Without a gym membership, most people feel lost when it comes to staying in shape as winter approaches. Although winter activities like skiing and ice hockey are great sports, they can be costly and require a lot of training, traveling and of course, careful planning.
That being said, for most people, the transition from summer to fall and fall to winter isn’t easy. You might find yourself craving those warm summer nights and the idea of seeing temperatures below your age can be frightening to some people. The West Coast typically doesn’t have to worry about the cold nights spent by the fireplace or transitioning from bathing suit to beanies or sunglasses to snow goggles. However, if you want to continue your summer surfing well into the winter, you can, and there are great wetsuits to keep you warm.
For those who experience the changing of the seasons and all that comes with it, stay motivated to exercise and maintain your once outdoor routine with each drop of snow and gust of wind that passes by. You’ll start to see that exercising can, in fact, clear those winter blues; and chances are, you will also be in tip-top shape once the weather starts to warm up. Be creative with your workouts and don’t stop just because the snow has fallen.
So if you want to live a long and prosperous life, here are some tips to help you stay motivated and keep the body you love during the cold winter months.
Keep Your Eye on the Prize: A fit and healthy body doesn’t just happen overnight. The majority of people see the colder weather as an excuse to cover up in heavy clothing and hibernate in the comfort of their home. Wearing oversized jackets and scarves that cover every inch of your body can be tricky because it’s necessary to stay warm, but it doesn’t serve as a motivation tool. Wearing fitted clothes, however, will keep you remembering why you worked out so hard during the spring to attain a rocking summer body.
What are some strategies you can try?
Use your phone and other wearable technology to help. New smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S8, for example, can be used to track the amount of steps you’ve taken throughout the day and can even monitor your body’s temperature if placed directly on the skin. Another method you can try is limiting yourself to 30-40 minutes per workout. Although the tendency of some is to spend a lot of time working out, the truth is that after about 30-40 minutes, the benefit isn’t as great. These are just two of the many workouts you can try to reach your seasonal goal.
Before it starts snowing, focus on all the effort you put in beforehand and remind yourself how good you felt when you were exercising. It won’t help increase your energy level, but you’ll sleep better for the time being, which is always a big plus. Look forward to the warmer months, and imagine yourself going to pool parties, or going on a beach vacation and creating stunning surf videos for all your family and friends to watch. Constantly staying in shape and working up a sweat will take the pressure off of losing the winter weight, since there won’t be any to lose.
Make sure to take time to remember why you worked so hard in the first place and acknowledge that a happier, and healthier you is something that takes year-round work.
Prevent Yourself From Getting Sick: Believe it or not, the fitter you are, the less likely you are to get sick during the winter time. It’s no surprise that colder weather brings on runny noses and winter coughs. Keep yourself moving, put the right foods in your body and make sure you continue your healthy lifestyle to prevent your body contracting any unwanted bacteria. No one wants to spend a time of giving and receiving stuck in bed, so don’t be afraid to get out and burn those calories.
Switch Up Your Routine: If you’re a person who loves to exercise outdoors, use the weather change as a time to try something new and change up your routine. Map out a new routine at the start of each season and find different ways to stay in shape. This part shouldn’t be too hard since there are thousands of ways to stay active. Nevertheless, preparing for winter by purchasing a package at a yoga studio or watching YouTube is never a bad idea.
If you’re used to exercising towards the end of the day, try to make adjustments and workout in the morning. Towards the end of the day, you’re more likely to opt out of exercising if you’re tired and stuck in traffic due to bad weather. Exercising in the morning gets your daily workout out of the way so you can relax at night.
Try Out A Winter Sport: Winter weather offers a wide variety of fun activities to do that can involve not only you, but the whole family. If you haven’t already, try a new winter sport like ice skating, skiing, snowboarding or even sledding. Taking on a new activity that has an expiration date can be motivating enough because, in a few months, your opportunity will have literally melted away. Also, incorporating a new activity in your life is beneficial for you and your family. For instance, you can take a group ski lesson with some friends or spend an afternoon running through the snow and going sledding with your friends. However you decide to do it, just know, any way of staying active is a good way.
In the end, the winter months can feel long, dark, and tiresome, but going outside and having fun will help them fly by. Besides, after a long day out in the cold, what can be better than coming to a cozy home and relaxing with some hot cocoa?
