Every active athlete understands and appreciates the hard work necessary to get out of a workout rut; everyone experiences a moment of doubt sometimes, and needs to be pulled back into the fitness world from a rut, particularly in the winter when things become too cold to bear. Coming back from a winter workout rut shouldn’t be so challenging, however, and avoiding one entirely should be much higher up on every athlete’s to-do list.
So how can savvy athletes avoid a winter workout rut, and what should you do if you fall into one anyway? Don’t panic – everyone falls behind at some point. As you’ll come to learn, remaining calm and committed to your standard workout schedule will help you avoid downtime in the winter, and by following the advice of the pros, you’ll be getting more from your workouts in no time.
Come prepared for the job
Any battle you’re looking to wage against a dreaded winter workout rut will be hopeless from the start if you don’t come prepared for the job. That means getting your hands on the best gear available, so you can stay comfortable even in harsh temperatures, and preparing your workout routines ahead of time so it’s not easy to shirk them when the time to exercise comes around. When it comes to picking up commonly used winter clothing, be sure to be willing to spend a few bucks to ensure you’re getting the high quality outfits you’ll need for a successful workout in the cold.
It’s much more than pumping even more money into clothing, however; avoiding a winter workout rut is more mental than anything else, meaning you’ll need to make a hard commitment to a consistent schedule if you hope to avoid missing or skipping a training session. Learning to build your own routine is more crucial in the winter months than ever, as you’ll come to learn how easy others flake on you and leave you flying solo when it comes to getting a workout done in the middle of the cold season.
Once you’ve learned to embrace the cold and have become familiar with the type of gear you’ll need to succeed, and you’ve established a long-term routine for yourself to stay organized during the winter, you’ll need to know what common mistakes to avoid. So where do most runners, weightlifters, and other athletes go wrong when it comes to avoiding a winter workout rut?
Avoid the simple mistakes
Perhaps the most frequent mistake made by those trying to avoid a winter rut is diving into their winter exercise sessions way too fast. It’s easy, particularly when it’s freezing out, to try and rush back into shape and get back to the warmth as soon as possible. Pacing yourself is never more important than when you’re in the freezing cold, however, and you’ll want to start your holiday workout season out cautiously if you want to avoid an early injury and really end up back in shape.
Of course, other common mistakes are just as bad as diving into your workouts with too much gusto. Forgetting to set fitness goals, for instance, is far too easy in the winter months, and a common hurdle that trips up countless would-be athletes. Having a massive goal waiting to be accomplished by the end of the holiday season is a real motivator, and will feel like an extra present when you reach it and find yourself excelling past your old boundaries.
You shouldn’t be afraid to get back to the basics like this; too many people stumble and encounter winter workout ruts because they overly complicate things by seeking legal advice and view working out in the cold weather as some sort of alien exercise. While the winter months present serious challenges to those trying to exercise, they’re not some insurmountable hurdle, and shouldn’t be feared as some kind of workout bogeyman if you don’t want to psyche yourself out of your routine ahead of time.
Spice up your diet with an extra dose of rich foods that will give you the needed fuel to push through a hard, cold workout. Come equipped with the best clothes that will help you endure harsh weather conditions indefinitely. Above all else, come prepared with a winter mindset that’s unafraid of the terrible workout conditions and ready to push yourself to new limits. Follow these tips, and you won’t just be avoiding winter workout ruts, but also pushing to new and better workout heights in no time.
Jeremiah Owyang is an internet entrepreneur and investor.