Horsham-based female personal trainer and Co-Women member, Becky, shares her top tips for motivating yourself to exercise during the winter months. Whether you’re a gym bunny or someone looking to get started, this post is for you!
With UK mornings and evenings getting steadily darker, and the weather closing in for the season, there’s an extra challenge been added to our motivation to train. I know because I’ve felt it too. Yes, even personal trainers don’t float to their sessions on a surge of hype. In fact, the opposite has been happening for me, as I’ve been struggling to get excited to train myself due to being increasingly busy with clients.
I decided to do something about it, and these tips come from both experience and the heart…
Exercise barrier 1: kit
No matter when during the day you’re planning to train, get it ready the night before. I’m an early bird, so mine (including underwear, socks, water and keys) goes on the floor next to my bed. When the alarm goes off, I scoop it all up, get dressed, and go. Having this quick sort out also allows you to figure out if any items are dirty, or otherwise unusable, rather than realising that in a panic.
If you’ll be exercising later in the day, pack your bag the night before and put it in the car, or leave it by the door. If you’re training first then going on to something else, sort that outfit out, get it packed (again: underwear!), and have it ready to go.
It'll take you moments the night before. The same won’t be true first thing in the morning.
Exercise barrier 2: time
There’s no denying that, when you have additional responsibilities such as running a business, home, or caring for others, time is at a premium. If exercise is something that you want in your life, you have to find time for it, in the same way that you find time for other things that support your health and wellbeing.
Ignore the guidelines, and do something. If the biggest drop you can initially squeeze is 30 minutes per week, go for it. Some people will start to feel the benefit and gradually create more time. I wish that I could give everyone more hours in the week to free them up, but until I develop that ability, this is the best I’ve got!
Exercise barrier 3: motivation
This is another one that you have to reverse engineer. I opened the front door to pitch darkness and pissing rain, having decided to train at the crack of pre-dawn for the first time in months. And I had to force myself to step across the threshold and stumble to my car.
I reminded myself that I’d done one of the hardest parts – got up. The next thing I thought about was how I’d feel after my session. And that getting this done now would meet my weekly target I’d set myself, keeping my weekend clear. All of this is personal. The same won’t necessarily apply to you. But those are the bargaining chips you have to find in the bottom of your brain – if you do this now, what do you gain later? And if you don’t do this now, what do you miss out on later?
Exercise barrier 4: session plan
If you’ve booked a class, you’ve already solved this problem. But if you’re doing your own thing in terms of cardio or strength, don’t leave it until you arrive to decide what to do. If you’re training for an event, you’ll need a strategy. And even if you aren’t, showing up and figuring it out as you go is a recipe for a scattered, ineffective, and unenjoyable session.
I map out my training weekly or monthly, and never arrive at the gym without a plan in my book. Don’t just use whatever equipment is free. If you have no clue what you’re doing, coaching will be a worthwhile investment in terms of learning new skills, and also giving you that plan I’ve mentioned – pay someone to do that job for you, it’s why people like me exist.
Exercise barrier 5: you still hate it
If none of this works for you, it’s time to stop and think. Are you doing this activity because you think you should, or because you actually want to? I’m not saying you have to adore your training. But it shouldn’t be completely intolerable.
There are plenty of things to try, from barre to circuits, spin to pole, and running to swimming. And those are just six examples.
My fitness journey started with running, because I wanted to get fit, and I thought that fit people ran. It took me almost a year to let go of that idea, admit that I didn’t enjoy running, and recognise that strength training is entirely valid by itself. There’s no such thing as a compulsory or “best” activity. Pick one you like.
And if you’re still not sure how to solve your problems, maybe I can help!
Email hello@iambeckyhughes.com
Comments