In the cold months following the festive period, it can be hard to find the motivation to get started with your fitness goals. As it gets colder it can be more tempting to stay inside and skip a workout after a long day.
January is typically a popular time for people to get started on their fitness journey, but you may be wondering how to stay motivated this winter, or why it's so important to prioritise staying active.
Staying active is a great way to help our self-esteem and confidence, but there are many important benefits of staying active for our health.
According to the NHS, people who exercise regularly have a lower risk of:
Low moods can be common in the new year. Blue Monday falls on the third Monday of January and is considered to be the most depressing day of the year.
It’s no surprise that many people struggle when the festive period is over, and days feel gloomy.
Many people also experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) during the winter months. Some symptoms of SAD include low mood, a loss of pleasure or interest in daily life, feeling lethargic and difficulty concentrating.
Whilst it's not clear exactly what causes SAD, it is often linked to reduced exposure to sunlight throughout the months with shorter days.
When feeling like this, being motivated to exercise may be the last thing on our minds, however, exercise is linked heavily to improving our mood.
Even short walks or an at home workout can help to improve our mood by releasing endorphins after at least 30 minutes of exercise.
It is also beneficial to get outside and get active during sunlight hours to help make the most of light, which can increase our serotonin levels.
Learn more about how exercise can help our mood and mental health.
We know how important exercise and being active is for our physical and mental health, here are our top tips to help you stay motivated...
A good way to get started and to stay motivated is to set yourself goals and have something to work towards.
Other benefits of setting goals includes holding yourself accountable, keeping track of your progress and improving your performance. It’s best to set specific goals, focusing on exactly what you want to achieve. Setting a time frame to reach your goals can also help.
Having a routine can help you to stay motivated when getting active. Routines give us structure and stability.
Sticking to a regular time to complete exercise each day or every couple of days is a great way to stick to it. For example, it might be a walk each morning before work, heading to the gym on your lunch break, or a class in the evening.
Over time, the routine will become easier, reducing the need for motivation. It can take up to 10 weeks to form a new habit, so making it part of your routine can help.
Sometimes a great way to get motivated is to dress for the occasion.
It's important to feel comfortable in your workout clothes and having a go-to outfit can help to get you motivated for exercise.
Getting changed into your workout clothes is the first step towards getting the exercise done and can help put you in the right frame of mind.
There is no point doing exercise that you don’t get enjoyment from or dread doing, as that will make it even harder to be motivated to work out.
One of the best things you can do is find something that really interests you and that you enjoy, to make the workout easier.
When partaking in activities you enjoy, it might not feel like a work out. Maybe it’s sport like football, tennis or netball or something as simple as a dog walk in nature which brings you joy.
Opting to join a sports team can also help to keep you motivated, as you have team mates to hold you accountable, and make you less likely to cancel or skip a session.
Creating a good playlist or listening to a podcast or audio book whilst exercising can help to pass the time, as well as making it a more enjoyable experience.
Maybe you’re on the treadmill and catching up on your favourite TV series, or listening to some upbeat songs to help you through a run.
Tracking your progress can be essential to keeping you motivated. Keeping a log should help you to keep going on days you feel particularly unmotivated.
Maybe you don’t want to ruin a streak or can see and feel yourself getting stronger. Let that motivate you to keep going.
Keeping a routine log of your health can make you more knowledgeable about ways to improve it.
If you have a smart watch, like a FitBit or Apple Watch, they can be a great way to track your progress as well as making sure you're doing enough exercise or steps each day.
It’s important to reward yourself with something after your workout on days that have been a struggle or you’ve been unmotivated. Promising yourself something you like after getting active can help to get started.
For example, you might decide to save your favourite snack for after your workout, take a nice shower, or do some self-care. Whatever you look forward to, try and save it for a reward after a workout.
Health insurance support
Many health insurers offer support to help you get more active, this is one of the many great benefits of having protection with health insurance. Some of which includes:
Getting motivated to exercise or make positive healthy decisions in the winter can be much more of a challenge due to many factors. But a new year is the perfect time for a fresh start and definitely time to consider putting yourself first.
If you're thinking about how you can protect your health, you can reach out to our friendly expert advisers on 01285 864670. Or fill out the form below for one of our team to get in touch.