Winter is the season where many people slack on their efforts in exercising and sports. After all, a comfy couch is much more inviting than the fitness club or jogging route on a dark fall evening. Don’t let your weaker self seduce you to laziness. It is of utmost importance for your health and well-being that you continue to stay active, even if the resolve needs to be bigger. Your body will be thankful on all levels!
Here are a couple of tips how to motivate yourself:
Create set appointments
In general, set appointments are regarded as important and essential. This enables you to keep continuity and get used to a rhythm. It is also like a little ritual that one creates that will become essential for the rhythm of your life after a while.
Trainings Calendar
Record your training sessions as calendar entries like a to-do list for the entire week or even the entire month. Now you can’t forget them and have to plan other activities around them. The printed, set plan that contains all athletic activities should be available in duplicate form at all times at your place of work as well as at home (e.g. on your fridge) – thus you can see how diligent you have been, which will motivate you even more.
Exercise with a partner or in a group
This boosts your motivation. In case of “acute exercise aversion” you can motivate each other, and you will take it more seriously to really make it to training sessions, as you wouldn’t want to leave the other one hanging. A group setting increases the social pressure to actually show up for joint exercise appointments – like at our SwissCityBootCamp workouts, where we as a community look forward to seeing each other again each time.
Proper gear for outdoor sports
It is only fun if you wear comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing, so you won’t get wet feet and feel too cold. Don’t try to save money on the proper gear; in winter functional clothing is advisable for any athlete, professional or hobby.
The principle of variations
Every day the same old, same old is boring for everyone, even more if the training itself is not very diverse to begin with. That’s why we always try to design each BootCamp workout a little bit differently, and each trainer infuses his or her personality into the session as well, making it even more exciting and double the fun. The principle of variation does not only increase training performance in a scientific way but enhances motivation as well. An intense workout one day can certainly be followed by a couple of days of calmer trainings, such as yoga or simply dancing – there are so many wonderful opportunities to be active. It is important that you have fun while doing it!
Reward
Very important: Enjoy the success of an athletic activity! A warming bath is especially perfect during winter to relax your muscles. Or a nice, relaxed, late-night candle light dinner with your loved one to relax after all your work is done.
