Forget the dog days of summer. When it comes to feeling lethargic, it's hard to compete with January in Minnesota.
Drained from the holiday excitement and facing numbing temperatures, icy roads and sidewalks, and scant daylight hours, finding the motivation to move — much less work out — can challenge even the most well-intentioned New Year's resolution maker.
So how do you resist the urge to hibernate and binge-watch until spring? Here are five tips to find the motivation to stay active in the dead of winter, courtesy of Amanda Monahan, a personal trainer and dietitian at Life Time Fitness in Maple Grove:
1. Work with what you have.
If it's too cold to head outside for a run or go to the gym, exercise at home. You can watch all kinds of workout videos on your smartphone or other device. If that's not your thing, create your own workout. Go up and down a flight of stairs every 10 minutes. Do push-ups, the plank or other body weight exercises. Jump rope in the garage. "Think outside the box," Monahan said.
2. Mix it up.
Winter is an ideal time to shake up your usual routine. Sign up for a boxing class, schedule a session with a personal trainer or try lifting weights. If you're losing the battle against the snooze button every morning because it's dark outside, switch to evening workouts for the winter and enjoy sleeping in for a change.
3. Embrace winter sports.
