The cold days are upon us and waking up early for a workout requires hard work, commitment and motivation. Nike shares 10 ways to stay motivated and healthy this winter:
1.Plan the night before
Our mornings are usually delayed by planning our day and packing things needed. If you pack your gym things and work/school bag the night before, your mornings will be less stressful.
2. Set your alarm clock
Sleep is a weakness and waking up early is always a nightmare. Set your alarm 10 to 15 minutes earlier to the time you need to be awake. This will give you time to snooze your clock if needed and wake up blissfully instead of rushing out of bed.
3. Take before and after picture
Before the season kicks in, take a picture of your body (front, back and side view) in your underwear to remind you where you started. Document your progress with pictures every 14 to 21 days to see the difference.
4. Have a lazy day
Your workout routine needs to always be effective and challenge your body in order for you to see the progress. Pick a day to have a lazy workout so your body still burns unwanted fat and relaxes.
5. Remember your reason
We all have goals when working out, and for most it’s to lose weight. Keep those pants that don’t fit you anymore in eye contact, so you always remember why you started working out. Nothing feels better that a pair of pants that was once small and now fits.
6. Dress for the occasion
Your workout clothing should make you feel as good as a new dress or jeans. Don’t work out in frumpy clothing because this will automatically make you feel sluggish before you start.
7. Find a partner
Knowing that you are letting someone else down if you don’t go for a workout is motivation enough for one to get up for gym. Find a gym partner to beat the cold days and fat with.
8. Music
Studies have shown that music during a workout, even running, will keep your pace up and motivated. Find fast beats and turn your workout into a fat burning party.
9. Stay away from the scale
Wanting to lose weight is a giant process and the scale might demotivate you. Avoid weighing yourself regularly because your body takes less time to show centimetres lost than weight on a scale because muscle is heavier than fat. It takes at least 21 days before you can see a difference on the scale.
10. Reward yourself
Don’t call it a cheat day because that might set you back from the progress made. Always reward yourself once a week with a snack.
