Lunden Souza: Get over the cold days and back into the gym

The weather is cooler, the nights get dark earlier, and it is so easy to find a cozy spot on the couch much more appealing than leaving the house for a workout.

I am right there with you. It is difficult to convince myself to go for an outdoor run or a morning workout when I am so comfortable wrapped up in bed.

It is my passion and my career to be fit and healthy, so working out is a huge part of my everyday life.

But seriously, when the colder months started rolling around, I would get out of bed with my comforter wrapped around me and it would take me an extra 20 minutes to get out of the house -- cutting into my workout time.

I am not a cold weather lover, I would much rather be in shorts and a tank top in 100-degree weather for the rest of my life than bundling up to try and stay warm.

Yes, I am a total baby when it comes to being cold, but we all have our issues.

This winter I decided to start implementing some small habits that have made it so much easier for me to get up and get moving in the morning to get to the gym.

The first one I got into, and still think is the best idea ever, is sleeping in my workout clothes: workout pants, socks, sports bra, shirt and all.

If I wake up warm and I don't have to change, it is so much easier to get out of the house quickly and efficiently.

As soon as I realized how much this helped, I started pre-mixing my pre-workout beverage the night before and putting it in the fridge so that way it was ready for me to grab on the way out of the house.

After that habit started making things increasingly convenient, I also started to pack my gym bag the night before and put it in my car.

This system has worked out very well for me. I wake up warm and my pre-workout energy is ready to go. I don't even have to worry if I've got my gym towel or my headphones because it is all prepped and ready.

The nature of my career requires me to create a constant motivation for myself. If I cannot motivate myself, how in the world am I going to motivate others? I had a problem.

I was having a hard time getting out of the house to work out on cold mornings, and I created my own solution. Some might think it is a little weird to sleep in my clothes and pre-plan everything, but it works for me.

I don't care if anyone thinks it's weird or too much or over-the-top because it's helping me get my job done. When I was younger and had an issue or problem, I would whine to my dad about it, he would always say, "Find a way."

This is the attitude and motivation I pull from today because nobody else is going to solve the problem or hand me a solution wrapped in a bow. If something doesn't work, don't complain. Fix it, figure it out, make it work.

I needed a push this winter, so now I'm pushing it forward to you. I hope that whatever motivational obstacle you are in the midst of with your pursuit of fitness and health, this encourages you to "find a way."

Lunden Souza, a Merced native, is a personal trainer, health and wellness coach and writer in Southern California. She can be reached at lifelikelunden@gmail.com.