During the winter I definitely struggle keeping up with my exercise routine. When the sun seems to have disappeared for several months and you can see your breath in front of your face every time you step out the door, it’s all to easy to feel like you just want to hibernate until the spring! Even snuggling under the duvet every morning for a few extra minutes in a cosy warm bed instead of jumping out and fitting in a morning workout is much more appealing.
But I know that I feel a whole lot better if I do make an effort, and yoga is often a nice option as you can do it indoors!
Here are some tips from the latest Om Yoga Magazine to get you from sofa to studio, or even bed to living room when the weather is holding you back.
Embrace the Elements
As the saying goes, there’s no such thing as the wrong weather, only the wrong clothes. Wrap up warm for your journey to class, but also perhaps wear an extra layer during the practise as it will take longer for you to warm up. This is especially important with slower paced classes such as Yin and Restorative Yoga, so make sure you have enough warm clothing and take some socks and an extra jumper!
Move It
Moving breath and body together in a faster Vinyasa or Ashtanga dynamic flow will generate heat and energy. You will feel less sluggish after working up a sweat, and ready to take on the world in your yoga leggings!
Bring a Friend
Yoga has a lot of mind-body benefits, but it’s also great to head down to your local studio and hang out with some fun, likeminded friends. Even if you just complain with them about the winter weather, it will boost your mood to get social, and help you to stay accountable if you have a friend waiting for you to turn up.
Open Up
The cold makes us hunch our shoulders, tense up and generally retreat inwards in an effort to stay warm. Yoga is a fantastic way to counter this and open up the body again, to get our joints, muscles – and minds!- flowing freely again.
No Regrets
Like any workout, you will never regret going to a yoga class. If you’ve made the effort to head out, you can feel accomplished and the journey back home in the cold weather will be a breeze! Even heading to the lounge for an at-home yoga session will help to set you up for the day, or relax you before going to bed- let’s go for it!
How do you combat the desire to hibernate in the winter?
Beki x
NB: I am an Om Yoga Magazine blogger producing a monthly blog post in return for my subscription. If you would like to sign up to the magazine (which I highly recommend!) click here.
