It’s that time of year – the clocks have changed and the mornings are darker, the afternoons are……. also darker, motivation goes down the drain right?

Everyone (including me) has that little dip in energy/enthusiasm – there is no light (literally) at the end of the tunnel – in May, I posted a blog on my top 10 tips to help you stay motivated all year round.

I am very fortunate in that my job allows me to exercise throughout my working week so although sometimes my energy can dip – I always have to find a way to pick get myself going! Anyway, now that the clocks have changed, there are some changes that I have made which have made a big difference, I thought I would share..

• First of all, at the start of November, I set myself a new goal, to work on my  Overhead Squat . I often find that I don’t get to much time to focus on my own training, so I committed to at least a session once per week. This has given me an extra kick, got me excited to train! I made myself accountable and I have loved it and made some good progressions – great feeling.
• Second change is my commute. I work in London and live in Sussex so I was driving to the station and getting the train in. I had been finding that getting off of a packed train to then sit in traffic for 20 mins was not doing me any favours for my evening energy levels, I was getting home feeling tired, lethargic and lazy.               Anyway, I got my bike out and have started to cycle to the station (about 4 miles) and am loving it, its made such a difference. Fresh air in the morning and a nice leisurely ride home has really picked me up in the evening. I’m now getting home feeling energised and productive – this is allowing me to make better evening choices with both meals and  perhaps some home Yoga too – win win!
• I have also recently started my own YouTube channel,  Move With Ben (shameless plug)! I really love filming these workouts – this is another point that has helped, I am looking for new exercises to try which I can use for he channel. So perhaps this is something that you can use – try something new!
• At the weekends or on a day off – go somewhere new or somewhere you love, maybe an invigorating walk in a nice park – make sure you wrap up though! Sometimes a little adventure can bring me energy/inspire me- get plenty of fresh air into your days off..
• My last point is I have started listening to podcasts a little more – I use the commute now as an ideal time to listen to something engaging – doesn’t have to be to deep or educational. This has been useful as mindfulness practice, sometimes I will listen to a motivational/inspiring podcast – this sets me up for a productive day/evening.

To summarise – the winter is a challenging time motivation wise, however, ultimately its up to you and how much you want to make positive changes. If you are on a journey to a leaner body or working towards a fitness event next year, this is a good time to get ahead of the game – stay motivated and spread the positivity around.

Little things can make big differences. I’d love to hear how your training is going – if you have any questions at all or feedback, let me know!

Ben