When you get up and come home in the dark it can be quite difficult to find the motivation to exercise after work. Most of us would rather be curled up on the sofa watching a film or doing anything but leaving the comfort of a warm house. Whilst days seem longer due to the darkness and the cold finding the motivation to exercise has never been more important.
Workout indoors
Nobody likes braving the cold weather or staying out in it longer than necessary, however, gyms provide you with the perfect place to workout all year round. When it’s cold outside you don’t want to have to travel far to your gym, with Incorpore you can select the gym you really want whether it is closest to work or home. Incorpore offers corporate health club memberships to the employee benefit and healthcare markets.
Set an exercise goal
Creating goals can help to motivate you to complete tasks or activities. If you sign up for a marathon or running event, you will need to train in order to keep up your stamina and fitness levels for the duration of the race. Fear of failure can be a powerful motivating factor and will force you to go to the gym after work. Make a plan and stick to it.
Have the right workout gear
When the seasons change as should your gym kit, invest in some warmer fitness apparel which will make braving the cold that much easier and keep you looking good whilst doing so. With My Active Discounts you don’t need to spend a fortune on new gear and it is of good quality.
Try something new
Switching up your gym routine and trying something new will keep exercising interesting will keep you from plateauing at the gym. Lack of motivation often comes from boredom so find something that will keep you engaged and focused. Think of all the fitness classes or interests you have previously had and look into trying one of them, be it yoga, Pilates, boot camp or even using new equipment in the gym. It’s the perfect time of year to learn something new!
Refresh your gym playlist
Your gym playlist could be going stale and in desperate need of revamping, which could be putting a damper on your motivation and will to workout longer. Playing fast, loud, upbeat and rhythmic music can be good for psyching you up, and music with 130 to 140 beats per minute can be particularly inspiring.
Treat yourself
A little bit of self-indulgence has never hurt anybody, if you have a specific goal in mind why not reward yourself when you get there. If you go to the gym twice a week for a month or workout for a certain amount of time, you could reward yourself with a new coat, pair of shoes or bag. Creating a reward system could help motivate you to exercise after work in winter.
Buddy up
Nothing gives you a bigger incentive than working out with a friend as it will make going to the gym more sociable and enjoyable. You will also be less likely to cancel if you have someone depending on you, rather than it just being yourself and on your own schedule.
Take your gym bag to work
A good trick to make yourself go to the gym is to take your gym bag to work as you won’t want to keep lugging it to and from work every day, so pick a day and have your bag on hand. It will also remind you if you get too busy that you forget.
Read more: Fun exercises for those who hate working out
