We are excited to announce we’ll now be syndicating an amazing story of a woman’s journey into health and fitness and her quest to find her best self.
In the coming months we’re honored to be able to share posts from the Like…Take 2 blog and follow Beth’s life and experiences.
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Winter Motivation
By Beth
Winter motivation – not as easy for me to find as my summer motivation. UGH . If you are anything like me, finding the motivation to workout in the colder, darker months is not as easy as when it is sunny and warm out. I am not at all a cold-weather person. I would much rather be drenched in sweat on a 90 degree day than shivering and cold on a 20 degree one. Waking up in darkness and getting home from work in the dark also adds an extra layer of motivational suck that does not help the challenge of staying in shape in these months.
Coming into my first full winter on this journey, I am actually surprised how much the change of seasons has effected me. Now don’t get me wrong, I am still completely committed to staying on this much healthier path and I wont let anything derail me, but I have noticed I have had to work harder at getting myself motivated to complete my workouts…even when I don’t have to leave my living room to do so! So how do we overcome this extra obstacle?
Some of the ways I have found most useful in combating the lack of motivation in the winter are:
- Make sure you are getting enough Vitamin D – I take a multivitamin that has my daily dose in it just to be sure because it is especially hard to meet the levels you need when you aren’t getting out into the sun for months! There are even special lamps you can buy that trigger your bodies production of Vitamin D if you find yourself really struggling with this.
- Be diligent about planning out your weekly workouts – I keep a planner that is dedicated just to my health and fitness journey and make sure every Sunday I plan what days I will be working out, what type of workout I will be doing and which days I will be resting. My cheat meal days go on there as well!
- Sign up for a class – I make it a point to get to at least one yoga class a week. In these colder months it holds me accountable and actively engaged in an activity that is both good for my health and my stress levels!
- Sign up for an event/activity that will take place a few months from now – I have already booked my first mud run of 2019 so I know I have something to train for and look froward to!
- Find a Friend! – This is a great time of year to buddy up with someone who will hold you accountable and make sure you are staying on track. Plus, sometimes it’s just more fun to workout with someone and you can always plan a coffee or hot chocolate date to reward yourselves after you complete you sweat session!
- Start or continue taking pictures of yourself to track your progress – This is something I started way back in the beginning of my journey but had kinda slacked on for the last little bit. I realized I needed to start again to keep me on track but also because I am now wearing a million layers of clothes all the time so I don’t see the results like I was when short sleeves and shorts were the norm!
Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is also a real thing you guys! If you have never heard of it, it is a real form of depression that usually sets in during the fall months and lasts throughout the winter. This can be another huge drain on motivation and energy during this time of the year. Maintaining your exercise routine, sticking to a healthy meal plan and of course getting the necessary amount of Vitamin D is so crucial to keeping away the winter blues and staying on the right path during these cold months.
For me, the winter is another great example of how much of this journey is a mental one. Overcoming the extra lack of motivation in the winter is just a great example of your mind needing to step up and lead your body. Even using all the ideas/techniques I talked about above sometimes it just comes down to you telling yourself your desire to be healthy is stronger than the extra excuses we can all find this time of the year. It may be cold, it may be dark when you have to get that workout in, you may just wanna stay on that couch in your sweats under the blankets but choosing to be active even for just 20-30 minutes will always be worth it! Sometimes, the harder it is to get up and get the workout done the more rewarding it is when you have completed it!
Stay warm out there y’all and hope you are enjoying the holiday season so far!
xoxoxo,
Beth
From: Fit Ambitious Blonde
