With January being the first month of the year, lots of us make New Year’s resolutions – with many of them revolving around health and fitness. The problem with us wanting to improve in January is that even for those who exercise regularly, the cold and wet weather is a big put-off. To help you get (or stay) motivated, here are some top tips!

Plan a workout date.

Plan set times for when you’re going to workout, and try to get a friend to join you. Not only will the company of someone else make the experience more enjoyable, it’ll also help you to remain motivated and more likely to stick to your schedule – unless you don’t mind letting your friend down!

Focus on your goals.

We all workout for different reasons. Some of us do it to improve ourselves physically, others to relieve stress and some do for a particular event or time of year. Whatever the reason is – if you’re participating in a marathon or if you just want to look good on the beach – it’s important to focus on what you are working towards. You know that your goals won’t be achieved by themselves, so hopefully that’s enough to motivate you!

Make sure that you have the correct clothing.

If you’re going out in the cold, then you need to make sure that you’re dressed appropriately. If you don’t have anything but that tank top and a pair of shorts – treat yourself to some new gear. You need to make sure that you’re well layered, and don’t forget to wear a hat and a pair of gloves too! With it being dark out early, make sure to wear bright colours and reflective clothing and stick to well-lit streets and areas where possible!

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Try a new activity.

If you’re struggling to get motivated – try a brand new activity! If your local tennis courts are closed, try indoor tennis, table tennis, badminton or something new entirely. As long as you’re exercising that’s all that matters – and it’s never bad to try something new! If you want to carry on with the same outside activity as always, do what you can inside! Even if you just warm-up inside – run on the spot – at least you’ll be warm when you venture outside.

Reward yourself.

What the ‘reward’ is depends on the individual, but the satisfaction of knowing that you braved the elements might be enough. You’re one step closer to your goals!

It’s good for you.

As The Telegraph explains: “For the less keen exerciser, it is useful to recognise why it is particularly pertinent to tackle the winter onslaught by getting moving. The colder temperature in winter can cause your blood vessels to constrict, thickening the blood, which puts you at a higher risk of a heart attack. If you go from a hot to cold or cold to hot environment and your body changes temperature quickly, your blood becomes “sticky” and again, puts you more at risk of heart attack and strokes.” As well as being beneficial physically, knowing that you’ve worked to improve yourself is also good for you mentally – and will hopefully help to improve your self-confidence!

Share your tips to keeping motivated this winter with us in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter!