6 Reasons to Stay Committed to your Gym Regimen

It’s early June and you’re trying to adjust your workout and eating habits according to the winter blues ahead. You’re waking up earlier to beat the winter time traffic, with the intention of making your way through to gym before you head off to work. You lie in bed and you feel the chill of the cold morning dew on your skin. You cuddle in just a little bit deeper, you’d like to lie there for just a few minutes more…

But you know your body won’t work on itself. You fight the urge to enjoy the caressing warmth of your bed. You stop thinking. You get up, freshen up and pack your gym bag. You’re not going to allow this momentary comfort to stop you from a good morning workout.

Sound familiar?

Not to me! This scenario is not the reality of many.

If you’re not motivated enough to jump out of bed and hit the gym in the morning, maybe these 6 reasons to stay committed to your gym regimen will help:

Exercising in cold temperatures maximises your workout, particularly running in a cold environment. Less heat stress on your body makes it significantly easier for your body to perform the biological tasks involved in running.

1. Remaining active in the cold weather literally warms your body up, and keeps you warm for quite a stretch of time. With your blood pumping from your workout, you’ll feel the heat for hours after you’ve left the gym!
2. Exercising helps boost the immune system. Being physically active flushes the system of toxins and bacteria out of the lungs and airways and because you’re more susceptible to catching the flu or a cold during winter, exercising is the perfect way to prevent a cold from hitting the pause button on your life.
3. As we know during the winter months, we consume more calories either because we’re trying to warm ourselves up or  because we’re emotional eaters and we’re missing the sun on our skin. Whatever the reason may be, skipping workouts causes us to pack on pounds faster than we would during the warmer months. Going for that workout in the early hours of the morning when it’s dark outside, is definitely necessary.
4. I’m sure that we’ve all heard about how exercising releases endorphins in the body. These endorphins interact with receptors in the brain, which not only makes you feel happier but also reduces your perception of pain. Many studies have proven that people who exercise regularly have a positive boost in their overall mood and have lower rates of depression. Exercises such as those offered in the Body Balance class offered at Zone Fitness, optimizes breathing patterns and movements, resulting in increased energy levels and reduced tension.
5. Yes, looking good does make you feel good! Seeing the results of sacrificing that extra hour in bed during winter will pay off when it becomes summer again, and those layers come off. There’s nothing better than that feeling of entering a room in your sexiest outfit and being completely comfortable in your skin!