If you are used to waking up before 7am to get your morning workout in and kick start your day, this past week has probably been tough. It is no longer light out when your alarm is going off and you have a few moments to decide whether or not you are going to snooze another hour or peel yourself out of bed and get moving. With a little help from military.com (http://www.military.com/military-fitness/spouse-and-family/stay-motivated-to-work-out-in-winter) you can learn a few ways to beat the urge to sleep in as the days shorten and the temperatures drop.
I have fallen victim to this terrible curse us northerners call winter and am bound and determined to nip it in the bud. On top of the great tips military.com gives to stay motivated during the winter, my biggest suggestion would be a workout buddy. Try not to make them one of your roommates. In that case, it is still easy for you both to decide to snooze through your morning sweat session "until tomorrow". Make plans with a friend to meet at the gym or at your favorite meeting spot. In this case, you feel obligated to get out of bed and get moving, and them the same towards you.
The first five minutes out of bed are terrible. You're cold, tired, and cannot find one good reason as to why you ever thought it would be a good idea. At five minutes and one second, you open the door and step into the chilly air and you immediately realize why you do this to yourself. Anyone who enjoys running or exercising in the morning when it is nice outside will have twice the appreciation when it is cold. The cold air gets your body more alert than you ever thought possible and you will return home feeling awfully good about yourself.
The middle of October weather will naturally wean out the weak in the gym, running trails, and on the bike paths. Don't allow yourself to be someone who "takes the winter off". I can promise you that you will be more productive, less tired, and feel much better about yourself the entire day if you can continue your exercise habits throughout the winter.
With that, find a buddy (dog, friend, husband, boyfriend, sibling, etc) and get moving! If you prefer to workout alone, check out military.com for some awesome motivational tips that you can do alone.
Sweat on!
Thanks for this great post! Hearing my alarm go off at 8 AM is by far the worst noise ever. I would even think about skipping class for the day just so I could sleep but somehow after hitting snooze a few times I get nervous I will miss something important so I get up and go. I would have to say it feels pretty good to get up and walk to class even though it may be a 20 minute walk. The fresh air and some exercise wake me up and I get to lose some calories! It is great that you posted a website to check out. I love going to the gym and usually work out by myself so I will have to check out that website before the next time I go to the gym and incorporate it into my workout.
ReplyDeleteI literally laughed out loud when I read this because this awful, frigid weather always makes me resort to a date with my couch instead of bracing the arctic to head to the gym. Your post called me out on it! I loved your link and your idea to have a work out buddy. Thanks for the post!
ReplyDeleteP.S. Since you are a health fanatic, do you recommend a vegetarian diet? I've heard both sides of the debate, I'd love to hear yours!
I am a runner and there is nothing more I love than waking up to a run in the morning; however, since I have come to Penn State this has been difficult for me to achieve. You make a great point that having a buddy can help. When I studied abroad in Spain, my now-boyfriend was my running partner, so we would push each other to go on runs together. It was great because we forced each other to run harder, longer, and of course more often.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I hate to admit it, getting your workout over early in the am is a great feeling.. I agree with not having your roommate be your running partner, it's too easy to shout "not today" from your bed when your alarm goes off, but knowing a friend is waiting on you out in the cold forces you get yourself up and out. Plus, when you workout in the am you can take it easy on yourself for the rest of the day knowing you already worked hard!
ReplyDeleteThis article makes a lot of sense and it really helps to put the winter blues into perspective. I too have a real problem with getting motivated to move in the winter. I'd much rather be curled up on the couch watching movies than exercising. In the summer I do a lot of walking and hiking, but once it gets cold, I usually stop. This article is very inspiration.
ReplyDeleteNot going to lie, this post made me want to get up and run a few miles in the snow, and it's 12 pm! I really enjoyed the link you provided to military.com (never been there before). The article as a whole was inspirational and I really can tell that you are passionate about working out and staying in shape. Great post!
ReplyDeleteThis posting is very inspirational and so true. The link you gave to military.com is a great addition as it provides great insight and advice into how to stay motivated in the winter to supplement your suggestions! Taking the winter off is something that I always feel like I am guilty of doing, until a month before spring break and I suddenly go into workout over load. Taking this advice and staying in shape year round would certainly make my life easier come Mid-February. Thanks for the encouragement and motivation!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for all the great advice. I must say that my sleep pattern has been a little off the past couple of days, with the hours changing and finals and everything, I just really need to get back in a healthy pattern. It is so hard for me to get up and get going, and sometimes get going at all, but when it happens it always feels so amazing. I just always need to keep that great feeling in my mind when I keep repeating the snooze button. Thanks again for all the motivation and inspiration!
ReplyDeleteGreat advice on how to deal with the morning blues. I personally don't like working out, especially running, in the morning. I like to give my body a chance to wake up, stretch naturally, and get ready to go before I work out.
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