It is August!
And the last official month of winter!
I say official because we all know that Armidale winters can come back and bite us. Even in November with a dusting of snow! So I only say official end. It may still be around in a couple of months.
Although this winter has not been too bad when it comes to frosts and snow. A year ago we had 30cms of snow, to this year barely looking like dropping below zero so far.
But that does not change the fact that for all of us it gets tougher to get to the gym. More difficult to take the dog for a walk. Too dark to get into the backyard.
The days are still shorter this time of year, the temperature isn’t exactly swimming cossie type temps, and the comfort foods at home are so, um comforting haha.
So it is cold, dark, and sometimes a bit miserable. But you can get through the winter slump, after all plenty of people have done it over the years! It is simple, it just might not be easy.
Most things we do in life aren’t driven by logic or because it is for the best, they are driven by emotion and helping us feel better right at this moment.
Generally speaking we aren’t the best at doing something a bit uncomfortable that will help us in the long run.
Hence why the fitness industry is full of ridiculous short term quick fixes that lure you in with incredible results and promises of an incredible life in only a few short weeks.
We love a bit of instant gratification.
And health and fitness is not at all about instant gratification.
I want you to take a second today and think. Think about a time when you put something off that you know you should do because it is for the best, but it was a bit big to get stuck into right now, and the alternative was super easy to do. Comforting. Familiar. So that is what you did.
How did you feel after that little comforting feeling was gone? Once you got to the end of the day and the thing you should have done was still there?
You might have found it hard to sleep. You might have become anxious, irritated, annoyed at yourself.
And then once the bigger, tougher thing was done, you felt lighter? More relaxed right?
When the daylight isn’t around as long, the temp is low and we have just finished a pretty average workday it can be easy to just think ‘ah I will go home and get warm and do something at home’. Short term gain, long term pain. To be blunt, that is what that is.
Grabbing your gym bag, heading to the box and seeing everyone else and getting in an hour of good effort. The opposite.
One of the things that had me start to fall in love with CrossFit was that the session was planned for you. All you had to do was turn up. We took the hardest parts away for you. The thinking about what to do, and how to do it.
So really the excuse that you just don’t really know what to do or think about what to do is gone. All it is is turn up. We do the rest.
Now the winter thing.
It’s really cold. Well, we are indoors and have heaters.
The daylight is so short. Lights, we have lights, and we turn them on.
I just feel like I have less time right now. Your workday is the same length as it is in any other season. You only need three hours a week to make a huge difference to your health.
I’m just not motivated enough. Motivation is a myth. Habit is what drives it. None of us are ever motivated to do the hardest thing, but once we start it and see things happening, motivation comes. Motivation is seldom there initially.
Look, I know I am being a bit of a hard arse there, but I want to convey to you how flimsy most excuses are when it comes to looking after your health and wellbeing.
Going to the gym might seem like an exercise in vanity so you think, ah other things are more important. But that is old thinking.
The benefits of being fitter, stronger, and overall healthier are pretty well publicised and I would think pretty clear to us all.
That is what getting to the gym is about. Being healthier. Living better for longer.
Yes you will likely look and feel better, but it is about so much more than that. The physical health benefits are numerous. And I haven’t even touched on the mental health benefits of it.
So here is the question this week.
Is it worth it to sit at home in winter, staying in, just to avoid a few hours a week where you might do a little hard work and having your health slide backwards?
Yes, that is right slide backwards. The less you move the more you become unhealthy, being sedentary has been linked to an increased risk of premature death. I know that sounds scary and is a tad dramatic, I was just using it to highlight the risk of just hibernating in winter versus the long term benefits of getting out there and either starting or keeping on going!
Choosing to stay on the lounge because it’s a bit inconvenient, cold, or dark is an easy trap to fall into, but when you look at what’s really at stake for your physical and mental health long-term, those excuses just don’t stack up.
Look, I get it. Recognising that you’ve been letting yourself off the hook is the uncomfortable part. But taking action doesn’t mean you have to figure it all out alone nor do you have to beat yourself up about it or get cranky at those around you.
That’s literally why we are here at CFA.
If you’re feeling stuck in this winter slump and the thought of starting or starting over feels overwhelming, don’t worry about the big picture today. Just send me a quick message. Shoot me a DM or drop me a text saying ‘PLAN’.
We’ll sit down, cut through the head trash, and put together a simple, painless step-by-step plan to get you moving again. No pressure, never any judgment, just a way forward.
You don’t need motivation. You just need to take the first small step. Talk to you soon.