Winter Workout Tips & Essentials

June 03,2024

I feel you girl, the idea of exercising in the Winter does NOT seem fun. I find that what keeps me going is the FEELING I have after a long, hard workout. There’s nothing quite as therapeutic as working your muscles and sweating. In the Winter months, I find that exercising is even harder for people (including myself) to stay on track and motivated. When it’s both cold and cozy, it’s tough to get out from under your oversized blanket. Not to mention, some days, you’d rather brew some coffee, snuggle into the couch, and flip on an entertaining show. Or, hit snooze on your alarm right up until the moment you HAVE to get up and go to work. I feel ya, I have those days too. A few things I find helpful in staying motivated to workout in the Winter months: Wear your workout gear to bed. I absolutely cannot stand wearing socks to bed, but I can prep myself by going to sleep in my leggings, sports bra, and workout tank. I even place my shoes on the floor right wear I would stand up for an added bonus. This tells your mind in the morning that you have sh*t to do before starting your day and will push you to get out of bed because you’re already ready. Wear your tennis shoes in the house. I do this OFTEN. Walking around the house in my tennis shoes triggers my mind to WANT to workout before cleaning the house, or brewing my coffee, or anything else that deems more important than exercising my body. I get a ton of questions about my favorite tennis – they are Nike Free Run Motion Flyknits and I linked them here. Otherwise here is a newer, similar pair here. Get everything ready the night before. If you’re prime time to workout is in the morning before the rest of the world, or your household, is awake, then set everything out on your dresser. Pack your lunch, set your coffee and cup next to the machine, pack your purse, set out your clothes. This will save you a ton of time in the morning and allow you NO excuses to get your workout in before you start your day. Dress in layers. In the Winter, I generally start my workout in layers. I know that most of the time when I’m not feeling the desire to get my butt in gear, it’s because I’m either tired or cold. Once I start warming up, I can then strip the layers and continue on with my workout. If I’m cold right from the get-go, it’s harder for me to want to workout. Pop in your headphones. 9 times out of 10, I need a good podcast, audiobook, or happy jams to get a good workout in. It’s just how I’m wired. I feel like I stay focused better and longer if I’m listening to something rather than just dead air. Whether I’m at a gym or just working out downstairs in my unfinished basement, I’m 10x more focused on what I’m doing if I don’t have all of the background noise to distract me. I am a huge fan of Audible. You can listen to an unlimited amount of audiobooks seamlessly within your workouts, morning/afternoon commutes, or while cleaning your home. When you signup, you instantly get two FREE audiobooks! For starters, I always feel more motivated to workout if I’m wearing comfortable, lightweight, and supportive gear. Not that it has to look super duper cute, but if you dress for the occasion you’ll be more apt to get it done. Most of these you can find on , but there are some that I absolutely love that aren’t and wanted too share them with you anyway. Gear I love 90 degree by Reflex high waisted leggings – I have raved about these leggings since my very first pair (I have like 5 pairs now.) They are $25 per pair, or less if you get more than one. They are seriously beyond comfortable and super affordable, considering the price of most leggings these days. I wear them every. single. day. Light Weight Zip Up – I live in zip ups during the Winter months. The dry fit or light weight material is my favorite because it’s accommodating for active people looking for flexible, breathable material during their workouts, errands, or lounging around the house. Nike Dry Fit Long Sleeve Beanie with ear covers Winter Thermal Running Gloves Running Waist Belt Pack – I personally don’t like wearing the running belts while I run, but a few of my friends love it! Nike Free RN Motion Flyknit Shoes – I’ve worn Nike shoes all my life (aside from my half marathon shoes, which are Brooks Ravena) and these are by far the most comfortable. The material is ankle high and super stretchy. Two straps wrap the shoe, so they are easily adjustable for any width. These are perfect for training or weight lifting, however they are super light weight and flexible so I’m not sure they would be great for long distance running. Brooks Ravena Running Shoe– Oh my goodness. Talk about cushion, support, and comfort. These are my long time, long distance running shoes and once I got on the Brooks train, I’ve never purchased any other brand for my half marathon runs. The support in the Ravena is unbelievable. In other shoes, I find my feet start hurting and feeling sore much faster. With the Ravena, I could run day after day without an ounce of pain. Highly recommend if you’re training for long distance runs or an everyday, supportive shoe. Gym Essentials Resistance Bands Dumbells Yoga Mat FitBit Blaze – love, love, love my FitBit Blaze. I’m guessing I probably have the older version, but it is amazing. It tracks your heart rate, distance, path, calories burned, and you can even play customized video workouts or exercise challenges right […]