This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Nottingham chapter.

We’ve all been there. Autumn and winter creep in after the summer sun: the bikini-bods and shaved legs disappear underneath layers of woolly jackets and boots. We start to let go a bit because, well, why not? Nobody wears crop tops in October. We stop our routine runs because it’s cold… and we stop going to our ab class because it’s far away.

Come on guys…we can’t give up now and abandon our health to the mince pies! Here’s how to stay motivated when it comes to working out:

1. Go with a friend

It’s the oldest trick in the book, but that’s because it’s effective. If you’re a gymaphobe like I used to be then nothing is more of a confidence boost than going with an equally clueless friend who will bully you into not breaking your exercise routines. Going with a buddy takes all the fear away from the ‘dark side’ of the healthy world and gives you the added bonus of someone to giggle with when you inevitably fail on the running machine and face-plant the floor. Plus, if your friend is a well-versed gym rat, they can teach you what all the fancy buttons do (winning!). A friend at the gym is a saviour from ridicule and fear.

2. Make an A+ playlist

Never underestimate the power of music. A self-made playlist is just the way to quite literally keep yourself moving. If you find yourself surrounded by the unfamiliarity of shiny high-tech gym equipment, there is nothing like the comforting rhythms of Survivor’s ‘Eye of the Tiger’ to get you to forget this scary new world of sweat and exercise. Music is a powerful thing. Not only is planning your playlist to match your workout routine fun, but singing along to your favourites has a wonderfully calming effect. Music relieves the fear and the self-consciousness and replaces it with some remarkable sing-alongs. A well-made playlist is a welcome distraction in a room dripping with perspiration.

3. Buy a good outfit

Maybe the most expensive motivation, but it’s a classic. The most common fear of venturing to the gym is our self-consciousness about the body image we exude: you’re not wearing make-up; your hair is messy; you’re sweaty; you’re chubby; your clothes are accentuating muffin-tops…calm down! What better way to eradicate negativity than with a feel-good attitude? Why not colour co-ordinate your gym outfit? Buy new accessories? Purchase a brand new sports bra? You’ll want to show yourself off at the gym straight away! Bring that new-found confidence to the gym and challenge all of your body image phobias at once. Fashion offers a new lease of positivity in a self-conscious environment. Splash the cash and you’ll be better off in the long-term.

4. Mix it up

Repetition is mundane. Who wants to do the same things day-in and day-out? When you feel like your gym routine is more boring than actually sitting and doing your seminar research, you know you’re in desperate need of motivation. Mix it up! Don’t just go to the gym and spend thirty minutes on the treadmill! Weight-lift; book a badminton court; swim; go to an abs class or a bike class; get a personal trainer; go in the morning, afternoon or evening! There are a range of possibilities and people out there to fill your grey routine with some spontaneity and colour. Don’t limit yourself to one thing at the same time every week (we have lectures for that). Exercise is meant to feel good, so go out there and make it feel good!

5. Plan your goals

You’re far more likely to develop an effective exercise routine if you plan your goals. Staying motivated is easy if you’re accomplishing your goals and feeling good about it. The motivation just grows! Plan which parts of yourself you’re targeting to improve and write them down on a post-it on your bedroom door (research shows we’re far more likely to do something if we write it down). Want to lose weight? Cardio. Want to tone? Abs classes. Want to bulk-up the muscle? Lift weights. The simple task of planning and writing it down is the perfect recipe to actually get you to do something; it’s like a looming colourful guilt-trip but with fabulous results.

Stay motivated with these five tips and in no time you’ll be inhaling a Big Mac© at three in the morning on a post-Ocean Friday night and keeping that glorious figure you’ve been working on all winter.

Edited by Sarah Holmes

Image sources:

GymMembershipFees.com: http://www.gymmembershipfees.com/7-ways-you-can-effectively-transition-y…

PopSugar.com: http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Cardio-Workout-Music-Spring-2014-34458731

ThompsonTraining.com: http://www.thompsontraining.co.uk/blog-beats/

Tumblr.com: http://getfitdisney.tumblr.com/post/104586466739 & http://eat-sleep-cardio.tumblr.com/post/16046950585/skinny-byspringbreak…