Beat

those winter blues

Winter – not the most fun time to work out and find motivation especially those cold early mornings before work or those days when you walk out of the office and its already dark. Its that time of year where most of us fall off the ‘fitness bandwagon’.

But what if we told you pushing yourself through this greyer season with regular exercise  releases feel-good, de-stress brain chemicals, and gives you a break from the daily grind and helps ease those winter blues.  So ultimately its good for your mental strength, and  very important for maintaining a strong and healthy immune system!

Research has shown time and again that regular exercise strengthens your immune system so it can fight off bacterial and viral infections. This becomes particularly important in winter when we’re all trying to fit off that annoying cold going around.

When you exercise and get your blood pumping, immune cells circulate through your body more quickly helping them seek and destroy infections. But this boost only lasts for a few hours, so exercise needs to be regular for long-term effects.

If you’re looking for some motivation to stick to your training plan this winter, here’s some FREE workouts you can download and use next time you’re in the gym to train.

Find (reliable) workout buddies

Committing to a workout with a friend is a great way to make sure you get yourself out the front door, as no one likes to let their friends down. Even if you don’t like working out with a partner, you can benefit from the support of like-minded friends and family. You can come  to the gym together, separate to train what suits you best and then meet up again to grab a post workout snack or smoothie together. A great way to stay accountable and on track during this chilly season. Is your friend not a member yet at Viva Gym? Sign them up easily by logging into your members area online and sign them up. They’ll recieve a special code to sign up and you’ll get R100 credit on your next debit. Win, win!