What Now?

The summer is easy. Finding the motivation to stay active isn’t a challenge. The weather’s nice, there’s always a beach or pool trip on the horizon, there are infinite opportunities to get outside and play, etc. But, it doesn’t last forever. The weather’s turned on us, pools are closed and we’re nearing the gluttonous gauntlet that is the holiday season. So, what now? How do we stay active when everything seems to be working against us?

- Pick your New Year's resolution now

Who made the rule that you gotta wait until Jan 1 to set a resolution? Select your New Year’s resolution now and be ahead of the curve.

- Set a new goal

One easy way to make fitness sustainable is to continually set new goals. Giving yourself new challenges and learning new skills will help keep you motivated regardless of the time of the year.

If you know that Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, etc bring with them inevitable weight gain, then commit to losing the weight now. If the weather where you live keeps you indoors during the winter, take on a new performance goal like pull-ups, double-unders, or hitting a new personal best in a strength movement.

- Sign up for a winter race

Fortunately for us Dirty Southerners, 5k season lasts all year. There are no shortages of fall and winter races you can sign up for to keep you motivated during the colder months. Pick one, book it, and give yourself a reason to keep training.

Check out some of these upcoming races:

Oct 3 - Wipeout Run Obstacle Course 5k

Oct 18 - Down and Dirty Obstacle Course Race

Oct 25 - Undead Dash

Nov 7-8 - Savannah Rock 'n' Roll 5k/Marathon

Nov 21 - Muddy Brute Obstacle Course 5k

Nov 26 - Thanksgiving Day 5k/Half Marathon

Nov 26 - Turkey Trot 5k/Half Marathon

Dec 19 - Atlanta Christmas 5k

Jan 16 - MLK Day 5k

Jan 24 - Hot Chocolate 5k/15k

- Get a workout buddy and make a commitment to each other

Let’s be honest, when it’s cold, rainy and dark, it’s far too easy to convince yourself to stay in bed. “I’ll do it later,” becomes a pretty compelling argument. Overcome that by finding a workout buddy and making a commitment to each other. There’s going to be a time when you don’t want to get moving and that call from your workout buddy gets you over the hump. But here’s the thing, there’s going to be a time when you do the same for them.

Kevin Snodgrass

NASM - CPT, CES