Winter Work Makes Summer Bodies

As the weather turns from long sunny days to days of dark evenings, winter chill and falling rain the motivation we had for summer slowly starts to fade. Our gym attendance drops as our beds seem like a way more cozy option in the mornings and the calories in warm comfort food grows causing us to lose the summer bodies we all worked hard to achieve from November to February.

This is the trap that you must not fall into. It is now more than ever that you need to stay motivated, choose healthy stews, soups and get creative with your food. Most people would prefer to be jumping straight into bikinis and boardies in 6 months’ time looking better than this summer and feeling GREAT. To achieve this, here are some steps to help you stay on track through winter:

SET GOALS

Now it is time to set some goals! Choose goals that involve numbers, goals that are measurable and achievable for every month of winter, for example by the end of May I want to be able to do 10 push ups on my toes or lose 2% body fat by the end of June. Write these goals on paper and put them up on the fridge and pantry – the 2 places where you more than likely keep the chocolate, potato chips or ice cream and remember “what you eat in private, you wear in public”.

GET A TRAINING BUDDY

If you do find yourself lacking the motivation to achieve your goal, why not get yourself a wingman/woman, so you’re not in this alone. Training with a buddy is one of the best ways to keep yourself accountable. If you don’t have a training partner, give group training classes or personal training a go. If you exercise with others you will have to keep to more of a set schedule, and you can’t stand you training buddy up without feeling really guilty – this is what will get you out of bed and into the gym.

HIRE A PERSONAL TRAINER

Personal trainers are the masters of motivation, so winter is the perfect time to look into getting one. They will make you accountable, they will teach you how to choose healthier lifestyle choices and you will learn more about your body than you thought possible. You will see it transform into a body you may have thought you would never achieve and you will feel so satisfied for it.

TRY A WORKOUT AT HOME

If you’re finding it too hard to get out of the house during winter why not try to do some exercise in the comfort of your own home. No workout is a bad workout! Sometimes being consistent and staying active is enough to make the improvements you’re seeking. It’s the little things that make the biggest difference. A simple workout that can be done at home is 15 Burpees, 15 Squats, 15 Push Ups, 15 Crunch’s times five with a minute rest in between each round.

TAKE REST DAYS

If you’re too busy to work out or you really just don’t feel like exercising, take a day or two off. Giving yourself a sufficient amount of rest is beneficial for your body but remember to still stay active. The important thing is to get back on track as soon as you can. You don’t want to allow yourself to fall into a rut where you’re hitting snooze on that alarm every morning because you have lost sight of your goals and all motivation is lacking.

REWARD YOURSELF

Finally, don’t forget to reward yourself, sit back and think about how good you feel, be proud that you are choosing to live your life healthier and that you are fit and strong. You will thank yourself in the long run (especially as you get older) when you see your unfit friends complaining about aches and pains and being unable to move as freely, while you are out running 10km, lifting heavy weights, being agile and moving freely. Also enjoy the health benefits of decreased stress, improved sleep, increased energy levels, improved self-esteem and more. Buy yourself a new gym outfit or that nice pair of Nike’s you look at every time you go shopping. There is nothing like working towards a goal, achieving it and then being reward yourself for all your hard work.

Things to remember

Make fitness apart of your everyday life, be active on weekends, always keep moving, reward yourself, constantly set new goals and always have fun! “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself” there is only one you so be the best you can possibly be!

Written by Jack Everett, Trainer at Planet Fitness Belmont