It’s finally getting cold in Georgia, and as the temperature goes down, so does motivation. Winter, warm blankets, and comfy clothing are all associated with the urge to sit down and do nothing productive. It’s the reason “chilling” means exactly that.
But the cold season, home to many holidays and comfort foods, should be the best time to take care of your body and workout. Don’t let the winter bug get to you. Here’s how to get yourself motivated to exercise!
- Fill your Facebook with fitness. Not just Facebook, but all your social media. Follow people that have met their fitness goals. Follow people that are trying to do so. Follow people that are just like you and are trying to get back into the hang of things. Social media doesn’t have to always be a useless time waster —if it’s where you spend most of your time, you can surround yourself with pictures and statuses that talk about fitness. Type in “fitness” or “exercise” in Facebook to find many pages and groups dedicated to healthy living. Instagram, now with its one-minute limit integration, is home to many short workout ideas. Pages such as “homeabs” and hashtags such as “#fitspiration” can help lift your motivation.
- Buy more gym wear. Buy fitness wear that makes you feel good. According to the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, putting on the new and trendy workout gear acts as a mental shift. It’s as if you’re telling your body that you want to start living healthier. If you’re especially new to exercise or have enough black clothing as it is, try going for bright and trendy colors. The day of, place these clothes out and in the open — specifically in an area you cannot ignore, like on top of your bed. That way, if you ever feel like lounging in bed for a while, your gym clothes will kindly remind you that you had a date with them today.
- Find friends that also want to work out. You can try meeting friends in the gym, but it can be less stressful (and not to mention awkward) to find people that are at your fitness level or slightly higher and plan gym sessions with them. YouTube and Pinterest can help you find complex partner or group exercises you can do. You can motivate each other to finish your sets and challenge yourselves.
- Have a workout playlist. Research has supported that listening to music while working out can increase your performance. A study from the Scandinavian Journal of Medical Science and Sports wrote that when listening to music — specifically faster-paced music — cyclers pedaled faster and covered a longer distance. You can also try your hand at motivational music. Do you like oldies? Classics like “Eye of the Tiger” and “Don’t Stop Believing” are workout favorites in the University Center gym, but you can always listen to your own fast-paced music.
- After exercising, do something you enjoy. If you’ve got time to spare, watch your favorite TV show. Hop on YouTube. Go to sleep. But make sure you’ve refueled your body with ample carbs and protein after your workout.
Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you have to Netflix all day. Warm yourself up the healthy way by heading to the gym this cold holiday season.
