Stay In Shape This Winter

Winter is a depressing time of year. It is cold, snowy and grey for three to four months and most people lose their motivation to do much of anything – especially exercise! – during this time of the year. It’s important to try and avoid this exercise neglect and continue to strive for that better body, because once motivation is lost, it’s very difficult to get back into your fitness routine.

Here are a few tips to help keep you motivated during those dreary days of winter.

• Set short-term goals such as doing longer bouts of cardio, trying a new fitness class or program, losing .5 – 1lb per week, etc.
• Set end-of-the-month goals such as being able to lose 2lbs, seeing how many days you go to the gym in December and trying to top it in January, buying a pair of jeans a size smaller and trying to fit into them by the end of the month, etc.
• Set long-term goals such as “getting beach ready”. There is no better time to start getting ready to get into your bathing suit then in the winter. Hang pictures of your favorite hot spots or fantasy vacation destinations to help motivate you. 
• Keep a journal of the food you eat, the workouts you do and how often you perform them, and track your progress (i.e. weight loss, inches lost). Use the journal to challenge yourself to do better day by day, week by week, month by month. Holding yourself accountable will motivate you to continue your workouts. There is no better competition than yourself.
• Keep in mind that exercise releases endorphins, and that helps put you in a good mood!

No one wants to be depressed. Work out often, use short, moderate and long term goals to help keep you motivated, and hold yourself accountable and the benefits will pay off when you’re on that fantasy vacation, enjoying the way you look in that bikini!

This blog post was written by my colleague, Nick Cerone, Fitness Director @ THE GYM of Armonk. On a regular basis, we will be sharing articles and posts from our three locations:
Armonk, NY
Englewood, NJ
Montvale, NJ  

I hope you enjoy these posts and find them informative and helpful.

Happy New Year,

Juan Pla
Co-Fitness Director
THE GYM of Montvale
2 Chestnut Ridge Road
Montvale, NJ 07645 
Phone: 201-802-9399 
jpla@gettothegym.com
http://www.gettothegym.com/montvale/default.asp