Cold Weather Motivation

Looking for some cold weather motivation? As the nights draw in and the temperatures drop, it’s understandable that you may want to hibernate. Going to the gym can feel pretty daunting at the best of times!

Here are some actionable steps you can make to help turn your fitness aspirations into habit, regardless of the weather.

1) Have an Accountability-Buddy

FITFriends works perfectly here – by being accountable to your fellow trainers, your trainee and having a regular time slot you are supposed to attend can help to overcome those feelings of, “oh, I can’t be bothered.”

Do yourself and others proud – let people who you trust to encourage you know of your aspirations so they can help to keep you accountable when the going gets tough.

2) Lay out gym wear the night before – including gloves and other cold-weather prep

Getting yourself mentally prepared and through the door is often half the battle. When it comes to early mornings or the evenings as the light draws in over winter, it can feel even harder to get ourselves out in the cold and to the gym. Solution? Prepare in advance, so you’re almost on autopilot.

You could also prepare warm drinks (tea or coffee) in a flask to keep you warm. A slow cooker could have a warm breakfast or dinnertime meal cooking while you’re working out, saving you time and a little more mental energy.

3) Snowed in? Shovel! Snowmen! Snowball fights!

If the weather really turns nasty, even if we want to be working out, sometimes we can’t get out of the immediate vicinity of where we live. This is where we have to get creative – turn shovelling snow into a workout, with every shovel being really controlled, deliberate reps. You’re guaranteed to get your heart rate up, and you’ll also be doing a chore, too.

Boiler broken? Heating down? Keep warm by working out – burpees, bodyweight squats, mountain climbers, step ups – by keeping moving, your metabolism will increase and your body will generate more heat. You can always go back to snuggling under some blankets afterwards.

And although snow can really be a hassle in terms of getting around and our daily routine, we can make the most of the magic by having some fun making a snowman or even having a snowball fight (just make sure there’s no stones in your snowballs!). Rolling big snowballs for snowmen quickly becomes hard, and it’s a great way of engaging children in a fun activity too.

4) Increase Passive Activity

Linking to the previous point, just by increasing your passive activity levels, you can help to overcome the moments in holiday seasons where we may shy away from the cold or endulge in some extra holiday food.

Take the stairs rather than the lift. Walk from the back of the car park rather than being at the front. Do a little dance while your food is cooking.

Small changes that make you marginally more active add up over time – even in the warmer months.

5) Work out before work, during your work day or before you come home

As the nights draw in, it’s understandable that once your work day finishes, you just want to hibernate! Rather than heading straight home, consider adding a detour to the gym first. You’ll feel good in that you have prioritised your workout, and that as soon as you’re done, you can go home.

With our class system, the gym will never feel busy even after work as we have a maximum of four trainees to every trainer. The post-work gym rush is a thing of the past at FITFriends – so definitely consider taking part in one of our Work Day Wind Down sessions if you feel this could help you.

If you’re struggling with your mindset in general – including fitness, diet and general wellbeing – you may also be interested in one of our Emotionally FIT workshops. We’re here to support you holistically all year round at FIT Friends – if you’re struggling, we’ll help you to overcome it.