With the dark nights drawing in and the weather rapidly on the decrease it’s slowly becoming blanket and hot chocolate weather (the low-fat kind of course!).
It’s common for motivation to decrease during this period so we have listed below some tips on keeping your clients motivated and roaring to go.
Freshen things up!
Summer is now over and the #ThrowbackThursdays to pictures on the beach are coming in strong, but as winter draws in we see a large change in peoples moods and goals! Be sure to re-assess your clients goals and switch things up! Start a new program or switch up their nutrition to include some warmer, heartier meals.
Health First!
The winter months are when we should become mindful of our health, as this is when you are more prone to catching a cold or flu and so on. We’re not saying that just because you are ill you can’t exercise, everyone will experience different levels of illness and others can fight this off more efficiently. However, training whilst ill can lead to an increased temperature leading to severe fatigue and a weaker immune system, so sometimes it’s not entirely a bad idea to just relax on the sofa! Don’t forget, your body will still grow when you rest!
Now we are not saying that as a personal trainer/coach you suddenly become the clients doctor, it just means often you need to be mindful of their health and take a little more relaxed approach. After all, we’re not all superman!.
Familiarisation.
We feel the impacts of colder mornings almost instantly, and without realising it your mornings in bed are getting longer and longer as you become more reluctant to leave the warm, marshmallowy cosiness of your duvet!
Like anything we need the time to adapt to these situations, your gym now may be freezing! Or your morning walks could become a challenge and less appealing! Take this in mind when programming for your clients and introduce more dynamic/active warm-ups to help get them firing! Perhaps even transition them into the gym or away from the outdoor runs to a run on a treadmill inside! Get your clients to layer up so they can then peel off the layers as their body temperature rises.
If like me you find that training becomes a little more challenging in these colder months, mix things up! Increase the intensity of your training, throw in more active warm-ups. Hey, even increase carb intake or program for hot beverages throughout the day!
Take the winter months as an exciting new challenge and show winter what you’re made of!
