Keeping Motivated to Train During Winter

With the temperatures plummeting this time of year and days being shorter, many of us tend to hibernate inside our homes.
I know I do, coz I hate winter!  

Most of you who know me well, know that I don't want to go anywhere or do anything, I just want to stay home and stay warm during winter.I become a real Grumpy Arse and complain about the cold all winter through. 

But, hibernating is for bears. 

As humans it’s important to stay active through all four seasons. Yet some Wanker who did a poll of 5,000 people found that 30% percent of us lazy bastids get no exercise at all during the winter months.

Just because it is cold outside doesn’t make it open season for an excuse not to exercise. Right?  Urgh! I suppose so...

Oh Fucking Shut up!  I hate shedding the clothes when the temperature outside is freezing.  Just the thought of disrobing to hit the orbitrek, work out for an hour and then having to strip again to have a shower to freshen up and get changed again, its horrific.  

And I do all of that during my lunch time every week day at work!

I hear you saying "Is she fucking insane?".

Well, yeah, you're only figuring that out now?

I train during my lunch time because I can't and will NOT get up early in the mornings.  My middle name is Garfield - I am NOT a morning person at all and that's when temps are at their coldest!! 

I'm certainly not going to cut my time with my hubby and children at night time to go and train after work.  Besides, who will make supper, tidy up, do the chores, empty school bags, do the homework....

Therefore, I choose to train during my lunch hour and yes I do fit it in.  

I make time. 

The important thing is to accept its going to be cold but do not accept the excuses that you will come up with not to exercise.  And lemmie tell you its soopa easy to find plenty excuses during winter.

  • Have a plan. Try to exercise 4-5 times a week. Make it a priority!  Schedule it on your Blackberry, iPhone or on your Calendar. That should be your goal.  Just get it done, like everything else on your To Do List. We all have 168hrs in every week. Do not feed yourself any excuses about having no time or you have something else on, there is NOTHING in your life as important as your health and fitness. 

  • Out of those 168hrs you only have to exercise 4-5. To me, that's not a bad ratio.
  • Get warm first. A proper warm-up is critical especially when cold temperatures can make your muscles tight and therefore they are more prone to injuries.  So, it’s important to get them warmed-up prior to engaging in intense physical activity. Be sure to spend at least 10 minutes warming up and another 5mins going through your ROM stretching.
  • Insulate your body. The best approach to dressing for outdoor exercise is with layers. Layering provides the most effective heating method, plus it allows you to remove the top layer if you get too hot. The layer closest to your skin should allow moisture to be wicked away. The top layer should be both wind and water resistant.
  • No sweat. Don’t assume that you have to sweat in order to get a good workout. You should avoid sweating that causes the clothing layer closest to your skin to get wet and cause you to be chilled. Instead monitor your intensity through a heart rate monitor or the Rating of Your Perceived Exertion.
  • Don’t strip when you get inside. While you may be tempted to immediately remove your layers when returning inside, give your body time to adjust. Post exercise hypothermia is possible. This happens when your body rapidly loses its heating stores.
  • Drink up. It’s just as important to stay hydrated when exercising in winter as it is in summer, even though you might not feel as thirsty.
  • Lighten up. If possible, it’s best to exercise outdoors during daylight areas. But, with shorten days that can be difficult to do.
By staying fit during winter you’ll be able to avoid gaining weight and becoming a blob.  Have a head start on swimsuit season (I haven't worn a fucking bikini for 20 years and I don't plan to start again) avoid losing strength and stamina caused from inactivity. 

Once the weather fines up people are signing up with the gym again and the aerobics classes become a mad-house but, never fear, it only ever lasts a month or two. Then its back to normal sized classes and the same old regular faces.

Think about it over winter - would you rather gain 5kgs or lose 5kgs?  Both are totally possible and probable depending on the route you take. 

I plan to loose 5kg - wish me luck!

Lets hit the gym! 


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