Summer is almost over, but your fitness shouldn’t be.
It’s getting to that special time of the year where summer is winding down, and we aren’t as concerned with keeping our bodies in tip-top shape. We are still going on the vacations, but maybe we are spending a little less time at the hotel gym, and a little more at the hotel bar. All around the world people are waking up, thinking of hitting the gym, and hitting the snooze button instead.
It’s only natural that our motivation might start to wane at the end of the summer season. After all, keeping up any fitness regimen takes commitment. And sometimes we prefer to commit to an extra drink with our girlfriends, or a few helpings of chocolate cake.
Just because summer is ending however, doesn’t mean your fitness regimen should. Working out seasonally (getting fit for the summer, and fat for the winter) might let us reach our bikini body goals, but it doesn’t really do anything for our overall health, year-round. It is much better to maintain a fitness regimen all year than hit it hard during the summer and give up completely during cold months. So here are five motivations to help keep you at the gym, even as the colder weather comes.
Setting an example. Childhood obesity is a real epidemic in this country, and as a mom I can tell you, half of my motivation to do anything comes from my kids. If you don’t want to hit the gym for your own sake, do it for your kids. If your child sees you commit to a workout regimen even when you don’t want to, they are much more likely to adopt similar habits and behaviors.
Rewards. In any workout program, cheat days are encouraged. During the cold winter months, Thanksgiving and Christmas are two major holidays, with two major opportunities to eat whatever you want. So if you can convince yourself to keep working out in favor of completely pigging out on those two holidays, it might just get you through the winter months with your summer body partially intact.
Sex. The one good thing about staying in all the time during winter is that there’s a lot more time for sex. Looking good and feeling confident during sex often has a lot to do with how much you work out. So if sex is enough motivation to get you to the gym, then so be it!
READ MORE: How to Turn Fitness into a Habit in 33 Days
Fear. Fear is one of our greatest motivators, even if it isn’t the healthiest one. Fear of heart disease and cancer can be used to get you to the gym (especially if it runs in your family). Fear of not living long enough to see your grandkids is another great one. I know it may sound a little extreme, but if your goal is to live a long and healthy life, then working out year-round needs to factor into that.
Vacations. I know vacations are primarily the reason we try and stay fit during the summer, but if it works, it works. If you plan two winter vacations per year (both to summer, beach locales), not only will you be able to combat the throes of winter depression, but you are also more likely to maintain your fitness through the winter, in preparation for those trips.
That being said, hitting the gym hard just isn’t realistic for most people, year round. Consider changing up your regimen every season to get exercise in various ways. Maybe you engage in fall sports in place of the gym, or swim in the summer, and jog in the fall. Whatever you do, just keep active. The more active you remain, the easier it is to pick back up and get into shape whenever you feel the need.