5 Ways To Stay Motivated During Winter

Cold. Wind. Fog. Rain. Dark. Not exactly what you’d call inspiration for maintaining your fitness. So while we sit in the lull between the fall and spring race seasons, how do we stay inspired to run and resist staying in bad or sitting on the couch?

Set goals

Some of us are readily willing to slip on the running shoes and emerge into the world, ready to run just for the fun of it, whatever the weather. Some of us are not.

It’s healthy to establish reachable goals in life, and it works with running, too. Find a target event, something that gets you pumped up, and keep your eye on that prize. Then you’ll have something to look forward to, knowing there’s work to be done and miles to be run.

Make an intention, go public

In this day and age of social media, our society is generally very willing (for better or worse) to let the world know about our lives. But how about making public your intention to run a race?

Doing that would let everyone know what you plan to do, and down the road you might benefit from the added encouragement. That can also give you the chance to take dozens of selfies.

Get your group on

For all of the talk about the loneliness of a long distance runner, running sure can be a social event. And running with more people does more than just get you moving.

Planning runs with others keeps you accountable (think “positive peer pressure”), keeps you motivated and can turn the bluest of moods into the brightest of moments. And who knows, you might just learn a little about yourself running in less-than-perfect weather. Running with a training group can also help.

Be different

Some days it takes a lot to roll out the front door and brave the elements. Some days it’s darn near impossible. But don’t let that stop you.

Think about all of those who opted to hit the snooze button (or simply turn the alarm off) and turn over in their warm beds. Then think about how you’re shrugging off the urge to stay in bed and instead working out and starting your day in a very healthy way.

Get it out of the way early

Studies show that morning workouts “rev up your metabolism, jump start your energy levels and accelerate your ability to burn up calories,” according to an article on Active.com.

Rather than thinking about it for the entire day, exercise before it even starts. Maintain a morning workout schedule will help set you up well for the rest of the day, while also setting the table for the spring and summer.

*****

Let’s face it: It hardly takes any motivation to run in nice weather. Making it a habit to run in winter weather (with every excuse not to run) can make you a stronger, more disciplined runner, not to mention provide a sense of pride.