stopping by! As always, I would really love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. Have a Great Week!

 

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15 Comments

  1. 'Great post! I enjoy distance running. A tip for cold morning runs is to wear your running pants as pajamas. When you wake up, your pants are on and they are already warm! It's funny how a little bit of warmth can make a big difference! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
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  2. To stay motivated during the winter, I definitely try to keep myself energized with doing a bunch of different workouts, so I don't hit a plateau. I do some running (if it's not too cold outside), strength training, and spinning. I really need to get back on the mate and practice some more yoga. GREAT POST!
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  3. Ugh, winter. It really does make me feel way less motivated to do anything. I try to make some goals for myself and also allow myself to do whatever I feel like when it comes to exercise instead of having a strict schedule. It allows my legs to get a good amount or rest and me to get some good cross training in. Then I feel extra ready to start training hard for races again in the spring.
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  4. These are great tips! I always workout inside all year round, but I can see how people can miss working out during the workout!
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  6. When I lived in BRUTAL temps, a gym was my staple motivator - granted a gym ALWAYS IS but it is so so so helpful for when the weather is just too dang frigid yet you want to get in a great workout!
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  7. Hi Angela! I totally agree with you, great tips. I'm a crossfit trainner and a self-defense instructor, my clients hold me accountable to keep exercising no matter what ( and vice versa), I think it's a good idea to join a self-defense class or try crossfit. They actually keep us fit in the winter without going outside.
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  8. These are great tips! To stay motivated during the winter I usually join a step challenge or I sign up for a race so that I can train through the cold weather months.
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  9. I'm a big believer in at-home workouts, so I have most everything I need under my roof. I also treat the winter as an off-season, so my workouts aren't too intense to make excuses for or avoid. I always try to get at least 20-30 minutes of cardio everyday, even it's just a power walk on the treadmill (if it's too cold or icy outside).
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  10. I'm a die hard ultrarunner...but I'm also a gym rat! I lift 5 days a week and don't hate the cardio equipment. So from a fitness standpoint, I don't have a hard time staying motivated to workout. But getting my long runs done outdoors when it's freezing cold? Yeah….I definitely lack motivation there!
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  11. To be honest, we run opposite here. Winter is optimal running time while summer is when our motivation tends to melt out the door. It's taking a little bit of time to get used to the frost outside, but it's a welcome change from all the humidity and heat!
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  12. I definitely need to set some winter/spring goals to help me to get more motivated this winter. Being a gym member has helped me a ton because it enables variety in the winter workouts-spinning, crossfit , yoga . . .
    Reply
  13. great tips! I run all year round but yes, it is harder to get out there sometimes in the cold and dark! my favourite fall/winter movement is going to the gym for RPM! I never thought I would love spinning as much as I do but it really helps keep you fit, in case you are running less!
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  15. Very interesting article for stay motivated even in winter, I really appreciate the idea of finding a buddy for workout because I am one of those people who thinks let it go I will do after sometime but when someone else is there than that work has more priority then any other so this is something really helpful for me.
    Reply

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