​MOTIVATIONAL HELP for Winter

Umbrellas and overcoats are needed on this cool, rainy day in Chicago. Taken by PKSenagore October 11, 2017.

Personally, I find the part of winter after the New Year to be an Inspiring time to establish and work toward fitness goals. I feel very motivated to get it done. There’s not too much going on compared to the socially busy holiday season of Thanksgiving Day to New Year’s Day.
 
Therefore, Julia Rachel Malacoff’s article “10 Ways to Stay Motivated to Work Out This Winter” for Fitnessmagazine.com seems made for this upcoming month.
 
Suggestion slides 1-4 and 6-7, and 10 have catchy titles that make you want to read more: stay in bed, embrace the suck, buddy up, get your gear right, switch up your routine, just stay home, and adapt your body to the cold.
 
Slides 5, 8, and 9 grabbed my attention and seemed to be tactics I could use for this purpose:
5) Try out the 5-minute rule
8) Set a big goal
9) Sleep in your workout clothes
 
5-Minute Rule: “Just get to your workout and if you absolutely do not want to be there after five minutes, give yourself a pass to leave.” I’ve done this to motivate myself to run mid-afternoon on a small indoor track in the dead of winter. I had to cross a snowy wind-swept practice filed between my building on campus within sight of the facility. The snow on the field never seemed to melt and I needed to wear heavy duty boots and carry my running shoes to cross it. One I arrived at the track I absolutely loved the run.  This rule could help me now to get to the pool for a cross-training swim session.
 
8) Set a big goal: ”Having something to work toward can be the key to sticking to a regular workout routine when you're tempted not to. ‘I use winter to choose a goal for the following year’”. This is pure Earned Runs!!!  Use an Earned Runs bib as a tangible reminder of your goal; set a date, give the challenge you identified a name, write it on the front, and post it or carry it with you.  Devise or borrow a training plan to keep yourself progressing toward your goal. Consider keeping a log to record everyday successes. Check out the STARTER CHECKLIST page on the Earned Runs website if you want additional help. I need a goal for motivation every winter, and this year will be no exception.
 
9) Sleep in your workout clothes: “If you're an a.m. class superstar, sleep in your workout clothes (sans sports bra!) so you can stay in your warm cozy bed an extra five minutes when that alarm goes off." Ye,s I have done this, rarely, but felt weird about it.  Now that I know others might consider it okay, it could work for me regularly, perhaps once a week. Soft pajama-like workout clothes are best for this situation, so the planned early a.m workout needs to have a purpose that will allow this kind of apparel. In the worst of winter I wear an outer pair of wind-breaking pants over soft running tights.  Perfect.
 
Maybe the other slides have greater appeal for you than the three I chose. Find a few that you can use this month and beyond to help yourself stay motivated.
 
RUN HAPPY!
​HAPPY BIRTHDAY G!
 
https://www.fitnessmagazine.com/fitness/tips/motivation-exercise-in-winter/