It’s arrived… that time of year when every time you look out the window it’s dark, wet and cold. Christmas is coming and motivation is at its lowest point to keep striving towards your fitness goals.

It’s clear to see individuals showing minimal effort to continue the progress they have currently made and for some reason it’s correlated to the winter season. The countdown to Christmas is where your mental strength comes into action and your determination and levels of commitment are seriously put to the test. Proving to yourself and pushing through what seems to be the hardest time of the year for fitness is an achievement in itself and why put all the progress you have made in jeopardy for the case of bad weather or the Christmas holidays. If you’re reading this and you are telling yourself you don’t eat more crap in December than any other time of year, then you’re lying. But why is this not a motivation to increase your training, improve your nutrition and get the proper guidance to enjoy the Christmas day meal without hindering progress or feeling guilty about enjoying the well-deserved turkey?

We get it though, it’s a miserable time of year and is difficult to continue the regime you have just recently mastered. So, here’s some tips from our online coaches on how to stary motivated during winter:

Embrace the Cold

Those steps aren’t going to count themselves! Get up, wrap up and get out. It’s what warm clothing is made for. You’ve all heard of cold shower therapy right, the basic concept that a cold shock in the morning will increase productivity and stimulate yourself to a better start of the day. Well, this is pretty much the same concept. It’s been proven that morning activity enhances both physical and mental stimulants for the day, mix that with a brisk cold day to increase that shock therapy and you’re on your way to a productive day. We’ve found that a number of our clients actually prefer getting their cardio activity in with cold weather, they feel more satisfied when having to battle not only their stamina, but the environmental elements of inter weather.

Home Workouts

Didn’t the nation become obsessed with working out from home when we couldn’t leave them? So, what’s the difference now? If you’re lacking the defrost the car, prepare for a cold journey to the gym, then let’s revert to our home workouts.

Increase your NEAT

Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is the energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating or sports-like exercise. Increasing and finding additional household chores or other activities is a great way to ensure you are still burning your desired and calculated calories.

Recruit a Training Partner

We preach about positive support systems here at Physique Academy, because we know how vital they are to success. Not only in fitness but in all walks of life. Find someone who will encourage you to keep on track of your goals by doing activity together is a great way to stay motivated in winter. Push each other on the path to success by being each other’s support.

Try Something New

It may be time to try a different class, hobby or activity you have never tried before to keep up your exercise.

Only Look Forward

Think about the progress you have made. Do you really want to fall of the track and slip into a position where you were a few months ago? We say only look forward but there is no harm in looking back, only to see how far you have come from when you first started on this journey.

Set a New Goal

Push yourself towards a new target these winter months. This will entail you to focus on a short-term finish line that will motivate your training and to stay on track with any plan.

Get Proper Guidance

Joining the Physique Academy will equip you with all the knowledge you need to put fitness first but enjoy everything that comes with Christmas. Still want to enjoy the Christmas markets? Meet friends and family for drinks? Jump head first into your Christmas dinner – well you can with our help. We will tailor a training and nutrition program around your daily routine and future plans to ensure you are still getting the best results possible. What better way to stay motivated in winter than that?

Think About the End Result

Christmas has finished and you’re seeing nothing but new years fitness resolutions after countless people have fallen off their path. Think about the self-satisfaction that you didn’t hinder your progress, you reached a new winter target, you have acquired a new training buddy and found a new activity because of that and now you are in even better shape than you were before this blog was written. Just think about that and use that as motivation. Who needs all the new year new me bullshit, you started 3 months ago when you pushed yourself through the winter months.