It can be difficult to find the motivation to get outside and exercise on any given day of the year. But when the temperature drops below freezing and there is icy rain or even snow falling from the sky, then the challenge of getting out the door becomes amplified. Even if it isn’t snowing, cold or other inclement weather can be a real drain on your motivation to stay healthy and active.

Perfect conditions or not, exercise is something that needs to become part of your daily life after having weight loss surgery. This means that even though it is cold or wet outside, you still need to find a way to be active.

Stay Active, Stay Warm

Depending on where you live, the winter season can be a difficult time of the year for outdoor exercise. Atlanta may be in the South, but it is certainly far enough north to experience pretty harsh weather every winter. Even if it isn’t snowing, the cold winds and rain can certainly make up for it and leave the winter weather quite unpleasant.

For a lot of people, the span of months between November and March is filled with a lot of long and cold nights. When the sun goes down shortly after 5pm and you barely have time to make it home from work before it feels like it is time to go to bed, finding the time or ambition to keep up with your exercise goals can be fairly tough.

Rather than attempting to push your summertime workout into the cold, consider ways that you can adjust your exercise schedule to accommodate the cooler weather. Finding winter activities that you enjoy can bring your exercise goals to life this time of year.

Here are a few ways that you can stay active despite the cold weather:

• Try bringing your workout indoors by checking out online workout videos, or by signing up for a workout class at a local gym.
• You can also take advantage of the cold weather as an excuse to enjoy the warmth of hot yoga, or even swim laps in a heated pool instead of attempting to walk laps in the cold air.
• If you are partial to your outdoor workout, motivate yourself with some new winter gear that will keep you warm and cozy as you venture into the nighttime chill.

Making small changes like these can help you keep up with your workout throughout the winter season. Staying motivated and active through the winter will lead to a healthier and happier Spring.