During the colder, rainy months (hello, Seattle), it’s hard to feel motivated to work out under the pressure from midterms, finals, work, and all those heavy coats you should wear to stay warm outside! However the wintertime is the perfect time to remember that New Years’ resolution you made eleven months ago. It’s time to break out that cute exercise outfit you’ve had for forever. Here’s how to motivate yourself to finally head to the gym.
1. Pick a workout that works for you and stick with it.
Maybe you’re a yoga person or maybe you like jogging outside in the morning, watching the campus slowly wake up. Whatever it is, pick a workout that you will be motivated to do the next day and the day after that.
The term “workout” has become so broad that it encompasses everything from dance to Pilates. Join a Zumba class and let your inner Beyoncé movies out, or unleash all your pent-up aggression from midterms on a punching bag. The choice is yours, and even the most lazy people will be able to find something that makes them want to break out in a sweat.
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2. Sleep in your exercise clothes.
Workout clothes are comfortable- they can easily double as night clothes, and when you wake up in the morning, you can just roll right out of bed and hit the gym on the way to class! Wearing your workout clothes to bed literally gives you no excuse to avoid going to the gym in the morning, and you’ll feel so much better for the rest of the day if you do so!
3. Be positive!
It’s easy to feel tired after a while and want to give up, and it’s easy to think that watching Netflix is a much better alternative to this self-inflicted punishment. But be persistent! The first few reps, the first mile, the first ten minutes of a yoga workout are always the hardest! If you ignore the negative thoughts and instead focus on the reason why you came to the gym in the first place, you’ll be finished with your workout before you know it, and you’ll be feeling really proud that you did as well!
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4. Eat good, healthy meals.
We’ve all heard of the Freshman 15 – it’s a horrible, horrible thing that comes out of staying up all night, eating dorm food (pizza) at four in the morning, and not making any time to exercise. But that doesn’t have to hold true if you just take some time to plan meals, making sure you get all the proper vitamins and nutrients you need to stay awake in your classes (coffee doesn’t always cut it!).
Eating healthy will greatly improve your mood and get you eager to work out as well!
5. Don’t think about how tired you’ll get – think about how good you’ll feel.
No one ends a workout feeling unhealthier than before they started it. Exercising actually triggers the release of endorphins in your brain, which makes you feel happier and healthier (albeit sweatier) after a trip to the gym. Sure, you’ll get really pooped challenging yourself on the elliptical, but think how proud of yourself you’ll feel afterwards!
6. Set reachable goals for yourself.
Exercising is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself and build up your stamina so you don’t end up with the dreaded muscle cramps from trying to bench 150 on your first trip to the gym. Start small and work your way up- no one can run twenty miles their first time on a treadmill!
It takes four weeks for you to notice your own body becoming stronger, eight for your friends, and twelve for everyone else. Keeping to a workout schedule for that long can be challenging, but if you keep doing it, it’ll become a habit, and soon you’ll be eager to hit the gym whenever you can!