Inevitably, when winter kicks in, we tend to lose our motivation to exercise. Who cares about putting on a few extra kilos?? No one will notice through all the layers we wear… right??

But here’s a crazy idea. Keep yourself motivated through winter so that when spring arrives you don’t get hit with this wave of panic that beach time is only a few months away.. and you’ve got to knuckle down.

Your mindset is the one and only thing that is going to sabotage your winter fitness efforts. If we can make little changes to your mindset, then the rest simply falls into place.

Here are some winter fitness hacks to keep you on the straight and narrow and force a positive mindset.

1. Prepare a tangible fitness goal to complete within the next 3-4 months. Sign yourself up for the City to Bay in September and start training. There are so many events out there. Find one (or two) that are of interest to you, sign up, train, and hold yourself accountable.

2. Look to the summer ahead and use it as motivation. Have a holiday, wedding, big event that you’re aware of at some point next summer? Use it as motivation to get into the best shape you possibly can. This is the motivational trigger of your end goal. Figure out what your end goal is, then break it down into weekly achievements.

3. Cook healthy, hearty meals to keep you warm. If you’ve spoken with me in depth about nutrition then you’ll know what I’m about to say. Preparation is key to healthy, controlled eating. The beauty of winter is that with little effort you can prepare a whole week worth of nutritious & healthy food with very little effort. Slow cooked roasts, casseroles, and soups are all so easy to make. They are effortless too. Pick your favourite veggies and proteins, chuck them in, and let them cook. It is then so easy to portion freeze leftovers. Take them to work and heat them up in the microwave.

4. Train with a friend. Find a likeminded friend and motivate each other to train. Hold yourselves accountable to one another. Get up and go for a run. Don’t fall into the trap of picking each other up however. It is far too easy for the driver to text through and say they’re too tired (for example). Plan to meet at a specific time and location. You wouldn’t leave your mate hanging would you?

5. Join a fitness group or get a personal trainer If you cant find a friend willing to do great things with you, then do the next best thing and join a fitness group or get yourself a PT. The smaller the group, the harder it is for you to pull “no shows,” as your part of an elite team, braving the cold, dark mornings together.

6. Join a sports team. If you’re looking for something a bit more fun and competitive then join a sports team. Whether it be soccer, touch footy, netball… it doesn’t matter. The best part about this is you play in the evenings which means you get a sleep in. The worst part about this, you play in the evenings and it’s easy to find an excuse, any excuse to not partake.

7. Write up a weight loss schedule and stick to it. Smaller, more frequent goals are easier to achieve and keep your mind on track. Click here to read more from a post on scheduling.

Remember the hardest part is getting up and just doing it. Remind yourself that when it’s too dark, or too cold, what your end goal is… and remember the sense of accomplishment you feel, and how good you feel when it’s all over.

Tomorrow never comes my friends – whatever you think you need to do, start doing it now.

Author: Jack Seymour
Source: http://www.bodytech.com.au/2015/04/winter-fitness-hacks/