How to Stay Motivated to Exercise Through the Winter

It’s fairly easy to stay motivated to diet and exercise during the spring and summer months. The weather is warm and the sun is shining, begging you to get outside and move your body.

Like most animals, we are naturally more active during the warmer seasons. This inclination to be active starts to decline as the weather cools off, and to a certain degree, it’s okay to slow down a bit and turn our energy inward.

However, there are some very good reasons to try to stay active throughout the winter months, from a stronger immune system to maintaining the gains you made while the sun was shining.

Let’s discuss why winter turns us into couch potatoes and ten habits you should adopt to stay active even when the weather begs you to stay cozy in bed binge watching your favorite show.

Why Winter Zaps Your Motivation

In the winter, our bodies naturally begin to revert to conservation mode, holding onto extra weight or even gaining weight to combat the cold weather.

Because we spend more time indoors, we aren’t getting as much vitamin D, leading us to lose energy more easily and feel more lethargic.

When we give into this lethargy, our bodies begin to take notice, lowering our energy, slowing our metabolism, and making some people feel depressed or anxious with a type of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

During this time, it is actually more important than ever to stay active and take care of your body to ward off illness and prevent weight gain.

For more on how to survive the winter doldrums, take a look at this past post about different methods to combat SAD.

How Exercise Helps You Through the Winter Scarries

Exercise has many benefits beyond just weight loss or weight maintenance. Many of these benefits will improve your experience of winter and help your body and mind thrive throughout the season.

First, exercise helps to improve your immune system, especially important during cold and flu season. Exercise in cold weather actually increases your immune cells, giving you a greater defense against illness or infection.

Exercise also helps to improve your mood by creating endorphins, a happy hormone secreted after exercise. It also helps to reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression, stabilizing your mood.

Outdoor exercise in the winter can even help you burn more calories and increase endurance. This happens because your body has to work harder and burn more calories in cold weather to maintain its temperature. Be careful to wear appropriate gear, including moisture wicking clothing in case of perspiration, which could be dangerous in freezing weather.

So now that you know why you should exercise in the winter, what do you do about that pesky little factor of motivation?

Ten Tips to Maintain Your Routine in Winter

It’s not easy to stay motivated in the winter. Here are ten things you can do to overcome the winter slump and take care of yourself.

1. Find a method of exercise that inspires you to get moving. If you can find a way to move that you love, you are more likely to keep doing it. Whether you love to slow down with yoga or get moving with intense cardio spin classes, find something that you are actually excited to do.

2. Plan ahead to remove mental barriers. Make your routine nonnegotiable by adding it to your calendar. Set up your equipment the day before, set out your workout clothes, charge up your headphones, and have your favorite playlist ready to go. Its a lot easier to commit when you’ve already prepared.

3. Dedicate time, space, and attention. If you can, create a dedicated workout space in your house or join a gym. Turn off your notifications and let your family know that you need just 30 minutes to an hour to spend on yourself each day. Create a boundary around this time and space and it will feel like an act of self care.

4. Simply begin. Motivation is a fickle beast, and one you cannot depend on. Instead of relying on motivation, simply begin. Maybe you just start with a five minute warm up. The hardest part is starting and most likely once you begin, you’ll find the willpower to keep going.

5. Take breaks when you need them. Put perfectionism behind you and squash that all-or-nothing attitude. Exercise is a lifestyle you are committed to, not a means to an end. If you aren’t feeling well or your schedule is just too busy, don’t beat yourself up over it. You can always get back to it tomorrow.

6. Enjoy the great outdoors. Winter can start to make you feel a bit stir crazy. Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you can’t get out there. Bundle up in warm layers that you can shed as you warm up and get out there for a run, walk, hike, or your favorite winter snow sport like skiing, sledding, or snowboarding. It’s a good idea to invest in some bright or reflective clothing to stay safe when it’s dark out.

7. Get an accountability buddy. Everything is easier with a friend! Find someone who wants to commit to keeping each other accountable. Maybe you find some days that you can take a workout class together or even just check in via text when you complete a workout. They will give you kudos when you stick to your goals or encouragement when you need a boost.

8. Stay active even when you aren’t exercising. It’s tempting to be lazy after a hard workout or on your rest days, but research shows that it’s actually really important that we prevent ourselves from being sedentary. Get up and stretch periodically throughout the work day, have a dance party in the kitchen while you make dinner, exaggerate the movements of your everyday chores like vacuuming or making the bed, or get up and do some jumping jacks during commercial breaks on T.V.

9. Stay hydrated. It’s easy to drink plenty of water when you are hot and sweaty, harder to remember to stay hydrated during the cold winter months. Make sure you are taking care of your body by staying hydrated. You can set small goals to make sure you are drinking enough throughout the day.

10. Get quality sleep. Sleep is one of the most overlooked aspects of health and fitness, and it’s especially important during the winter. Our bodies naturally want to slow down during the colder months, and it’s for a good reason! Aim for at least seven to eight hours per night of quality sleep to help strengthen your immune system, maintain a healthy weight, and stabilize your mood.

In Summation

You may feel a loss of motivation and energy in the winter, and that’s completely natural! The problem is when you give in to that inclination to veg out all the time, it can have a negative impact on your weight, mood, and immune system.

Staying active and maintaining your routine throughout the winter may be challenging, but it is in your best interest to try.

Try out some of the tips in this post, like finding an accountability buddy, doing a form of exercise that is fun for you, and staying active all throughout the day instead of just during your workout and see all the benefits of an active lifestyle through those winter months.

Summer you will thank you!