I don’t think I can be the only one who’s been finding morning workouts or evening sessions harder to feel motivated for recently? Even with those unexpected weeks of warmer October weather, autumn is definitely here with winter not far behind.
Losing motivation to train this time of year is a common challenge for everybody. The mornings are cold and dark, there's a very good chance that it will rain on you if you’re outside and the call to stay cosy in bed or on your sofa after work just keeps getting stronger.
If you’re feeling this at the minute, it’s good to remember you’re not suddenly going backwards with your training. The change in season with less daylight has a big effect on our energy levels and motivation. However, this shouldn’t stop you from pushing forward with your health and wellbeing goals, we just need to find autumn and winter proof ways to keep motivated.
Here’s 3 ways you can help yourself to stay on track during autumn:
1. Limit excuses
When that 6am alarm goes off and you can hear the trickle of a rainy morning, it can be easy to roll back over claiming you can’t run in the rain. Going for a run in unfavourable weather is one of the biggest tests of motivation, but essentially it is just water and a little rain never hurt anyone! Get yourself a waterproof jacket and some warmer workout gear to limit your excuses to get out. If you normally go to a session before or after work and the dreary days are having an effect on your usual energy, try getting changed into your gear before you leave work/home. If you’re dressed for the occasion, you might as well turn up right??
2. Have a back up plan
There’s nothing worse than having your workout or exercise all planned out and then you can’t follow it through. Having a back up plan means we can avoid the “well if I can’t do that I can’t do anything today” mentality and we can at least say we’ve achieved something. If you enjoy bike riding an indoor turbo can be a great way of still being able to give your legs a good workout from the comfort of your home.
Alternatively, having a WFC pre written routine or an online workout video that you can do to get your heart rate up and make you feel like you’re working for half an hour is a great back up plan. With exercise and fitness anything is better than nothing!
3. Sign up to an event or challenge!
As we all know, when other people are counting on you to show up it becomes harder and harder to skip a workout. Signing up to one of our winter sessions can help give you some accountability and routine to your fitness that the last 18 months has put a dent in. The great thing about our sessions is we’re all in the same boat battling that same itch to stay on the sofa exercising our sweet tooth with the latest GBBO! Together is always stronger and together we can support each other to reach our goals ready for the party season ahead.
Hopefully you feel better knowing you’re not the only one who’s finding this change of season hard work. But now, you have 3 things that can help you to keep motivated and most importantly keep fit through these darker months.
We hope to see you at a session soon but if you have any friends, family that you know are stuck like above then bring them along and lets show them that fitness IS fun and that fitness IS affordable whatever the weather.
Yours in fitness,
Michael
Head Coach / Founder