WHEN IT’S COLD OUTSIDE
When the sun’s shining, and the weather’s warm, getting to the gym’s easy.
When it gets cold, dark and wet, this is where it can get challenging. All you want to do is get under a blanket, eat warm and comforting food, and watch a movie.
Here are 3 ways to help keep you working out consistently when it’s cold and dark outside.
1. BUILD A BANGING NEW PLAY LIST
Sometimes when you want to get into the zone, the rights tunes will get you there. According to research, we often associate music with memories and the context within which we first heard the music.
If you know the kind of music that puts a spring in your step, using that music for a playlist will give you the ‘spring ‘, you need to get off the sofa and onto your next session.
But don’t go for music that is too fast: according to a 2010 study, songs with beats from 120-140bpm provide the maximum benefit for moderate exercisers. If you’re an iTunes fan, you can search for music by bpm.
2. GET NEW TRAINING KIT
According to a 2012 study, you associate the clothes you wear with the activities you do. You associate yourself even more with an activity when you wear the uniform, so by putting on your training duds you’re more inclined to walk the walk and get to your workouts.
This is confirmed by psychologist and personal trainer Battersea Susan Rudnicki, who also suggests that when we see others wearing training gear we associate them as being more skilled in training.
By getting into the gear, you’re training your mind to think more like an athlete. The more you think like an athlete, the more inspired and likely you are to train like one. Also, who wants to waste a new outfit that makes you feel great?
3. SCHEDULE YOUR WORKOUTS IN YOUR DIARY…I MEAN ACTUALLY WRITE THEM IN THERE
Ever heard yourself saying ‘I’m too busy to train’. The best way to avoid life and inclement weather derailing your training regime, is to mark it as an appointment in your diary.
Benjamin Franklin was 100% right in saying ‘If you fail to plan, you plan to fail’. By putting a regular appointment into your diary (not saying I’ll get to it later today – physically block the time out) you’re much more inclined to stick to the regime.
This action will turn into a habit, helping you entrench the behaviour and reap the benefits of consistent training.
Top Tip: if at all possible, start early. With most schedules, you’ll have maximum control of your day at the start of it, so schedule your sessions in the morning to get the training in before the day goes sideways.
HOW OUR MEMBERS KEEP THEIR TRAINING CONSISTENT OVER THE WINTER MONTHS
Here at Fit to Last, our members train consistently three times a week in a small group. They tell us that signing up to our program helps them to keep working out consistently (even through the dark winter months) for the following reasons:
- Accountability: knowing that my personal trainer is waiting to assist me is a big motivator. Also knowing my workout team members are expecting to see me at the sessions really helps too. I hate ver having to miss a session.
- Convenience: I never have to book my workouts online before I can attend. My spot is always there for me.
- Speed of change/value for money: before joining the program, I was struggling to get results working out at the gym and dieting on my own. Knowing that the time and money I invest is actually getting me results motivates me to keep going.
- Outsourced thinking: one of the best things is that the thinking is done for me. The session planning, tracking and roadmap to my goals has all been planned out for me. All I need to do is show up and work as hard as I can.
A common approach to achieving fitness goals is to join a gym. But unless you already know what you’re doing, you’ll actually save yourself more time and money by working with a team of fitness professionals. Tally up the amount of time and money you may have wasted on a gym membership. Did you get results? Or like millions of other gym subscribers in the UK, did you go sporadically and struggle to see results?
It’s natural to feel a little blue over the winter months. We hope these tips will help you to keep your training consistent and be ready for when the ice breaks and spring returns.
SEE HOW BECKY TRANSFORMED HER BODY
To learn more about healthy eating habits to achieve your fitness goals, contact James Staring, a leading personal trainer in Clapham, London.
ABOUT JAMES STARING
James Staring is a personal trainer based in Clapham, London. His methods have featured in publications such as Your Fitness, Hello, Healthy, Daily Mail, Closer, and many more. After giving up smoking and entering the fitness industry in 2009, James has focused on his passion to help others transform their health and fitness. However, James is convinced most people struggle so much more than they need to in an effort to improve their fitness. Through his company, Fit to Last, which he runs with his partner, Ali Page – James has helped hundreds of men and women make small adjustments in their daily habits to transform their fitness and to love how they look and feel.