Staying Motivated to Stay in Shape After the Summer

With the cooler weather swiftly approaching again, now is a good time to think about your winter workout routine. If you’re not a big fan of the cold and snow, you may need a little extra motivation to leave your warm bed on a chilly morning to get moving. Just because we trade our bathing suits for big sweaters doesn’t mean we should hibernate and take and take a vacation from exercise.

You’ll be taking in just as many calories as during the summer, possibly even more with all the favorite winter comfort foods. Nobody needs an analyst or a psychology degree to understand how it’s easier to pass on exercising and settle in on the couch with a big mug of hot cocoa while you watch the snow fly, but you aren’t doing yourself any favors. If you’re not burning those calories off somehow, ultimately, packing on the pounds is inevitable.

Healthy Knows no Season

Your skin may notice the change in temperature, but everything inside your body still functions the same way regardless of the calendar. Working out can make you look great on the outside, but the most important part of regular exercise is the beneficial effect it has on your heart, lungs, and muscles.

When you exercise and fuel your body with proper nutrition, it can perform much more efficiently. Keeping in mind that exercise will help you live a longer, healthier life is sometimes the only motivation you need.

Preventative Maintenance

Much like a car or any other machine, your body needs regular maintenance to keep it running smoothly. If you’re prone to catching colds, you should consider exercise and a healthy diet as two of your best weapons to fight them off. If you run or do other exercise outdoors, getting out in the fresh air is always good for you, especially during the colder months when the windows are usually closed. Working up a sweat can help the body rid itself of toxins and carcinogens. In addition, the rise in body temperature may slow down different types of bacterial growth, making recovery processes more effective if you do come down with something. Not only will you keep colds at bay, you’ll also be reducing the likelihood of some potentially major health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and even cancer.

It’s Easier Mentally and Physically

The winter blues and cabin fever are other common problems many people face during the winter months. Regular exercise causes release of endorphins, which can make you feel happier and less stressed and keep depression in check.

Putting on weight over the winter is the main reason most people make New Year’s resolutions. By the time spring rolls around, they might feel the pressure with swimsuit season right around the corner. This is usually the time we shift our workouts into high gear, especially if we procrastinated for a few months.

If we instead stay motivated all winter and diligently stick with our exercise, we won’t have to make up for lost time. The vicious cycle can be broken if you keep exercise a part of your life throughout the entire year. If you have a hard time working out in the heat, autumn and winter weather could make your workout more comfortable, and getting into a yearlong exercise habit that much easier.

Try Something Fun

The change in season is also a great time to adjust your regular workout to make it more winter-friendly. There are plenty of recreational ways to stay active during the colder months. Sports such as skiing, skating, and snowboarding are some of the most popular choices. Other fun activities like sledding, building a snowman, and even a vigorous snowball fight can get your heart rate up and help you sneak in some exercise disguised as playtime.

Abandoning an exercise program just because it’s cold is never a good excuse. With the right attitude and a little willpower, anything is possible. The benefits are too many to ignore, and ultimately are the best motivation to make and maintain the commitment to exercise. If you’re the type of person that doesn’t like being cold, exercise is also a sure way to warm you up. When you’re done, you can look forward to a warm shower and a cozy sweater; but you won’t be using the sweater to hide anything.

About the Author:

Allison Gamble has been a curious student of psychology since high school. She brings her understanding of the mind to work in the weird world of internet marketing.” However, if you’d prefer to break the link, my bio is “Allison Gamble has been a curious student of psychology since high school. She brings her understanding of the mind to work in the weird world of internet marketing with psychologydegree.net.

Those of us who are “lucky” enough to live in a place where weather extremes exist (variable scalding hot and blistering cold temperatures) know that our workouts can change from season to season. Particularly in winter, some of us will be confined to the indoors while others will still seek to find their adrenaline rush throughout the coldest of days. For those of you who love the outdoors or are interested in some healthy activities that are fueled by the cold, below is a list of activities you can do in the winter to keep yourself in shape.

1. Snowshoeing

   • Trekking through the depths of snow works your leg muscles as well as increases your heart rate. If you want to get a serious workout in, bring a partner along so you can motivate each other to keep a steady pace going. A 30 minute hike is a great way to get your cardio in for the day.
   • Snowshoeing doesn’t have to be an intense workout, it can also be a great activity for a group of people; bring your friends or family along to check out the wintery sites in your local park.
   • Go to your local parks and recreation center to see if there are trails in the area that you can rent snowshoes at.

2. Cross-Country Skiing

   • Cross Country skiing is one of the most demanding winter sports that anyone can do. Heck, it’s an Olympic sport! What you put into your workout (no matter what it is) is reflective of what you are going to get out of it. If you want to train for a winter cross-country skiing race, all power to you. There are tons of races throughout the year that are calling your name. The intensity of the training regimen is sure to work your entire body. However, just like snowshoeing, cross-country skiing can also just be a great way to just get outside, explore a park or simply check out the scenery without the stress of competition bearing down on you.

   

3. Running Outdoors

   • If winter happens to have hit in your area, going to the gym can be frustrating because most of them are packed and you have to wait in line to use the exercise equipment. Granted, if you own your own fitness equipment, like ellipticals or treadmills, you wouldn’t be affected by the influx of people working out indoors. In any event, running outdoors can be an excellent supplement to any public gym or home gym workout. If you want to time yourself or run a specific distance, map out a path first with your car. You should probably slip your running into a lower gear in slick conditions, being sure to create traction on whatever surface you are running on (for safety purposes). At the same time, an inhibiting terrain would likely create a tougher challenge for you ultimately making you work a little harder but earn better results.
   • To further your safety while running, find a nice area that you can run and be safe in. Big neighborhoods are always a good choice. The elaborate houses decorated to the 9s with their seasonal cheer can always put someone in the winter spirit. Also, most of the time the roads and sidewalks will be shoveled, plowed and even salted for your running needs.
   • If you don’t want to run through the neighborhoods, try sticking to some of the main roads or for a much more peaceful run check out the path “over the river and thru the woods.” Let someone know where you are headed before you go and, as long as you know it to be safe, the path to grandma’s house will probably be a rewarding journey!

4. Shoveling

   • It is a necessary evil. Shoveling can help tone your body significantly! Just remember to implement proper mechanics – being sure to bend at your legs and not your back! If you shovel incorrectly there is a high percent that you will throw out your back. In that case you’ll likely sit out the rest of the winter season from exercises, stuck on the couch. While you might find great joy cuddling up in your “Snuggie” drinking hot cocoa and baileys -fully taking advantage of the laziness associated with having an injury – just remember all of the fun you might miss out on with friends and family during the holidays as a result of suffering an exercise related injury. Use caution! On a side note, shoveling is also a great way to get on your neighbors good side, and will make you feel good about helping those around you. Perfect for the holiday season!

5. Downhill Skiing/Snowboarding/Sledding

   • Many families like to plan vacations during the winter. If you have decided to go to a ski resort, skiing, snowboarding, and sledding are fun ways to be outdoors and get a workout in. Stay active during your trip, take lessons and stay on the slopes all day long, and then end your evening snuggling up next to the fire place.
   • If you are naturally fit individual, none of these actitivies should be too difficult for you. Snowboarding and skiing rely a lot on ab and leg strength, along with flexibility. If you want to tone up your abs and leg muscles before your trip do some exercises from your home gym.

Megan Gates is an outreach representative for Gym Source (gymsource.com) – a leading retailer of home gyms and various other exercise and fitness equipment. Megan contributes written work to the blogosphere related to health and fitness.

It is January. I have been surprised at how busy the gym is. I usually go when fewer people attend so I can enjoy the relative loneliness of a workout. I realized that it is January. Each January and into a little of February people are still working on New Year’s Resolutions. In two more weeks the gym will be quiet again. The larger question is how to stay motivated. Whether your personal choice is running, hiking, weights, aerobics, etc, how do you keep from burning out? Look to your dreams.

My preference is trails and peaks. I love to gain altitude and feel my heart pumping and my lungs taking the punishment. Unfortunately, I broke my femur in July. During my recovery, two dreams have driven me to recuperate. The first dream is one I have had several times in the last twenty plus years. I am running on a trail. It is autumn; I am in the oak brush and mountain maples. The ground cover of tall grass and low bushes is turning yellow. The trail is winding with small spurts of ups and downs and I am running. I feel great. I feel strong and my running is effortless.

Can you imagine a better motivator? That is why I must go to the gym, and get up on the trails. I am too young to give up that piece of my life. I am reminded (in three dimensional full life images with every sense fully engaged) that this is what I love. And I don’t want to give it up.
The other dream is quite opposite. We all have dreams that are somewhat similar. The common thread in these dreams is weakness. I am trying to run from something frightening but I can’t. I am in slow motion grabbing the cracks in the concrete to pull myself along. Since my accident this dream has adjusted to fit my scenario. My accident has left my legs weak, especially my thighs. In my dreams now I fall to the ground but I can’t get up. I am struggling to push myself to a standing position. Last night I was being chased by a huge cinnamon colored grizzly bear who talked. As he approached me I knew that he was going to come after me. I asked, “Is it my turn?”. He responded that it was. The weakness in my legs was enlarged in my dream.

Once again, what a powerful motivator. Each time this dream, or similar one occurs, I wake and remember why I can’t slack off. I am reminded from the depths of my own brain that I must and I will keep working to have the personal strength and health to perform at my best levels. I got up this morning and went for hike. An inch of new snow covered the already two or three feet on the trail. I only got a mile up the trail, but I was on a trail.

I will be on the trail or in the gym next December with a small handful of other diehards. These dreams are even motivating me to run, which I dislike. I am up to one and half miles now. I am so grateful when I am now on a trail, or walking along a stream, or kicking through the fast water that I am back doing the things I love.

I know you have dreams and some of them are like mine. Use their power to keep you doing what you love.

–

Get started today with a free exercise log from Maintain Fit
Photography by Sara Moses

Over the years I’ve done a number of surveys and polls for people that come to my web site. There are two primary drivers for most people that end up at maintainfit.com and they are to:

1. Lose Weight
2. Stay motivated

The thing that I find so interesting is that they searched for something like exercise log, rather than just searching for lose weight. What I’ve observed is that most of the population wants to achieve these two goals, but only a few are willing to put in the effort to get there. Everyone else wants a free ride.

That’s interesting, but not as interesting as the thing they don’t tell me. The more I dig into what people tell me in my surveys, the more convinced I am that what they really want is a better looking body.

Body image trumps all

What people want is to look beautiful or handsome. They want others to see them as sexy and attractive. It’s the ideal body image that their really after.

That’s why I wrote this post about not believing everything you see. As it turns out, the body image we’re all seeking isn’t always achievable. There are some really skilled makeup and touch up artists in the world.

So I know there is a group of people that want to lose weight and are willing to do the work to get there. The question I have now is whether or not those people have a more realistic attitude about what their body image should be. I know that the more healthy I live, the more my opinion changes. I don’t need to look like the Incredible Hulk anymore. It’s enough to feel healthy and know that I’m doing all I can to avoid an early heart attack.

And when you do meet one of those 1 in a million people that approximate that perfect body image that you want, don’t dwell too much on it. Remember that God gives us each the strengths we need to get through this life. Take it in stride and go for a long run!

I just published the last planned press release for the 2010 Fitness Jumpstart. There are 3 days left to register for the program and it’s getting a lot of buzz. Articles were published in local papers and on Yahoo! News. Hundreds of people found it through Google too.

What excites me most about it is that the people that are looking for this type of program understand that there’s more to fitness than pills and surgery. There’s still a large percentage of the population that really believes that you get out of fitness what you put into it. And what you put into fitness should be some effort.

Anyway, here’s the final press release if you’re interested: Mr. USA gives live training.

The real details are over here, and you might want to hurry since registration closes on Saturday night: http://www.maintainfit.com/2010jumpstart/

Post a comment if you have any questions, or if you signed up and want to chat about the cools bonuses that are already in the members area.

So one of the fitness experts I follow is a guy from Canada named Scott Tousignant. He has a focus on weight loss, but the thing that I like most about his stuff is that he focuses on your mindset. His approach is also very human, meaning you don’t need to spend a few hours a day to get results.

Well, the other day I saw a post on his blog that had a killer video in it. The video showed an average looking woman as she got primped and prepared for a photo shoot. She ended up really pretty at the end of the primping, but the really surprising part came after the final photo was taken.

They went on to show what they did in Photoshop to end up with the final photo. It was a beautiful woman that only slightly resembled the real model. Side by side you might have a hard time believing they are the same person.

You can see the video and read Scott’s take on it here: I Can Make You Look Like A Cover Model.

For high quality home workouts such as the p90x workout program, consult with ExtremeBodyWorkout.com

I’ve been thinking about what gift I could give to members of my exercise log and the whole fitness community to celebrate the holidays and ring in the new year.  I wanted it to be something that would

• Motivate you to succeed in fitness in 2010
• Provide you with a real life case study (someone who DID it)
• Give you the best shot at the weight, health and body you want.

After some thinking I decided to release the video I did with Chris Haskell telling how he went from 257 pounds down to 180 pounds.  It will surprise you how natural a process it was for him.

Have a watch soon.  If the bandwidth for downloads gets too hight I may have to pull it down…

I received the proof of my book yesterday and have approved it for sale.  What a great milestone for me to feel like I’ve finally documented the two major mental triggers that have given me a nine year success streak in running.

It’s not just me though.  The same two triggers have gotten many others started too.  In fact, they’ve worked with every single person I’ve ever coached to use them.  The bottom line is that they come down to human psychology, and that doesn’t change from one person to the next or from year to year.  While it is true there are some exceptions, by and large the majority of people are affected by these mechanisms of influence.

The book is available right now through a sales page at CreateSpace: Accidental Runner Book

[UPDATE] You can now purchase directly from Amazon.com: The Accidental Runner: Discover mental triggers that force you to Get out the door, Stay motivated, Lose weight and achieve the body you really want! (Volume 1)

Within a few days you should also be able to find it on Amazon.com (just search for The Accidental Runner or my name, Daniel Watrous).  It may take some time, but eventually they’ll have an image of it and a “Look inside” feature so that you can read a few pages from inside the book.

Here are a few pictures of the first copy of the book.  They do such a good job publishing these days and the turn around time is amazing (even if my lighting isn’t that good).

As the new year approaches, so does the time honored tradition of setting news years goals (resolutions).  For many people these may include

• losing weight
• increasing muscle tone
• looking more attractive
• eating and exercising so they feel more energized

What’s your new years resolution?

As I thought about maintainfit.com, and what my new years resolutions would be, I decided that this year I would do even more than just provide an exercise log.  I would put together a program that would ensure you could accomplish your new years resolution in 2010.

I’ve ended up with a growing list of expert contacts that are truly amazing at everything from losing weight, to building muscle, to getting your head in the “game”.  They are top notch and they GET RESULTS.  Here’s what I’m talking about:

• Former Mr. USA 2008, professional model and 4th year medical student, Ivan Rusilko
• A leading chiropractor with specialized training in sports fitness
• A top weight loss expert and coach from Canada who’s helped thousands slim down and look great
• An ultra fit personal trainer couple that specialize in in home fitness programs
• A Nutrition and oils expert affiliated with one of the premier health oils companies in the world
• And me, of course, discussing my book, The Accidental Runner, and how you can trick yourself into lifelong fitness

As I finalize all the details for the program, including live events and videos, audio downloads and so on, I wanted to make sure I got to what was on your new years resolution list.  I put together a survey to get all the information in one place.  You can take the survey right now: Take the 2010 Fitness Jumpstart Survey.

I’m even going to be giving free access to 15 people that take the survey, so if you’re interested in making 2010 your best health and fitness year ever, then I definitely encourage you to fill out the survey.  Here’s the link:

http://www.maintainfit.com/survey/index.php?sid=64599&lang=en

Here are a couple of links that will help you follow the program as I publish more details.

Fitness New Years Resolution 2010

2010 Fitness Jumpstart

I’ve been promising for a while to make some videos that would illustrate the features available in maintainfit.com.  Today I made a quick video showing you how to create graphs and charts form within your exercise log. Before I show you the video, here is a short list of some of the features:

• Line charts
• Horizontal and vertical bar charts
• Pie charts
• Custom date ranges
• Download chart as image
• Chart by any field in your log
• PDF printable reports including graphics

There’s more you can do and I’d also love to hear what you think about this feature.  Leave a comment below telling me what you think.  If you’ve used this feature, is there anything you would change?  If you’re still waiting, then login today and create a chart of your favorite exercise or log (for example, the line chart is fantastic for charting changes in weight using the weight log).

If this video is hard to follow you can download a pristine HD version using this link (right click and choose save as to download): Exercise Log Charts and Graphs [HD].