Finding Motivation to Exercise During the Cold Winter Months
Do you want to stay motivated to workout, eat healthily and stay on top of your fitness goals even during the dark, cold winter months? Consistent exercise has been proven to be beneficial in decreasing symptoms of depression and other mental health disorders. In addition, with seasonal depression in full effect during Winter’s short days and limited sunlight, continuing to be active can be one way to focus on taking care of your mental health.
Here are three ways to stay motivated to workout, eat healthily and stay on top of your fitness goals even during the dark, cold holiday months.
First, discipline trumps motivation. It is important to understand that motivation, a desire or willingness to do something, comes and goes, and that is a normal human experience. Be easy on yourself when you feel unmotivated, or if you skip a few workouts. When motivation is high, it feels exciting and easy to stay active, but when it is low, it may feel like you’re dragging or less interested. Discipline, on the other hand, is less emotional and more about a consistent practice or habit. It is discipline that keeps the average gym goer going to the gym or the neighborhood runner continuing to run all year round.
Next, start a new habit. This could be working out, eating healthier, or some other related health goal. Through implementing a new habit in your life, it won't matter what time of year it is, because habits can last all year round once they are established.
Examples of starting a new practice in order to stay disciplined could be:
● Each Sunday look at the week and plan out what days you will workout/go to the gym
● Pack your gym clothes or set out your workout clothes the night before your exercise day
● Keep a weekly “streak” using an app or calendar and see how long you can keep it going (ex, I’ve gone to the gym for 3 weeks in a row!) The app that I use is called Paceline. This app connects to my Apple watch and takes note of how many minutes of workouts I complete each week, and when I work out 150 minutes in a week, I get a free gift card! The longer you keep your streak, the higher the gift card will be. I’ve gotten free gift cards to Amazon, Target and Starbucks. There is also an app called Habit- Daily Tracker that can be used like a checkbox in order to keep track of your progress towards your goals.
● Find a friend or accountability partner or motivational Facebook group to share your goals with (see list of Facebook support groups below), and explore ways to make exercise fun (try something new!)
Facebook Groups:
Fitness and Weight loss for beginners: https://www.facebook.com/groups/260016525825029/
MyFitnessPal (Group for those tracking food intake with MyFitnessPal app): https://www.facebook.com/groups/503422363005400/
Local Lancaster fitness group that shares dates/times of fitness classes in the area: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lancasterfitness/
Walking for Fitness: https://www.facebook.com/groups/388249081518299
Finally, use the resources that are available to you. If you can’t exercise outside, or can’t afford a gym membership, go on YouTube! YouTube has many free workouts of all different types of exercise, from beginner to advanced and the best part… it’s a free platform! If you have a gym membership, take advantage. If you enjoy taking walks outside, bundle up and go on a walk alone or with a friend.
I recommend following YouTube videos/channels:
Yoga with Adriene (Channel): https://www.youtube.com/c/yogawithadriene/playlists
Blogilates (Channel): https://www.youtube.com/user/blogilates
Stretching for complete beginners (Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VS6jgTTYAQ&list=PLM2BL5i3qXkSqHkDg9tQ3WUfBnb90ZbUm&index=20
10 Minute Abs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYqDX3sllH4&list=PLM2BL5i3qXkSqHkDg9tQ3WUfBnb90ZbUm&index=37&t=2s
Other New Hope employees recommend:
Walk At Home with Leslie: https://www.youtube.com/c/LeslieSansonesWalkatHome
I hope these tips can be helpful to you. The Key Takeaway Points are:
● Staying consistent in your goals takes discipline, not motivation.
● It’s okay to fall out of routine; be easy on yourself.
● Use the resources that you have available to you: walking outside, YouTube/the internet, a friend or accountability partner, apps, etc.
Questions to ask yourself:
1. What have I tried already when it comes to my physical health goals?
a. Why were they successful or unsuccessful?
2. What is my goal in wanting to improve my physical health?
a. Why is this important to me?
3. What is something practical and attainable that I can add to my weekly schedule pertaining to my physical health goal(s)?
Malinda Sutphin, MA, Counseling Intern
NASM Certified Personal Trainer