Winter Workout Motivation: How To Keep Your Health And Fitness On Track This Winter
The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting colder, and the holiday season is here. We’ve all got every excuse in the book to skip workouts, overindulge, and generally let ourselves go! But, we’re not going to do that! No, not us! We are healthy, we are determined, we are the Fit1 community and we’re going to keep ourselves on track this winter! We are NOT GOING TO WAIT FOR SOME “NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS” (because that’s a bunch of hooey!) Here’s how we’re going to do it
Set a Goal!
This doesn’t mean you need to run a marathon this Christmas (but go for it if that’s your goal!), it just means that you have to set a SMART, tangible goal for yourself. Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time specific. May we suggest that you set a goal of getting to bootcamp four times per week? That’s only 3 weekdays (mornings or nights) and Karma class on Saturdays. We know, four bootcamps a week sounds like a lot… but with all of the scheduling options, it’s do-able! Four bootcamps a week will keep you on track throughout the holiday season! Plus, it’s always better to set a goal that’s a little higher than you think you can reach…. “shoot for the moon, if you miss at least you’ll land among the stars”.
This writer’s goal is to do a handstand (without the wall!) by the end of February! Is this SMART and do-able?! You betcha!
Be Prepared!
If you’re going to get up and go to bootcamp in the morning, feel free to sleep in your gym clothes… we won’t judge! That way you’ll be warm and toasty and you can just throw on your parka in the morning and head out the door. Or, lay out your clothes the night before, you can even put them on or near a heating vent (just don’t burn your house down on our advice!) If you’re working out after work, don’t let yourself fall into the temptation of going home first! Bring your gym gear to work, and head straight from the office to the gym! It’s cold, it’s dark, don’t let yourself make excuses for going home and laying on the couch!
Reward Yourself!
There’s nothing quite like the reward of actually accomplishing your goals… but rewarding yourself with an activity or little gift is the cherry on top! Plan for a non-food related reward for meeting your goals! You might even want to plan an interval goal – so half way through meeting your final goal, reward yourself! An example of this is: if your goal is to do a handstand by the end of February, if you meet the goal of practicing four times a week for four weeks straight, you might reward yourself with a new book you’ve been thinking about, or maybe even a new exercise top. When you meet your big goal reward yourself with something you’ve really been wanting to do – like a trip to the aquarium with your family, or a trip to your favourite sports store, or a ski day!
There are a million and one excuses, and you can’t rely on motivation. You will never wake up and just “feel motivated”, you’ve got to train yourself to do things before you’re ready, and when you don’t want to… because the rewards are worth it! We support you, and we salut you! Keep up the excellent work, see you at bootcamp this week!
