Okay, so to put it simply, Christmas has been and gone, there’s no more holidays coming up in the near future, and we’ve got to get back to normal and into a routine again. Work, school, training – it all has to be done! However, on top of this the cold and frosty weather is not budging anytime soon, making it so much harder to gain motivation to get back to normality.

– Persistent low moods

– A loss of pleasure or interest in normal everyday activities

– Irritability

– Sleeping for longer than normal

– Finding it hard to get up in the morning

These are all signs of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Yes it’s real!

For some people, these symptoms can be severe and have a significant impact on their day-to-day activities. With this disorder, symptoms are definitely more apparent this time of year too, and most likely the first element of life that tends to be forgotten or put off is training.

It’s dark outside to leave for work in the morning, it’s dark when you leave to go home. Why would you want to go out again in the cold, dark and wet to go and attend a class or the gym?

Here’s why:

● Exercising regularly, regardless of what the exercise is, is a great way to manage stress levels, whatever the stress may be caused by.

● Exercise helps to pump up your endorphins. It increases the production of your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, making you feel happier and more positive.

● It reduces the negative effects of stress. It can provide stress relief for your body while imitating the effects of stress, such as the flight or fight response. 

● It’s meditation in motion. After an hour-long gym session, a long walk or run, you may often find that you’ve forgotten the day’s irritations as you have concentrated only on your body.

Basically, what I’m trying to say is, it’s easy to steer away from exercise at times where you just want to hide away and snuggle up. But in actual fact, it’s the most concrete way to combat those negative, non-motivational thoughts and routines to get the best out of those winter days and nights. 

Take a look below at my top tips on how to gain motivation to train in the winter months:

● Have the right kit – if you are heading outdoors then you should invest in some good quality winter gym wear. This is a good tip even if you’re just in the gym, investing in some new gym leggings or trainers can really help with your motivation. 

● Book a class or join a club – as blunt as it sounds. The thought of letting the team down and the cancellation fee is great motivation to get you there on time!

● Remind yourself of why it’s important – as I mentioned earlier, exercising on those dark cold days will actually help boost your body’s ‘feel good’ endorphins to help blast away those winter blues. 

I hope this blog post has helped you to feel more motivated to get up and get training this winter, it’s normal to feel unmotivated at this time of year, you’re not alone, but it’s how you combat this which will make you feel 100x better!