Braving The Winter Months

Somewhere between Thanksgiving and Christmas lies the busiest traveling day of the year. That also means we participate in the biggest meal of the year known as Thanksgiving dinner... or Christmas dinner. Once we get through Thanksgiving, Christmas then New Years, everyone will have their resolutions for change. A good portion of us like to begin those changes on January 1st.

I’m going to be honest. There’s nothing wrong with having resolutions. Being open to change in your life means you want to become a better version of yourself. I also believe you don’t have to follow the masses and wait until January 1st to begin making these changes either. If you’re a client of mine and/or have a gym membership, that’s awesome! Keep showing up and those results will come in due time. If you’re not a client of mine or don’t have a gym membership, keep reading. This post will jog your memory at some point down the road so stay with me.

January 1st, 2nd and the 3rd are usually the biggest days of the year for gyms and personal trainers. That’s an exciting fact! A good portion of health negatives like obesity, anxiety or high blood pressure can be turned around by exercising and eating well consistently. Why do we end up in the same boat crossing the same channel year after year when many of us know that? Somewhere down the road we stop prioritizing our health or just get complacent with it. Maybe you need someone to push you when you start getting off track. Let’s say you just fall off the wagon (it happens). Winter is the time where self-motivation is the most difficult. If you’re like me where self-motivation comes naturally, that’s great. Here are a couple of ways to keep yourself on the wagon during the winter months:

Designate a time that’s YOURS!

I started doing this and it works well for me. Missing workouts is rare for me unless it's the week after competing, my kids are sick or I'm doing a road trip. Spending an hour a day in the gym isn’t selfish and you shouldn't let anyone make you feel that it is. Taking time out for yourself or even just having a mental recouping day is a stress reducer.

Accountability

Find someone to hold you accountable. Don’t just pick anyone. Really ask someone you trust who will get on you the second you start slacking. If it’s a gym or walking buddy, that’s even better! You can count on each other to make sure showing up is the best option.

Self-Motivation

Grab 1-3 index cards then write an affirmation on each one. Once you write the affirmation sentence, under it write what you’re going to do to make the affirmation come to life. Example: A sentence I use quite often is “The weight moves with ease and feels light as a feather.” It came to life by pushing myself 6 days per week for 16 weeks without missing a beat. Each time I lifted, I read it to myself and believed it. If you don’t believe that you’ll do something, you’ve already failed! The trick is to not allow yourself to think negatively. If you miss a day for some reason, tell yourself that you’re going to make it up by showing up the following day!

Excuses & Self-Doubt

Leave no room for excuses or doubt. Sometimes you’ll have to check yourself. There were days before my most recent competition where I didn’t feel like training. It’s going to happen. When it does, I challenge you to push yourself!

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