Lack of motivation, lack of energy or ‘the Winter Blues’ are common when temperatures start to drop and you get less exposure to the sun.

When it is dark and cold outside is it harder to get out of bed in the morning and most people would stay in bed. In the cooler months you tend to eat more carbohydrates (comfort, warming food), processed foods, sugary foods (because you are lacking energy, cause you didn’t get the endorphin rush and energy boost from getting out and exercising in the morning!), so you start on this vicious cycle. Don’t want to get out of bed to exercise, eat more, feel crap, get down in the dumps, repeat.

Don’t let your body get into this cycle. If you get out of bed and exercise there are SO many benefits, including more energy, more motivation, you will eat less of the bad foods and less likely to suffer the Winter Blues!

Get a head start for when Spring comes along. You will have more time to get your body looking and feeling ‘FABULOUS’, before the nice hot, beach Summer weather comes along! Just remember, Summer Bodies are made in Winter!

If you are committed, you want to see results, you want to be healthy, YOU CAN DO IT.

How to get motivated or stay motivated…

• Set yourself a challenge or a target for Spring
  • Beach holiday in September/October
  • Sign up to an event (fun run, triathlon) in September
• Ski season – for those that like to venture to the ski fields, Winter proofing your body is key to reducing injury, maintaining or building on your fitness
• You don’t want to get to Spring and discover all the hard work you put into getting fit and healthy last Summer/Autumn has gone down the drain and you are back to where you started (or maybe worse).
• Imagine how great you will feel when Spring comes and you are already looking and feeling fabulous – you are fit, you are healthy, have loads of energy & motivation.
• Exercising in the cooler months is so invigorating, you won’t know what I mean until you try it!
• If the outdoors really frightens you – get on board Mummy Bootcamp @ Home – you can do the workouts at home, at the gym – wherever you like!

How to make exercising in the cooler months easier…

• Get your clothes ready before you go to bed. Have layers, gloves, ipod, water bottle ready to go.
• Put your alarm clock away from your bed, so you actually have to get out of bed to turn it off. Now that you are out of bed, put your workout gear on! You are up; you may as well stay up!
• Just remember, you will get warm as soon as you start!
• Think how great you will feel after exercising, especially if you exercise in the morning, it’s over and done with!
• You can enjoy a warm shower afterwards!
• Get those endorphins pumping around your body, be on a natural high for the rest of the day!
• Mix up your workouts, do something different all the time. You don’t want to get bored!
• Have a plan – plan what days you are going to exercise at the start of the week, plan what you will do on those days and stick to it! Enjoy your warm bed on the other mornings!
• If you really don’t want to exercise outdoors, do it indoors instead!

What are some benefits of exercising outdoors, even in Winter…

• Vitamin D – it’s essential for strong bones, muscles and overall health. The sun  is the best natural source of Vitamin D. Get outside, exercise and soak up some Winter sun at the same time! This is also really important for reducing the Winter Blues.
• There is nothing better than a bit of fresh air early in the morning, watching the sun come up, while getting a great workout! Better than being inside a smelly gym anyway!
• You will be less likely to gain weight, if you are doing regular exercise!
• You won’t feel guilty if you have that yummy winter, comfort meal or glass of wine, because you would have worked out already, or will be tomorrow!
• You will maintain or gain strength in your muscles, so your body is looking fabulous for Spring and Summer.
• If you enjoy the snow, you want your body to be in peak condition for ski slopes! By having strong muscles and cardio fitness, you will reduce injury, be able to last longer on the ski fields and reduce muscle soreness after a day on the slopes!
• You will boost your energy, reduce stress & frustration, increase your motivation, while feeling and looking great.

Don’t let all your hard work go to waste…

Why put all the hard work into getting fit and healthy in Spring/Summer/Autumn, only to hibernate in the cooler months? What a waste of time and effort.

If you hibernate in the cooler months, it will be so much harder to motivate yourself when Spring comes along. You will have to work harder to get back your fitness, work harder to get back to healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle. You will have to work harder to look great in your bikini’s and the Spring fashions.

Focus on how great you feel when exercising, feeling good and looking good in the warmer months and just keep going in the cooler months. Your healthy body will thank you for it.

No more excuses. It’s time to get motivated, set a goal or a challenge and get out there! Spring & Summer are just around the corner!

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