Monday, February 17, 2014

When the Same Old is...Old

Beating the winter weather can be tough. Of course I live in the sunny, warm part of the country that allows me access to outdoor activities most of the year. Even still, the cold can be a bit of a bummer. Without access to a gym (by choice I don't have a membership), it takes a little creativity to make a workout happen when it's too cold for comfort. It also take a little creativity when the same old gets, well---old!

What to do when it gets old:
1. POP IN A NEW WORKOUT VIDEO: find one from a friend, the Goodwill, Target, or dust of your own. A change of pace is great to work out your muscles in different ways. The cardio portion of the workout could spark a fire to get out and do the same old, or brave the cold for a run.

2. FIND A WORKOUT FRIEND: in my experience this hasn't been too difficult to find.A few days ago I decided to hike a hill a couple days a week in addition to my running and strength training in preparation for the swim suit season that is rapidly approaching and overall fitness improvement. I e-mailed a friend and spoke to another friend and asked if they would want to join me. Both responded very well to the invitation and now it is on the calendar. Ask someone you think you would like to get to know better, ask someone who you know is working on improving their fitness, or ask someone you know who is up for anything. You will find someone.

3. BEGIN THE DAY WITH 3 SIMPLE EXERCISES: if you have in your mind you don't want to workout, hardly anything will change your mind other than sheer will power. Get in your work out clothes and start with some squats while listening to some uplifting, exciting, and motivational (for you) music-that always helps. After you do squats to burn out, do some walking lunges or stationary lunges-just do them!, after doing those for a few minutes get down and do some ab work-crunches, sit-ups, hip raises with legs up, straight leg lifts. At this point you are feeling good and just want to keep going with your workout.

4. GET TO YOUR GYM: I have nothing against gyms at all. In fact, there are some days I would absolutely love to take the kids to the child care and get a great workout in or take a group exercise class to regroup myself. Sometimes just getting to the car in the cold can be a mind over matter achievement. Once you walk in the doors to the gym, you are there so you might as well make the most of it. Do a class, try a new class, go to your favorite machine, do the row machine-seriously utilize that machine!, try a new machine. Think of what motivates you and start at that point.

5. WRITE DOWN YOUR EXERCISE GOALS: Set a goal, write the steps you are going to have to take to get to that goal, read them every single day, then do it. When you are feeling unmotivated to work on your final goal, you need to re-read your goal, find out what is stopping you, and just jump over that hurdle and move on without looking back. Then get back on your same old with a new attitude.

6. DRAG OUT THAT OLD MACHINE OR EQUIPMENT: Have an old treadmill hanging out in the basement or some other piece of equipment you were going to use everyday? Pull it out. It's time to switch it up, right? No better time than when your ready for a change. How about the old handweights, the yoga ball, or the bike trainer? Pull it out. Hey, what about the jump rope. Now that's a great full body workout. Keep a rotation of the equipment you own and never get bored again.

Do you have another tip to beat the winter exercise doldrums? I'd love to hear it.

No comments:

Post a Comment

FITting it in will share amazing tips on how you can incorporate exercise and nutrition into your hectic and crazy life.
You're body won't know what hit it after you learn all the tricks of sneaking those exercises in during your day. In the car, at the store, through the house, walks around the block...
keep on reading, get hooked, and most importantly FIT it in!

Lucy Activewear Free Shipping on $125+ (yoga photo)