Written by Aaron Ashdown, Coach and Exercise Physio at our Burleigh Gym.
Are you struggling to stick to your workout routine throughout winter…
Do you feel more inclined to stay in bed or feel less energised…
Are you consuming more comfort foods than normal…
These feelings are normal as our motivation levels for training can ebb and flow over time depending on our current life circumstances. Motivation is a state, not a trait and below are some tips and tricks that can help keep your training on track throughout winter and looking and feeling your best once the days become longer and the beach is calling. As they say… summer bodies are made in winter!
· Define your internal drive – uncover your ‘why’ as to what you want to achieve and remind yourself of why it’s important to you. Internal motivation is stronger than external motivation, keep a positive mindset and be kind to yourself, refrain from limiting or punishing yourself for negative behaviours. Experiencing more positive emotions leads to more enjoyment and happiness in your daily life.
· Set real goals – define new goals that you would like to achieve in 1 month or 3 months time. This can give you a focus over winter and allows you to work towards a target or a specific event by the start of summer. Share your goals and aspirations with your coach, we would love to know what you would like to achieve and can help you develop an action plan over this time frame. When you let your thoughts become words this also makes your goals real and you become accountable to someone else.
· Reward yourself – if you have achieved your health and fitness goals or been to every session that you had planned don’t hesitate to reward yourself for your achievements. Shout yourself a post-workout coffee at your favourite café, book a massage for recovery and relaxation or buy yourself some new gear, rewarding yourself can keep the excitement and motivation high.
· Move daily – Get out and exercise daily whether it be in the gym or outdoors in the sunshine, do something you enjoy or try something new, explore new activities, make it fun, engage with others and make yourself accountable to each other. Having a workout buddy has been proven to increase motivation and commitment, feel free to Bring a friend for free to our Saturday sessions or take advantage of the friend’s referral discount we offer. Keep it interesting with a different session or switch up your workout times. Finding it hard to get up early? Try an afternoon workout, don’t fall into the ‘all or nothing’ mindset, any exercise is better than nothing at all and if you miss a morning session there is always the chance to make it up later in the day.
· Develop a healthy eating plan – as with training, when motivation wanes it is easy to lapse on your nutrition too. As both go hand in hand, when one is on track it usually mirrors the other, and vice versa. Set yourself up for positive nutritional habits, use meal prep to decrease decision fatigue, have healthy options available to reduce mindless snacking, shop for fresh food and stock up on healthy fruit and veg high in vitamins that promote a healthy immune system. If you’re not very confident with food choices and would like some help, reach out. Sometimes a simple plan or tip can give you the direction you’re missing.
· Always remember that you will feel better after training – we all know that awesome feeling after a great group training session! Exercise can lead to the release of positive endorphins and make us feel good, boost our mood and increase energy levels. This can help with a positive mindset and increase motivation to continue your health and fitness journey over winter.
Want to find out more about our Buddy Saturdays? Click here.
Feeling lost and want to sit down with one of our Coaches to give you an action plan to get in shape and feel excited to train? Fill your details in here.