Our motivation to exercise during the winter months often takes a back seat and is overrun by the warmth and comfort of our duvets, as we snuggle up on those cold, crisp, dark mornings.

Exercise is a great way to beat the winters blues (particularly for those who are craving the warmth of our summer days) and a daily workout will release feel good hormones that help the body to de-stress and stay energized as we transition through the seasons. So here are a few tips and exercise ideas to keep you moving this winter.

Tips to stay motivated

1. Set Goals – Don’t over complicate these. Keep them simple and attainable, promoting you to stay on track and feel good with each and every daily accomplishment.
2. Buddy Up – Pair up with a friend or family member and enjoy exercising together. This way you will keep each other motivated and hold each other accountable on those cold mornings when your desire to walk out the front door is low.
3. Reward yourself – Allow yourself to celebrate your success and reward yourself when you reach certain goals.
4. Try something new – We often find it hard to stay motivated when our routines become stale. Why not try something new during winter? We have listed our favourite Gaia activities below which you can practi犀利士 se from the comfort of an indoor venue, or out in nature (which is always our preference, even in the cold).
5. Layer up and keep warm – Dress with extra layers and protect your extremities like your head, toes and fingers. Keep some gloves, a beanie and scarf handy for those extra cold mornings.
6. Enjoy the sunshine where you can – Get out and ensure you soak up some Vitamin D which will help to keep you healthy, strong and happy, as well as boost immunity.

Here are some of our favourite outdoor/ indoor activities which we love to practise to keep us warm and moving during the cooler months.

Pilates

The perfect movement to connect with your body and re-energise, strengthen and improve your postural movement. Pilates focuses on balance, core strength, posture and flexibility and caters for everyone.

Yoga

Regular yoga helps to increase your flexibility, strength and fitness whilst calming the mind and allowing it to focus and relax. Regular yoga will awaken your inner potential with its combination of physical, mental and spiritual practice.

Qi Gong

As much as we encourage you to get out and practise Qi Gong in nature, this ancient and subtle style of movement will equally help you to restore natural harmony from the warmth of your home. The slow movements used in Qi Gong facilitate ease of flow and encompass aligning breath, movement and awareness for gentle calming exercise.

Tennis

If you are lucky enough to have an indoor tennis court near your (or outdoor when not raining) we encourage you to get out and have a hit with friends and mix it up with a game of doubles. The best type of fitness is that which is done whilst socialising!

Dance

Turn the music up and dance like no one is watching! Dance is a wonderful activity that can assist to improve your physical strength and flexibility and it certainly promotes production of your happy hormones – DOSE (Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, Endorphins). So get moving and work up a sweat whilst singing along to your favourite sound track.

Walking

Get out and walk in nature. Listen to the birds and the breeze through the trees. The walking tracks at Gaia are best enjoyed when the winter sun is setting over the hinterland. Admiring the brilliant sunset hues of orange, red and pink is the ultimate gift from mother nature, as you get your blood flowing and warm your body. As Shikoba says, “The antidote to exhaustion isn’t rest. It’s nature”.