How to Handle Your Indoor Winter Workouts Without Going Stir Crazy

Winter. That magical time of year when even your best outdoor plans tend to get ruined. This includes your regularly planned workouts, leaving you with a difficult decision: do you take your workouts inside and risk going stir crazy, or do you chance a miserable workout outside? Fortunately, you don’t have to make this difficult decision. With a few small adjustments, you can make your indoor workouts enjoyable, allowing you to keep your body (and mind) fit all winter long.

Invite a Friend

All workouts are more enjoyable with a friend, but especially those workouts that find you stuck inside. With a workout partner, you’ll have someone to keep you accountable and motivated, help share the misery of being cooped up inside, and to enjoy good conversation with once the workout is done. What’s more, your friend can help suggest tips to help make your workout better, resulting in increased fitness for both of you.

Keep the Temperature Right

One of the most difficult parts of working out indoors is properly regulating your body temperature. Since it’s the winter, you’ll likely have the heat on in your home. However, once you get into the heart of your workout, you may quickly find that what’s comfortable when you’re resting is miserable when you’re exerting yourself. Therefore, you must be prepared to turn on your air conditioner, even when the temperature outside might dictate otherwise. Just be sure your system is in good working order by having a local professional, like Robison Air, give it a thorough inspection.

Plan an Escape

A great way to motivate yourself for indoor winter workouts is to reward yourself after your workouts more than you normally would. For example, you may not normally reward yourself with a bubble bath after a run outside. However, to push yourself during that indoor workout, you can set aside time afterward for a juicy reward that will keep your eyes on the goal. Whatever you do, though, it’s important to avoid too many food rewards, as that could reverse the progress you make during your workout.

Set the Mood

It’s difficult to exercise inside during the winter, especially when what you’d rather be doing is running on the beach of a secluded tropical island. If you have space, though, you can bring the island to you instead of having to bring yourself to an island. You can include tropical plants in your workout space and even find videos of various tropical locations to play during your workouts. While it won’t be a substitute for the feeling of the sand between your toes, it will help tide you over until you’re able to get outside again.Keep Moving Forward