Winter workout motivation

With the days getting shorter and the weather getting colder. It can be especially hard to convince yourself to get some exercise. It feels like the motivation isn’t there anymore. All bundled up in puffy jackets and pants means nobody would even notice if you put on a few pounds during the winter months. That may be true, but it is still beneficial for you in the long term to continue a regular workout routine. To stay motivated to workout during the winter, consider enlisting the help of a qualified personal trainer.

Finding the motivation to work out in the darker days of winter is tough. By the time you get off work, there isn’t much daylight left to enjoy, and you don’t want to waste it by being inside the gym, even if it is a little cold out. If this sounds like you, consider how you might be able to get out and use the daylight wisely.

If you live within a reasonable distance to work, consider jumping on a pushbike or walking. Apart from the physical benefits of being active throughout the day, there are many psychological and mental health benefits as well. Even 30-minutes outside can significantly benefit your mood and happiness. A workout with a NDIS personal trainer in one of the many parks around Melbourne is excellent.

Dress in Layers The good thing about the cold is that you can always put more layers on to stay warm. During the summer, there is only so much clothing to remove before becoming indecent! Layering is key to staying warm, especially when working out. As you get going, your body will start to warm up, and you might need to start shedding layers to better regulate your body temperature. To layer most effectively, use clothing made from synthetic material such as polyester and spandex. These wick away moisture, keeping you warmer and comfortable.

For example, your base layer, or the layer that is closest to the skin, put on a well fitted polyester long-sleeved shirt. On top of that, you could put on a synthetic short-sleeved shirt, and finally a jumper. This layering strategy will be effective at trapping heat and keeping it close to your body.

For windy or rainy days, you can swap out the jumper for a hard-shell jacket. Remember, it is a lot easier to remove layers than to put on layers you didn’t bring with you.

Exercise
Before going outside for a jog or bike ride, you should perform a quick warm-up routine to gradually increase heart rate and get muscles ready to do some work. This is even more important when it is cold out and muscles become more prone to cramping and tightness. Any workout with a personal trainer will include some sort of warm-up and cool-down routine.

Colder weather provides a great opportunity to work on your cardiovascular fitness. Cooler temperatures make it less stressful on the body to go further and faster than you would during the summer. Distance races start early in the morning for good reason. The Dubai marathon starts at 6am in the middle of winter to avoid the scorching desert heat. When you are out, don’t forget to continue drinking water even though you might not be hot and sweaty. You still need water to perform basic bodily functions.

Diet
To go along with exercise, you need a good diet. Without one or the other, you could be missing out on the best return for investment. A good diet will help fuel your workouts and manage weight and muscle development. When the temperature starts to drop, comfort food starts to look more and more delicious. Potatoes, pizza, and kebab are hard to resist during the best of times, but when will power starts to decrease, it is even easier to have food delivered to your door.

Comfort food can be a temporary escape from some dreary winter weather, but over time it can cancel out the physical work you’ve put in to be healthy. Your body will start to be unhappy. There are plenty of healthy recipes that take nutritious food and turn it into something warm and delicious. Just the thing you were craving but packed with healthy whole foods. Grilled vegetables and couscous or hearty chicken and vegetable soup are some quick and easy warm meals to have on a cold night. Slow cooked stews can be a low effort meal for the whole family, just be cautious about sodium content.

Be deliberate about keeping whole foods on hand so they are easy to quick grab for a snack instead of grabbing a bag of chips. Mangoes might not be in season, but there are plenty of other good fruits to pick from. Apples and bananas are a staple.

Life Can Get In The Way Sometimes, life gets the better of you and you just don’t have the time, energy, or motivation to get a workout in. This happens to everyone and doesn’t reflect negatively on your commitment to living a healthy lifestyle. In fact, it is healthy to have days off so that you can focus on the other important things in your life that make you, you.

Performance studies show that missing a couple of workouts won’t dramatically decrease your development and progress. As long as you get back into a workout routine in a reasonable amount of time, you won’t lose a significant amount of fitness.

Also, don’t feel like you need to make up for missed workouts by increasing reps or intensity when you start again. This is a great way to overwork muscles and potentially cause an injury. The path to fitness is a long journey, and being injured will not help you.

Your best bet to see healthy and fast results is to consult with a NDIS approved physical trainer. A qualified physical trainer near Melbourne will be able to create a personalized workout and lifestyle plan to help you achieve your goals. From your home, local park, or our own studio, a mobile one-on-one personal trainer can guide you through targeted workouts that will work best for you.

To find a mobile personal trainer in Malvern, Armadale, Toorak, or anywhere across Melbourne contact Get Going Personal Trainers for a free at strategy session! There’s never been a better time to enlist the help of a personal trainer to help motivate and coach you to fitness this season.