10 Easy Ways To BEat The Winter Cold And Keep Active

The message is clear, keep moving! Experts, gurus and studies the world over agree that keeping moving is one of the most important things you can do, for not only your body but also your mind.

But this time of the year is notorious in making that difficult. It’s easy to get caught up in the festivities and the weather and start moving less that normal. “Oh i’ll just do it tomorrow” you tell yourself. Problem is tomorrow never comes. Then those few sneaky pounds creep up on you and your motivation to move and work out disappears just like that Christmas pudding did.

So we’ve put together our top 10 tips on how to stay motivated to keep moving during these winter months. We’re going to keep these short and sweet, even if you implement one of these tips, call that a win!

1. Give yourself a reward

A little morning ritual I have is this. There is a cute little cafe situated right on this walking track I love doing. I tell myself, if I do the whole loop I get to enjoy a delicious almond milk latte at the end of it. The reward can be as small as a coffee, it’s just a little something to kick you into gear.

2. Find a buddy

Speaking of kicking into gear, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, having a friend to do things with always makes it easier (and usually more fun). There’s that accountability and comradery that really helps motivate you (and your friend) to achieve whatever it is you are doing together. We’re social animals, so lets feed that desire with a workout partner.

3. Work out indoors

Getting moving inside the warmth of your own home is a good way to beat that freezing cold outside. Maybe you can rope your partner/kids in and turn it into some quality family time? We’ve got tons of fun workouts on our Youtube channel or to buy/stream on our shop.

4. Try something new

We all get bored of doing the same thing, so to keep interested try something different. It’s winter so why not embrace a winter specific sport? Ice skating is a blast and low impact. Or perhaps go for a hike in the snow, its like a soft sand run only a little chillier. I’ve always wanted to try ice curling, the olympic athletes make it look so easy…

5. Book yourself into something

When you book yourself in, you’re committing and you’ll feel more obliged to go, than if you just rely on your own motivation to get yourself to the gym. It’s harder to cancel on your friend for that walk you promised than just saying no to yourself isn’t it?

6. Get as much incidental exercise as possible

 Have you been putting off cleaning the garage? Well maybe the winter holidays are a good time, all that lifting and carrying will get you moving and accomplish a lingering goal at the same time.

What about walking to the shops instead of driving? I know if it’s snowing out it’s a little difficult, but read the next point for a solution.

7. Choose the right time of the day

Maybe if you want to walk to the shops, midday when the sun is shining will be best as opposed to the cold darkness of the early morning. Or maybe you’re a morning person and setting an alarm first thing will spring you out of bed. Whatever works for you!

8. Walk your pet or offer to walk a friends

Our furry counterparts need their exercise to, even during the winter. Helping our furry friend get active is a great way to motivate yourself to walk and they make for fabulous company also.

9. Get the right gear

Trust me, you won’t find anyone that dislikes the cold more than me, so when i know winter is coming up, I always make sure i have the right gear to keep me warm. It doesn’t have to be expensive, it just has to be there so that you can’t make excuses. I also just recently bought my first step counter, which I’ve found to be super helpful for me, especially when working in conjunction with the last tip.

10. Set achievable (& FUN) goals

I like to set myself daily step goals (which i track with my shiny new apple watch). Maybe your goal will be to get to your local group fitness class twice a week, or do that walk you promised your friend every Sunday.

If you guys have any suggestions that have worked for your, please share them in the comments below!