Whether it’s the lack of daylight, the cold weather, or the post-holiday slump, training in the winter can be tricky.
Sheer willpower might not be enough. Let’s explore some other strategies to boost your likelihood of doing winter workouts so you have the strength and stamina to fully enjoy your upcoming adventures!
Start with What Fills Your Cup
When the struggle is real, it can help to start with what makes you happy.
- Is everything better when it’s done with loved ones?
- Does listening to music instantly boost your enjoyment?
- Is learning something new the key to getting you out the door?
- Does being in nature make time fly?
Including one or a few of your favorite things can instantly increase the fun factor! As much as possible, aim to layer in an element that naturally makes you happy.
When your brain connects an activity with something you enjoy, it signals that you should do it more often.
Find Your Motivation Match
Another way to get the juices flowing is to figure out your motivation match.
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Upcoming trip or event. Perhaps it’s that Slackpacking trip that’s been in your sights for a few years that you finally booked. Or hiking in Cinque Terra and eating Italian delicacies. Or circumnavigating Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps. Putting down the deposit might be the push you need!
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Competition. If you’re the competitive type, signing up for a 5k or another event could do the trick.
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Short-term goals. Measuring progress can make workouts feel more worth it, so setting up some mini-milestones or short-term goals with a tracking system may spark action. It can be as simple as marking a wall calendar with a star for each day you complete your planned activity. You could aim to add 10% more minutes of activity to your week and let your watch do the tracking.
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Accountability partner. The majority of people who have an exercise goal say having someone to hold them accountable helps them follow through. If this is you, you’re in good company! Simply committing to a goal with another person makes it 65-70% more likely you’ll follow through, according to some studies.
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Incentives. Another motivation strategy is having an incentive system for doing workouts. Some people put money in a “fun fund” or treat themselves to a favorite indulgence (a fancy coffee drink, for example) after completing an exercise session.
If you’re not sure what might work for you, experiment with the one that sounds best. If that doesn’t click, try another one, or consider combining a couple of them.
Cultivate Consistency
Cultivating consistency with your activity sets you up to go out and enjoy spur-of-the-moment opportunities with confidence. It also supports a mindset that exercise is part of your routine, which can make it easier to allocate time for it.
Sounds great, right? So how do you actually make that happen?
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Define what consistency means to you – and what’s realistic. For some, working out 3 days a week meets their needs. For others, doing some sort of activity each day is the goal. Set the bar at a level you’re confident you can reach to start.
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Create a plan that works with your lifestyle. This could mean blocking time on your calendar for exercising so it’s not filled with other responsibilities. If your motivation match is accountability, set up workouts with a friend or sign up for a class. Make it as easy as possible. If the gym is on your way to and from work, aligning time to stop there creates a pattern that’s easier to follow than going out of your way.
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Celebrate success! Rewarding your efforts embeds good feelings in your brain related to the activity. We’re naturally wired to repeat things that make us feel good – so use that to your advantage! Give yourself a high 5 in the mirror (shout out to Mel Robbins for this one). Write a positive note to yourself. Crank up your favorite song. While you may feel tired and sore after a workout, following it with a little celebration lets your subconscious know that something good is coming when you do it again.
Exploring different approaches may lead to discovering a new combination that does the trick! Which ones piqued your curiosity? Try it for a couple of weeks, and see what happens. You might be surprised by what takes you to the next level!
