How do you keep motivated in winter
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Last year I signed up for a winter trail race series. Four races run rain, snow, or shine during the worst weather of the year motivated me to keep getting out there no matter what. I froze, got soaked, coated in freezing mud, slipped on ice, and basically learned that it was possible to keep going whatever the weather threw at me.
Alternatively you can get a gym membership and focus on working out in a nice warm building.
Exercise also helps your immune system - last year was the first winter ever when I didn’t have a cold.5 -
I run in the morning, so I’m delighted to have some early sun and not trip over newspapers.3
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I do all the same gym stuff and walking, but I'm very aware of when sunrise and sunset are. So I'll shift my outdoor stuff around to make sure I'm getting sunlight on my walks.
I don't know what sort of work you do, OP, but can you walk outside during lunch breaks?
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My exercise doesn't change much in the winter. I run more, hike a bit less when it's really cold, but that's about it. I prefer running in the cold to running in heat. For the past 5 years I've run a spring marathon, which means I start serious training in December or January for a March or April race. I have a dog who requires walking twice a day, year around. Yes, it's cold and sometimes wet or icy, but he still gets his daily 2-3 miles. As others have said, it isn't a question of motivation, it's just something I do. I walk morning and evening, run in the afternoon. Rest days I do videos or stationary bike.2
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cupcakesandproteinshakes wrote: »This is a cliche but I’m not motivated. I just do it automatically because it’s what I’m used to doing. Sorry if that’s not a helpful reply but it’s true for me. Forget motivation, just do it
Totally agree. Habits that support your goals are far more dependable the motivation that comes and goes.5 -
I see it as "I'm not motivated to get up and scrape my windshield and go to work when it's dark out but gotta do it anyway."
I tend to work out at home, but I have had gym memberships and I kinda miss that. But going to the gym is a good way to avoid "cabin fever" during the winter. It doesn't set during November, but if you're holed up a lot indoors it sets in January/February.
I like my walks too, and often during the winter I can't really walk outdoors like I can in the warmer weather. It's again, sucks. But I try to see it as an opportunity to do something else for a "season" which does help avoid repetitive injuries (it happens even with walking) and not get burned out on walking.2 -
I can see quite a few of you have said you exercise at home.
I exercise at home however in the winter, it's still dark out when I wake up and I really struggle to get out of bed. I get up between 30 - 45 minutes earlier than when I exercise, so it's very tempting to stay in bed. Does anyone have any tips for this?0 -
I go to the gym the same amount in winter as summer. Its just habit - I don't let myself even think about it - just grab my bag at 11.45am and go. I probably walk a little less, but still have my walk to work, and walk to shops/library etc.1
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TayaCurragh wrote: »I can see quite a few of you have said you exercise at home.
I exercise at home however in the winter, it's still dark out when I wake up and I really struggle to get out of bed. I get up between 30 - 45 minutes earlier than when I exercise, so it's very tempting to stay in bed. Does anyone have any tips for this?
The best way I manage through this is to try to remove as many obstacles as I can in going from under the covers to under the barbell. It's something I have to actively work towards but taking the following steps have all helped in some way.
- Alarmy app - Gives you a "mission" to turn off your alarm. Totally free and worth a try if snoozing is an issue
- Lay out all clothes the night before - both workout and work clothes
- Mix pre-workout the night before - the thought of avoiding wasting that serving has gotten me out of bed a time or two
- Space heater on outlet timer - I lift in the basement so it can get chilly. Also fixes forgetting to turn it off
- Pre-set equipment - I don't do this all the time but I will sometimes make sure everything is set to start my warmup sets either at the end of my previous workout or the night before.
- Make a concerted effort to get to bed on time, get quality sleep, etc.
All in all, it's a habit that needs supported like any other.5 -
TayaCurragh wrote: »I can see quite a few of you have said you exercise at home.
I exercise at home however in the winter, it's still dark out when I wake up and I really struggle to get out of bed. I get up between 30 - 45 minutes earlier than when I exercise, so it's very tempting to stay in bed. Does anyone have any tips for this?
Do what you do if you were going to work or school...set an alarm. Do not give into the temptation to hit snooze. Put the lights on as soon as possible will tell your brain to wake up. But admittedly I'm a morning person so this usually isn't an issue.
Also, your body has natural rhythms and while some people can wake up, roll out of bed and run 5k or deadlift or Zumba...others struggle with that. That don't make them lazy.
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TayaCurragh wrote: »I can see quite a few of you have said you exercise at home.
I exercise at home however in the winter, it's still dark out when I wake up and I really struggle to get out of bed. I get up between 30 - 45 minutes earlier than when I exercise, so it's very tempting to stay in bed. Does anyone have any tips for this?
I am a night owl forced to live on a day schedule that requires me to get up in the middle of the night (which is any time before sunrise). I recently purchased one of those alarm clocks that gradually fills the room with light, simulating a sunrise. It seems to be helping.5 -
TayaCurragh wrote: »I can see quite a few of you have said you exercise at home.
I exercise at home however in the winter, it's still dark out when I wake up and I really struggle to get out of bed. I get up between 30 - 45 minutes earlier than when I exercise, so it's very tempting to stay in bed. Does anyone have any tips for this?
We have a wake up light with alarm It simulates natural light and makes waking up easier. e have it set to a sunrise of 20 minutes. The alarm we have set is a blackbird singing. The bird will get annoyingly LOUD.
It is not cheap but my husband just could not stand my alarm goes hit it and jump out in 5 seconds flat routine a I had when I moved in with him. It made that he too woke up in a rather intense way and he did not like that. Thi way we wake up ore gently
There is a drawback - That blackbird noise is actually quite authentic and we have blackbirds nesting in our garden. I have been known to try to switch the alarm off in spring only to come to the conclusion it were our real life birds singing to their hearts content at 5 am9 -
Lolinloggen wrote: »TayaCurragh wrote: »I can see quite a few of you have said you exercise at home.
I exercise at home however in the winter, it's still dark out when I wake up and I really struggle to get out of bed. I get up between 30 - 45 minutes earlier than when I exercise, so it's very tempting to stay in bed. Does anyone have any tips for this?
We have a wake up light with alarm It simulates natural light and makes waking up easier. e have it set to a sunrise of 20 minutes. The alarm we have set is a blackbird singing. The bird will get annoyingly LOUD.
It is not cheap but my husband just could not stand my alarm goes hit it and jump out in 5 seconds flat routine a I had when I moved in with him. It made that he too woke up in a rather intense way and he did not like that. Thi way we wake up ore gently
There is a drawback - That blackbird noise is actually quite authentic and we have blackbirds nesting in our garden. I have been known to try to switch the alarm off in spring only to come to the conclusion it were our real life birds singing to their hearts content at 5 am
That's the same alarm I have. The birds are quite realistic. I get the added bonus of my cats running over me to check them out every morning.6 -
Fall has always been a big challenge for me. This year, I trained for a HM that was in October. This got me through September very nicely. Now I'm thinking about goals for winter. Last January, I ran every Saturday morning with a friend. (He actually ran every day outside that month.) Having an outdoor activity in winter is a help. It can be walking, snow shoeing, running, xc skiing, downhill skiing, fat tire biking, you name it as long as it helps you to visualize your fitness!5
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cupcakesandproteinshakes wrote: »This is a cliche but I’m not motivated. I just do it automatically because it’s what I’m used to doing. Sorry if that’s not a helpful reply but it’s true for me. Forget motivation, just do it
This is me. I had to get into the mindset that "it's what I do" so that I'd do it regardless of how motivated I was feeling. My motivation is nothing I can count on. It's super high in the morning (when I'm at work, so it's impossible to work out), but by afternoon, it's waning, along with my energy. I found over time that going home and then going back out was not going to work for me. Now, I go straight to the gym. I either lift or swim, depending on the day. Afterward, there is a water cardio class that I usually go to. If I skip the class, there's nothing to feel badly about because it's a bonus workout. I just don't give myself an out. If I do, then those days will add up and before I know it, I'm out of the habit. Habits are about consistency. Results are because of better habits.4 -
Dump motivation. Choose discipline.
I start looking for things I am naturally uncomfortable with and get comfortable with these things. With winter this was initially thrust upon my by my high school track coach. He was a big believer in making things as horrible as possible in training so that meets seemed like a blessing. Winter training was big and we would run in shorts until we became adjusted to the weather. After a mile run we'd get rewarded with additional layers, but by then we were warmed up and would be fine with it.
This eventually turned into a love of cold weather, which evolved into a love of skiing, ice climbing, mountaineering, etc.5 -
No much difference for me between winter and summer. My winters are not existent, compared with the rest of the country, and I workout indoor with fitness classes in the morning and the gym in the afternoon.
The advantage that I have between fall and spring is that I can walk to and from the gym, if there is no wind, or that I can add a walk (I don't run) during the week if, I want to.
Our summers are extremely hot so walking outside during the day is not recommended, and I am not getting up a 5AM to do it.1
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