Here are some of my tips to stay fit and healthy during the winter:
Set yourself goals
It is always easier if you have to work towards something. Maybe it is a vacation that you are looking forward to in summer. Maybe it is to lose that extra 5kg’s that you have been tagging along for a while, or maybe it is to look super hot in a little black number that you have had in your cupboard for such a long time. You will be surprised at how motivated you get if you set a goal or goals for yourself.
Workout indoors
Despite the lockdown that is currently forcing us to be at home, what more can you want than be ‘forced’ to work out at home during winter. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like it to get up early on a cold winter’s morning, to put on workout clothes and then go through all the trouble to actually drive to a gym. How nice is it that you can just walk to your living room, switch on the tv and join an online class? This means you can sleep an extra 15 minutes (if that is how long it takes you to drive to the gym) and there is no rush back home after gym as you are already at home! Sounds brilliant to me!
Buy yourself some new workout clothes
This one is especially for the ladies. We just LOVE new clothes. If you are lacking some motivation, go and buy a new set of workout clothes. You will be so excited to exercise the following day because you have new workout clothes to put on. It is amazing!
Simply do it!
Just set your alarm for early in the morning, get up and do it! There is no easier way than that. I’m not really good at working out after a long day at the office. I tend to think about a million reasons throughout the day of why I will not be able to workout after work. I know that some mornings are easier to get out of bed than others but just think about it – you always feel good after a nice fun workout. You will feel more energized and especially in winter, you will feel a lot more warmer after exercise than before you started. And just think about it, if you get up early to get your workout in, you are done for the day!
Get a friend to workout with you
You don’t need to get a workout buddy only for meeting you at the gym. You can also meet by joining the same online workout. You will feel that you ‘have’ to be there as your friend is ‘waiting’ for you online and you have both been in the same online class so you will have plenty to talk about after the class. It will feel as if you have met at an actual class at an outside location. Isn’t it nice to know that your workout buddy is going through the same as you are, but you are both exercising in the comfort of your own home.
Follow a healthy and balanced eating plan
Following a healthy and balanced eating plan will be so much easier to stick to than some calorie restricted diet. If you feel like having a bite of chocolate with your afternoon tea or a steamy cup of hot chocolate after dinner then do it – just as long as you keep a balance and don’t overindulge you will be fine. And this will also serve as motivation to get up early the following morning to smash some calories during your workout.
A last word from me regarding staying fit during these cold winter months – when we exercise our bodies release chemicals in our brain known as dopamine and endorphins that makes us feel happy. Now I don’t know about you but I love to feel happy especially on a cold and dark winters day. If you feel happy and look happy you will have a positive outlook on life and the world! And we all know that summer bodies are made in winter.
**Please note I am not a doctor or qualified in any medical field. What I write is purely from what I’ve learned over the years and is my own personal opinion.
