If you don’t like working out during the winter, you’re certainly not alone. As it’s natural for your gym motivation to fluctuate in colder months, we’ve put together a few things you can try to fight off the winter blues and continue your fitness progress.

Change your schedule

Working out early in the morning is great during the summer months. Whether you are pounding the pavements as the sun rises on a mild morning or you are leaving the gym to glorious sunshine, summer fitness just hits different. 

But contrast that with winter, and it’s easy to see why motivation levels drop. Your alarm will be sounding when it’s still dark outside and the temptation to stay in the warmth of your bed is real. If you already know you’re going to hit the snooze button, alter your gym schedule to suit the season. 

Moving your workouts to the evening will ensure you’ll be training when it’s still light and warmer. Many women also find walking to the gym during the dark a daunting prospect too, so eliminate this concern by changing to a later workout, whether it be during lunch or later in the afternoon

Prioritize consistency

It’s not just your schedule that may need to change during the winter, it can be wise to change your goals too. When you feel motivation levels dropping, make consistency your aim and remember continuing to turn up will also beat not working out.     

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to see incredible gains during times when your motivation is low. And instead of focusing on seeing incredible gains, focus on hitting a certain number of workouts a week. Alternatively, make your goals slightly less challenging such as taking 10,000 steps a day.

Ensuring that you maintain some form of consistency during times when motivation is low means that your progress slows rather than stops, which is absolutely fine for short periods. 

Home workouts

Who said you have to leave the warmth and comfort of your own home to stay in shape? Today, there’s a whole host of ways to get a vigorous workout in from home. Subscription models like Peloton and YouTube tutorials mean there’s no excuse to not to workout, even if it doesn’t involve leaving your home. 

If you plan on working out from home during colder months, it may be wise to invest in some equipment to ensure you have no excuses. Try to pick up some equipment that will allow you to replicate the type of fitness you usually do. For those who enjoy strength training, dumbbells and a gym bench will allow you to continue your weightlifting. Similarly, a Pilates reformer can be purchased online to assist with your Pilates journey.

If you have a spare room or an unused garage, you may even want to explore the option of adding a home gym to your property, although this is a costly option that should only be considered if you are planning on working out from home in the long term.

Treat yourself

Yes, you read that right. There’s no better investment you can make than in your own health. So if treating yourself to a purchase that increases your chances of working out during periods of low motivation, then it is absolutely a worthwhile purchase. 

This is the perfect time to treat yourself to a new pair of running shoes or a shiny new gym outfit. Brands like A-Game activewear offer gym attire that is both stylish and functional, and you’ll find that treating yourself to some new gymwear naturally increases your desire to get to the gym and flaunt your new purchase.

Create a gym gang

If you’re struggling to find the motivation to work out when days get shorter and nights get darker, you’re probably not alone. Ask around your friends and fellow gym goers to see if they are also suffering from the same loss in motivation. If so, a perfect solution may be to reach out to your network and arrange some group workouts to beat the issue together. 

Many people find that they are less likely to skip a workout if it’s with a friend or as part of a group. You could also make it into a social situation; add a sauna, massage or coffee to the end of your workout and you should find that the workout itself becomes much more appealing.

Final Thoughts

It’s natural for motivation to fall during the winter months. As already mentioned, it’s no surprise that working out on a bright, sunny day is more appealing than getting out of bed on a cold, dark morning and taking yourself to the gym. But don’t let the winter blues put a stop to your progress; try the above tips and let us know if they helped.