The whole daylight saving time debacle can get pretty heated: some people love it, some people hate it. But for someone like you who wants to keep crushing workouts no matter what happens to the clock, it’s helpful to come up with a few strategies to keep up with your fitness routine while dealing with the long hours in the dark.
3 Ways to Update Your Fitness Routine With the Time Change
Spring ahead, fall back. These three tips can help you optimize your fitness routine even as the days get shorter and the sun sets earlier:
1. Leverage your accountability by signing up for a fitness class.
This is especially helpful if you usually prefer to workout in the afternoon or evening. Why? As the sun sets, it can feel pretty difficult to get yourself to the gym if all you want to do is snuggle up on the couch with a book or your favorite show or sports team on the TV.
But signing yourself up for a fitness class makes it a lot harder to skip that evening session. After all, you’ve paid for your time; you have friends and a trainer waiting for you, AND you know you’ll end up getting an awesome workout anyway!
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If you think you’d do better in a one-on-one environment, you can also try working with one of our certified and experienced personal trainers, instead. Don’t worry; we’ll make sure you get your butt to the gym!
2. Invest in some warm and reflective workout gear for exercising outdoors.
Whether you love your post-work run or enjoy taking your dog for a walk after dinner, you need to make sure you’re safe as well as warm when you’re logging those miles outside.
This fall and winter, why not treat yourself to some new outdoor fitness gear which includes moisture-wicking, heat retaining, and reflective features—maybe even a headlamp, too? That way, you can put your clothes to good use and still keep up your evening routine, even if the sun sets on you first.
3. Review and re-set some specific goals.
As the holiday season comes around (and the days keep getting shorter, with no small thanks to daylight-saving time), it can be hard to stay motivated to work out. You, like a lot of people, may feel tempted to push off your goals for the New Year and just coast through November and December.
But to avoid digging yourself out of a hole come to New Year’s Day, try setting one or two new goals that MATTER to you so you’ll be more likely to stay consistent.
This time of year, try sticking to performance and action-based goals rather than aesthetic-based goals, such as:
- I go to the gym at least 3 times per week for at least 30 minutes.
- I perform X number of [pull ups, dips, sit ups] in one minute.
- I run a 5k with my besties.
Ready to sign up for a class or a free fitness assessment with a personal trainer? Talk to our front desk team today.