How to stay motivated to exercise in winter

The days are cold and short, but that’s no excuse to stop moving this winter, writes Erin Phillips.

Staying motivated to stay fit can be tough, especially when it’s cold outside.

There is nothing harder than ignoring that little voice in your head that tells you to hit that snooze button and stay in your warm bed for an extra hour.

Here is my advice to overcome that lazy inner voice inside our heads and get moving…

Be prepared

Have everything ready to go the night before.

Lay out your workout clothes, and make sure your device with your favourite tunes, and your smartwatch or fitness tracker, are charged.

Make sure your workout is planned, if you’re doing it on your own.

If you’re prepared, you’ll have no excuse not to fight the frost that awaits beyond your front door.

Plan and focus

Write down your fitness goal(s) and make sure you know why you are putting in the hard work.

Put it on your fridge or somewhere you will constantly look at it.

When I was in the Opals squad for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, I made a sign on the ceiling above my bed that said: “Beijing 2008 Olympics Games – Will YOU be there?”

So every morning and every night I would look up at my ceiling and I was instantly focused and motivated.

Reward yourself

At the end of a training week, if I had reached my training targets I would make sure that I would reward myself.

Usually it was with takeaway from one of my favourite Thai restaurants alongside a glass of wine.

I like to refer to them as “reward meals” rather than “cheat meals”.

Whatever your reward is – maybe it’s a massage, a pedicure, or a day off to sleep in – make sure it’s worth all the hard yards you put in.

Make no excuses

When it comes down to it, if it is really important to us we will do whatever it takes to make it happen.

So add a few extra layers and get out there and do it!

More from Erin Phillips:

SHARE THIS

RELATED ARTICLES