Blog written and produced by Monika Smiechowska – Sports Therapist and Injury Rehabilitation specialist.
Repeat after me… A WINTER SLUMP IS NOT INEVITABLE!
It may require a bit of extra effort, but it certainly is something you can overcome and deal with.
Lack of motivation can creep up on us and affect us in many different ways, including missing gym sessions, missing social events or not doing your prescribed rehab exercises!
Ideas to improve or maintain your Motivation in Winter…
Whatever it may be that you need help with, the following points can hopefully give you some ideas as to how to kick start your Winter Motivation mission:
- Set goals – having a goal in mind will help you hold yourself accountable. You can make it as simple or specific as you want. Remember to be realistic and track your progress throughout!
- Get organised – “I didn’t do the exercises given by my physio as I didn’t have time” – this is something us therapists hear very often, particularly in the winter as the sun goes down quicker and evenings get colder. There are a few ways you can tackle this one… waking up and starting your day earlier, planning your days and making sure you set time for your rehab exercises and my personal favourite – writing things down! I’m a big fan of lists, crossing and ticking items off as I go, and believe they give me that extra bit of motivation needed!
- Stay accountable – this can be a hard one for many people, which is why getting an accountability buddy is a great idea! Your Physiotherapist can be that person for you – keeping them updated with your progress and checking in regularly for reassessments can be very beneficial, particularly if you are working with them to treat an injury.
Other things you may consider is recording yourself whilst doing the exercises – visual progress can be a key driver!
One day off or one mince pie will not affect your progress!
Above all else, it is very important for you to remember that off days are also needed. Be kind to yourself and remember that one day off will not derail all of your progress – just pick up where you left off and keep going!
