Happy Tuesday, everyone!
I love this time of year – the cooler weather, the clothes, the crisp air, and the early nights. Although that last one has been proving to be a bit troublesome when it comes to fitting workouts into my schedule.
Now that it’s darker earlier, I have the tendency to want to stay home and hibernate, rather than hit the gym and workout.
Last night, for example: I stayed at school late to help a few students and didn’t arrive home until 5:45pm. Poor Lulu was more than anxious to see me, and so she and I headed out for a quick walk to burn off some of her energy. (Walking her is a great time for us to bond, even if it is dark when we’re doing it. Luckily her little light I bought helps her to be seen (think bike light, but for dogs) and the busy street I live on provides lots of light from the headlights of cars passing by). After her walk we headed inside, and rather than changing into workout clothes and hitting the gym before dinner, I changed into lounging clothes, ate dinner, and then vegged on the couch with Lulu. No workout, not even the Wii.
Luckily for me I usually leave school much earlier and can hit the gym on the way home and still arrive at my house just as dusk is setting in outside. I’ve been careful to schedule my personal training appointments for 4pm so that I can spend an hour at the gym and still get home while it’s fairly light out for Lulu’s walk. And after last night’s experience, I can see that I need to do the same thing with my non-pt workouts, too. Otherwise they just won’t happen during the week. I get way too comfortable and a bit lethargic once I get home and start to relax.
This afternoon is going to be another late one at school and since I know that even though I *should* hit the gym, I won’t (see above), my plan is to walk Lulu and then get on the Wii and “play” for an hour, just to burn some much needed calories. This weighing everyday has it’s benefits – I’m up from last week’s weigh-in due to a number of factors (water retention, dinner party on Saturday, lack of exercise) and if I want to see a better outcome on the scale tomorrow morning, I need to do something about it today).
How do you deal with winter workouts?
Bella on the Beach 
I hate that it now gets dark earlier. It definitely messes up my routine!
The early darkness definitely makes it harder for me, too. As does the lack of sunshine up here, although I have to say that so far, this fall has been pretty decent as far as that goes! I schedule my workouts, put them on my calendar, and make them non-negotiable. AND I do not go home before them because I know that walking in my front door? Kiss of death for my workout! lol
You know, I used to schedule my workouts, but I moved away from that. I put all of my personal training appts on my iCal, so I might as well put my workouts on there, too. Thanks for the reminder, I needed it.
Once school starts it is almost impossable for me to work out at night on a consistant basis – there for I don’t. My girls are in high school and it’s amazing all of the activities we have between school and church.
I have started going to the gym in the morning. Ok, today was the first day but I felt so much better about myself and don’t have to feel guilty for not working out tonight.
I think I might like this….
I LOVE working out first thing in the morning. The only problem is that as it is, I get up at 5am just to get ready to leave for school/work at 7am. And I’m not a morning person, so the thought of waking up any earlier just isn’t happening, at least not right now.
But during breaks and in the summer, I definitely workout in the morning – it’s a great way to start my day.
The earlier nights hit me harder and harder every year. I actually love the earlier nights for the stay home and be warm and cozy factor, but I get tired so much earlier and feel more like a homebody once the darkness sets in.
Exactly.