5 Easy Ways to Stay Active in the Winter

As the days get shorter and the temperature starts to drop, motivation to stay active can be difficult. Here's some tips to keep moving during the upcoming colder months. 

1. Establish an indoor routine. Find a few youtube channels or exercise videos that you enjoy that become your go-to for home workouts. These can last anywhere from a quick 10 minute ab work out to a 45 minute total body workout- your choice! And you also don’t need a lot of equipment to make home workouts a good use of your time. Small weights, bands, or even your own body weight make for an excellent workout.
2. Find a workout buddy. Having someone else rely on you will help you get out of the bed in the morning, or keep you from turning on the TV instead of going on that walk or to the gym. Accountability to someone else other than yourself goes a really long way. 
3. Consider switching your exercise time to mid-day. When you wake up and it's dark and you come home and it’s dark, it’s difficult to be encouraged to go and do something active. If your schedule allows, consider sneaking in a work out mid day when the sun is shining. It’s also a great way to take a break from work, refocus, and re-energize for the rest of the day. 
4. Focus on the destination. If you’re working out at a gym, make it a focus to simply get there. Once you’re there, most of the battle is over. Even if it’s not your best work out ever, it’s better than no workout at all.  
5. Plan ahead. Create your plan for the week and tell yourself you're going to stick to it. Sign up for the class or write out which workouts you’re going to do and when ahead of time. If you leave your workouts up to how you’re feeling that day, most days, you likely won’t do anything. Also, do this on a day you’re feeling motivated and can set realistic goals for yourself. Don’t let yourself down and stick to your plan!