5 Tips to Help You Stay Active in the Winter

Even the most committed athlete could have trouble training in the winter. The cold days and shorter daytime make it harder for us to get out of bed, not to mention exercise. But there are simple ways of getting motivated, even when it’s cold, stormy and rainy outside.

Here are 5 tips that will help you stay active in the winter:

1. Look for a training partner or group

When you train alone, there’s only one person you must convince to skip it. but when you’re exercising with a partner or group there’s some sort of peer pressure that will make you say to yourselves, “I have to show up, people are waiting for me.” Your fellow trainers can also provide you with social support, friendship and distractions from bad weather. There’s also an added advantage of getting to know new friends and hanging out with people like-minded people. Even if you’re training at home, consider joining a live Zoom or Instagram session – which are great options for winter training that doesn’t require you to deal with the cold or any other weather-related issue.

2. Make arriving at training a goal

You can even focus on wearing sports clothes for training outside or in front of your laptop once you come back from work and nothing else. Once you’re there, most of the problem will already be solved and you’d feel a sort of commitment to start the training. Once you’ve made the first step, the rest will be much easier.

3. Define training goals

A final goal can be exactly what you need in order to get going. You can choose running 10K or even just increasing your muscle mass as a goal. The goal can be a big or small one, but it has to motivate you to get into the action. Tink how great you’d feel once you reach your fitness goal.

4. Diet

One of the most important components that will help you reach your training goals in winter is your diet. Make sure to get all the food groups your body needs. Before a session, make sure to provide your body with carbs, since our body needs energy. After the session, make sure to consume food and nutrients like the protein portion that will hep support an optimal recovery, encourage muscle mass and improve your physical performance.

5. Choosing a fun activity and gradual repetition

Choose an activity you enjoy; it will help you persist for a long time. Running, walking, yoga, Pilates. There are so many options today, all you have to do is choose one that you like and get started. It’s important that you take into account that had you not worked out for a while, your body will take time to return to the way it used to be. Therefore, don’t try and get back to the old training routine right away, do it gradually in order to avoid damages, such as muscle inflammations and tears. You can also use magnesium to prevent muscle spasms when starting to train, especially when you’re coming back after a long break or when trying out a new exercise that to which your muscles are not accustomed.