How to motivate yourself to work out, even when it's cold

27 February 2018

Here in Britain, we rather get the short straw when it comes to weather. While many people overseas have warm sun in which to regularly exercise in the outdoors, we get... well, lots of rain and cold. However, cold weather doesn't strictly mean that you have to relinquish your exercise efforts.

Yes, the low temperatures, dark evenings and abundance of warm pubs and restaurants can all rather dampen your motivation to exercise... but not necessarily for too long if you follow these tips.

Have winter-friendly workout kit

"There is no such thing as bad weather, there are just bad clothing choices," fitness blogger Zanna Van Dijk advises in a Harper's Bazaar article. She advises that, in preparation for an outdoor exercise session in a cold environment, you purchase suitable seasonal attire like thermal leggings and gloves.

Another, rather less expected boon of buying new fitness gear is that you could be so eager to try it straight away that even the prospect of doing so in chilly weather doesn't deter you.

Make a plan - and stick to it

Few things can motivate you to exercise quite like scheduling it. Even if all you do is add workout sessions to your phone's calendar app, you will mentally attach more value to them.

Nonetheless, you might find that it works especially well for you to form more concrete plans. For example, you could book a place on a weight loss retreat held by us at Prestige Boot Camp. On our website, you can easily find details of available dates for retreats in various settings.

Plan workouts that will be genuinely fun

Ultimately, you want to eagerly anticipate - rather than dread - your exercise sessions. Therefore, carefully consider what types of physical exercises you especially enjoy doing. It could be as energetic as dancing or as simple as a long walk, Glamour suggests.

However, the location could also play a part in how much you enjoy exercising. We run boot camps in a diverse array of places - including Devon, Wales, Spain and Portugal.

Make a playlist of music you love

According to research, you could push your exercise efforts even further than usual if, during your workouts, you listen to enjoyable music. This could lead to a 15% increase in burnt calories.

So, put together a great playlist when the cold weather is putting you off exercising. Don't play that music immediately; instead, wait until the actual workout before hitting play.

Prepare nutritious meals in advance

Coldness can wreak havoc on customarily healthy diets. There's just something about that frostiness that can spark unhelpful cravings for food packed with fat and sugar.

However, you can help prevent yourself reaching for that chocolate bar if you make a habit of regularly preparing healthy meals. Brown rice, fish and broccoli are good all-year-round foods, as highlighted on the Hello! website, while stews and shepherd's pie are especially good if it's cold. Participating in our boot camps can help you learn even more tips about nutrition.