With the onset of winters the days become short, the nights become cold and because of this our willpower to hit the gym and exercise becomes very low. All we want is to cozy up on a couch with piping hot cup of coffee and watching TV. The cold temperature consumes a lot of our calories as our body generates heat to stay warm and we crave more for unhealthy food. I know that might sound cliché but the habits started in winter are likely to stick around.

It might be little early to talk about summer bodies but with many of us making fitness focused New Year resolutions, it is the best time of the year to talk about fitness. And preparing well in advance won’t leave us opting for fad diets. As more intense the diet and exercise, more likely we regain weight. So set your goals ahead of time, leave your bed and start exercising. It takes a lot of willpower to exercise in winters but once the mood has been set and a habit developed, the easier it becomes to exercise.

I too started exercising in winters (Feb’ 2016) when I was trying to lose my post pregnancy weight. And by August 2016 I had nearly lost 14 lbs. My total weight loss in that year was 27 lbs. My pace was slow but losing weight gradually doesn’t pressurize you much. I will be sharing my weight loss journey in my coming posts. But here I will be sharing ways to get going in winters based on my personal experiences.

1. Workout the way you like – I am not a gym lover as I believe in the power of bodyweight workouts with little to no equipment. But that’s individual choice how one enjoys working out as setting up the mood matters. If you like hitting the gym and enjoy working out while listening to songs then go for it. Or if you are crazy like me who likes to walk/jog outdoor in winters while watching the scenery, you can opt for that or even exercising indoors is fine. But I feel exercising outdoor does the double job in winters – Your body loses extra calories while trying to stay warm and cold fresh air gives you a boost to stay active. You won’t believe me when I return from a walk I have all that energy and freshness to keep me active whole day.
2. Decide the time of the day – I like working out in the morning after I drop my son to school as that’s the time I am relaxed and have my own space. That’s the time I am already dressed in outerwear and don’t have to do that especially for a workout. I head straight for a walk/jog from school and return home only after a workout. I feel working out in the morning is best if you have to lose weight as whatever we eat after that, we have a whole day to burn that food with the boosted metabolism. So decide the time of the day that suits you and plan cleverly 🙂
3. Get the right fitness gear – Exercising is hard enough as it is, but if you have a set of clothes you like it makes the whole thing a little easier. Wearing right active wear is important as it sets the mindset to workout and we sweat in them a lot so the fabric should be breathable and comfortable enough to exercise and not too tight. This helps prevent rashes and chafing. Some exercise clothes have little features that are nice to have and might make exercising a lot more comfortable and safe. A pair of leggings might have a built-in pocket for an iPod, or a pair of running shorts might have reflective tape on the sides so cars can see you better at dusk. It totally depends on what your requirements are. So choose wisely 🙂

I am sharing  links for exact/similar active wear that you might like.

4. Prepare meals in advance – After having an exhausting workout how frustrating it would be to prepare a meal. Also after a workout you tend to get hungry and cannot wait until the meal is prepared so you end up eating unhealthy, junk food. So it’s always better to have a meal prepared.
5. Compete with your fit friends – The best way to do that is having a fitness tracker which counts the calories you have burned and shows you how much your friends have burned. There is an option to add your friends who have a fitness tracker so that you can compete with your fit friends. This keeps you motivated and gets you going. So grab a fitness tracker and start exercising. I am adding some links for fitbit in case you’re interested.

What’s your plan for exercising this Winter? Share your story with me and stay tuned for my next fitness stories.