5 WAYS TO TACKLE THE END-OF-SUMMER SLUG

The end of summer.. a time where exercise, for the last few months, has been a myth and the evidence of all our food-filled holiday's are beginning to physically show. Yep, we all know that feeling of waking up

hoping

to break the spell and maintain some kind of healthy lifestyle, but even taking one step out into the, now rainier, weather somehow puts you right back inside every time. GUTTING...truly gutting... after all your hard work throughout the start of the year, Summer just takes us right back to where we started. So how can we tackle this sluggish alter-ego that creeps out?

1. Don't suffer alone

If you're going to get yourself out of this 'lounging' lifestyle then bring a friend out of it with you. Generally choosing your best friend for this is pretty unsuccessful because lets face it, gossiping is always much more fun than breaking into a sweat. Find someone who will keep you motivated, even on your down days, and who you can equally motivate in return!

2. Don't suffer alone (2.0)

Sometimes one friend simply isn't enough to keep you away from binging Netflix all-day-every-day (guiltyyyy), but becoming a frequent member of gym glasses is another way to stay motivated. Being in a group (and enduring the hardship together) makes the concept of exercise a little less painful. Believe it or not, spin class has become my new favourite form of exercise; aside from feeling extremely guilty if I miss a session with the group, the music alone is enough to keep me wanting more (judge me for feeling like superwoman for 45 minutes !). Let's face it, it's a lot easier following instructions from someone else, rather than trying to look like you know what you're doing on all the gym equipment.

3. Set yourself a challenge

I recently signed up to run a half marathon in October for various reasons, one of which includes having a goal to work towards and train for which will essentially mean that I have to run multiple times a week. If you don't trust yourself enough to stay motivated over the long period of time, set yourself a challenge that will force you to train and exercise regularly!

4. Use what's on your doorstep

Gyms aren't everyones thing so if that's you, why not make the most of what's around you and that costs absolutely nothing. My go-to form of exercise has to be running (especially because of my impending half marathon...which I'm 100% not ready for...) and so what better way to get back on track than to use my local park to train. Running for me is an escape and something I have become addicted to. If younger me had thought I would be sitting here today writing this, I would have hysterically laughed and told myself to jog on (pardon the pun) but since making it a part of my weekly routine, I actually find myself looking forward to sticking my headphones on and letting off some steam.

5. F**k it...Treat yourself

And despite everything you've read, it would probably be much much easier to just treat yourself to an AirBnB for a long-weekend in an action-packed city that will not only keep you on your toes each day, but distract you from thinking about all the walking distance you will have covered! City-breaks aside, it's important to remember that with hard work comes reward and an occasional treat, whatever that might be, is another crucial part of getting out of a sluggish mindset.

How do you stay motivated as the colder seasons loom?

Luisa xo