The weather outside is frightful. No, I mean it – it feels like winter. And let me just say that this is the time where working out goes from 3x’s a week to maybe a mere 1. When it’s cold outside, I have no urge to want to suit up and workout. I know I didn’t before, but it’s on another level when the elements have shifted.
We’re also inching toward the Holiday season. Bring on the cakes, cookies, pies, casseroles, recipes, and Auntie’s/Mama’s/Grandmama’s {any dish you want to add here} and you have a catastrophe. So I’m here to show those like myself some easy ways to stay motivated to exercise during frigid weather.
1. At-home exercising
Some of us (like me) need a gym setting and the whole nine to even feel motivated to workout. However, during colder months, opt for doing simple burst or blitz exercises during the day at home. Rather than work out for an entire hour, break up your exercises into small chunks during the day so it doesn’t feel like a chore.
2. Make it fun!
Watching your favorite tv show? Try a quick wall sit or 25 push-ups during a commercial break on tv or try a side plank and count to 20. If you’re into sports, do a set of sit ups or leg raises during a team’s timeout. You can also jump rope, do jumping jacks, or jog in place every time your football team makes a touchdown! The options are endless.
3. Use what you have.
Make no excuses. If you’re home, use canned goods or bottled water as a substitute for weights. As dinner is cooking, walk around doing various arm exercises like curls or tricep dips. Let NOTHING stop you from at least working out something.
Lastly, remember to drink plenty of water. So cliche. I know. However, one of the simplest ways that can help you during this season of glutton is drink plenty of water to flush out toxins, keep you hydrated since it’s cold, and to make you feel full so you won’t feel the need to eat more than you need to.
Here is a great chart to use if you’re not sure where to start.
