As soon as the colder months roll around and turn into freezing days, our once peppy attitudes towards getting our sweat on seem to dwindle. But just because the degrees are dropping doesn’t mean our dress sizes need to increase – here are the top winter workout hacks that we’re obsessed with.
1. Force your friend or partner to go with you – if you don’t have the motivation to go for that brisk morning run, dragging bae out of bed to do it with you will always make it more exciting.
2. Go before work not after! When you wake up, splash your face with cold water and throw those leggings and exercise bra on – you’ll have to shower and go to work anyway, right?
3. Create calendar. Planning and going through with it will set a sense of accomplishment. Leave time for recovery, but a workout calendar will motivate you to follow through – it’s like a monthly challenge!
4. If calendars aren’t your thing, adapt that idea into a goal board. Include pics of your fitness inspiration or icons, set workout, hydration, and healthy eating goals so that the reminder is always in front of you, hopefully seeping into your lifestyle. Perfect for the new year 😉
5. Listen to an e-book when you run! The best playlist update – more distracting than music, especially if you go for a riveting thriller or mystery.
6. Buy climate-smart clothing to work out in. The right type of winter outerwear can make a difference. If you’re freezing, you obviously don’t want to work out, and cold joints and muscles are no good when exercising. Heat tech by Uniqlo turns sweat into heat, so beat the coldest weather with something like that.
7. Adapt your outdoor workout to an indoor workout, if you don’t want to make that investment. You can write and switch up different routines, doing moves that have millions of variations, like planks, pushups, and mountain climbers.
8. Book classes instead of trying to plan your own workout. It can really help motivate you and create structure when you don’t want to think about the workout and just shut your brain off. Additionally, if you join a service like Classpass, you have to pay a fee if you miss a class, so there’s that!
9. But going to classes is also effort – on slushy, wintry days, nobody wants to deal a commute. Fortunately, there are loads of online workouts (barre3) simulating a class experience so you can still shut your brain off, but not leave your cozy, warm home.
10. Find a fun winter sport like ice skating or skiing so it doesn’t feel like a workout that you’re dreading, just a IG-worthy weekend activity!
11. Make sure to reward yourself after. If every time you complete a fierce workout you get a tasty brunch after, or a cute new top, it will push you to do that workout, so you can get your treat after. Don’t make those treats too regularly unhealthy though, otherwise the purpose is defeated.