You’re stuck in a rut with your health, then you might choose to start getting fit once again. The time of year right now is where motivation for a workout is next to none. With the nights drawing in and the cold settling down, all you want to do is go home and curl up with a good book. The problem is that choosing to not exercise can put you into more of a slump.

Your training can fall short, your food can swap from salads to hearty stews, and before you know it, in the new year, you’re making new resolutions to get fit. But why wait? Having the discipline to go ahead and continue with your fitness goals and look up those customised workout plans before you start the Christmas holidays is important. Not only is it important for your self confidence, but it’s important for your overall health. So let’s take a look at some tips that can help you to get motivated.

• Don’t go it alone. It’s hard enough to be your own cheerleader sometimes, so it can be better for you to work out with a friend and not feel so alone in your endeavours to get fit. You want to be somebody’s crutch and you need somebody to be yours. You’ll be able to stay accountable and you’ll have more fun if you go with a friend to do your workouts. Whether you’re going for a run in nature or you’re heading to a gym class, go with somebody and you feel more motivated to continue.
• Keep remembering your ‘why’. The fact is, you’re always going to feel so much better when you’ve had an exercise session. It’s a bit before the session starts and at the beginning of the session that usually puts people off from continuing. As little as 10 minutes of exercise can boost your mood, and even if your exercise is power walking outside. Take yourself to the shops, but make sure you walk there instead of drive. That alone can help you to get your heart rate up. Remember what you’re doing it for: yourself.
• Get a plan in place. It’s often so much easier to stick to your own motivation if you have a structured training plan in place. It’s your road map and it’s going to guide you to fitness success. With a structure, you’ll be able to stay accountable and if you find that you’re skipping sessions then it might be time for a refresh. There’s a reason why you keep falling off the fitness wagon, and sometimes it can be because it’s too complicated. So have a trainer redo another personalised workout plan for you.

Start small. Getting motivated to be fitter is not easy, but if you start small with just walks and build up to going to the gym or to an outdoor workout class, you’re going to feel so much better for it. Don’t allow yourself to get stuck in that winter rut. If you keep up your routine from the summer throughout the winter months, you’re going to feel so much better for it.