Wintertime, or Anytime, Motivation — Glitter for Breakfast

According to Punxsutawney Phil, spring is coming. Nevertheless, this is the time of year when, much as I love my sweat sessions, find it gets hard to motivate myself when it comes to fitness. It’s dark, it’s cold, I’m tired, I have so much work, the weather is like this:

or this:

Even in the rain, NYC is gorgeous but getting drenched before I workout, no thank you.

and my bed or a cozy snuggle on the couch seem much more appealing.

On days when I need an extra push, I employ any combination of the following:

1. Make it social

Call a friend and get him/her to join you for a workout. By making your workout take on a social aspect, it minimizes any of the “ugh I don’t want to” factor AND you don’t want to be the person who bails on their friend, right?

Doesn't everyone buy matching Spice Girls necklaces with their friends and wear them to spin class?!

2. The Writing’s on the Wall

If you know your instructor, tell him/her that you’re coming. Better yet, ask if you can request a song. You can’t make a request and then be a no-show, that’s just asking for bad karma. Take it a step further if you like and tweet the studio, put it on Facebook, Pintrest, Instagram, whatever social media is your jam. I find that saying something out loud or writing it down (fitness or not) makes it very real. Making your plans public in this way adds a layer of accountability. Plus in discussing it and having your posts/tweets/etc. liked will get you excited for your workout (it’s ok to admit this, humans are social creatures and we like external validation).

3. GDFR (Going Down For Real)…

If it’s a day when I’m doing a very early morning workout, i.e. pre-7am, I have been known to tell myself it’s an adventure. I put on pump-up music and think of what a badass I am. Seriously though, there’s a reason why bpm is a big factor in choosing music for a workout, the louder and faster it is, the quicker I’m up and ready to get moving.

4. Dolla Dolla Bills Y’all

Sometimes it’s as simple as knowing that you’re paying for a gym membership or have already sunk X dollars into a class pack or particular class. Investing in yourself is always a great decision, letting that hard-earned money go to waste, not such a great decision.

5. Real Talk

There’s little that compares to the way you feel when you have just worked as hard as you can and are on a total endorphin high. On days when I look over and see the clock getting closer and closer to the “it’s not happening” time, I remind myself of this. How will I feel if I don’t go? Am I going to be annoyed? Do I really want to miss out on what might be my only me-time of the day? How good are you going to feel after?... Ok self, you’ve made your point, I’m up.

6. In it to win it

Getting out of your PJs is tough, so why not sleep in your workout gear? I have done this a few times though I just stick to the bottom half- i.e. I’ll wear crops on the bottom and a normal sleep tee/tank on top. If you work out at the end of the day, just think of how nice it will be to get out of your work clothes and into your workout clothes; don’t be tempted by your sweats at home! If you don’t want to actually sleep in your clothes, try setting them out the night before. It’s one less thing to think about in the morning and will guarantee you won’t have an “OMG what am I wearing?!” moment when you get to your workout. We’ve all been there and it’s not cute.

Do you have a hard time motivating in the winter? What are your motivation go-tos?