HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED WHEN IT IS COLD OUTSIDE!
BY: COURTNEY ZEDAKER
I get it. It is freezing. The first thing I do every morning is ask Alexa the temperature. This morning it was 9 degrees. 9! That’s single digits!
Read on to see how to get motivated to leave the house, not to mention, GO TO THE GYM in these awful temperatures!
1. Working out fights off Seasonal Depression: It is a real thing. Especially in Northeast Ohio, where the sun doesn’t shine as much as it should. Lack of vitamin D, freezing cold temperatures, and our warm snuggly bed all are reasons that prevent us from wanting to workout. But, working out helps you to handle stress better, gives you a break from the daily grind and helps ease seasonal depression.
2. Help maintain health during Cold and Flu season: Research has shown that exercise helps to strengthen your immune system, helping you to fight off any unwanted sicknesses. Exercise gets your blood pumping, which helps immune cells circulate through your body more quickly, helping them find and destroy infections. This boost only last hours, which is why exercise must be consistent in order for this to be beneficial.
3. Prevent winter weight gain: We all talk about the “Summer Body”, working to stay in shape when only others see our bodies. Why is this? Are we so rooted in needing outside validation, that we only care about how others think we look, versus how we think we look? Maintaining a healthy lifestyle should be year-round. Wholesome eating habits, keeping up with your exercise routine, and feeling confident shouldn’t only be reserved for the warmer months. Just because you can wear baggy clothes, doesn’t mean you have to! Make it easier on yourself to maintain these habits instead of having to start over every year when the temperature rises above 50 degrees!
4. Dress appropriately to leave the house: We all know that as long as you are dressed appropriately, you can fight off the bone-cold feeling when leaving the house. So- when you get ready to walk out the door, bundle up! Not only to prevent sickness, but to also associate a positive feeling with leaving the house. If you have a miserably cold drive to the gym, the next day you leave the house, it will be harder to find motivation. Grab the gloves, the hat, the sweatpants, and the big coat (I know you all have them, we live in OHIO!)- guaranteed, once you get to the gym, you’ll be warm!
5. Give yourself grace: Know that you will have a hard time getting motivated. Know it will not always be sunshine and roses as you get your workout clothes on. Changing your mindset, knowing that somedays will be hard, will help you to stay motivated on the extra difficult days. If you remind yourself that you are doing your best, (and you truly are), then it will be the extra kick in the tush you need to get out that door!
I’m rooting for you. I may be cold while coaching you, but I’ll take it, as long as I get to see each and every one of you improve yourself!
–Courtney
