Finding the energy to workout can be tough at the best of times, but when it’s cold, dark and miserable outside, sticking to your fitness routine can seem pretty much impossible. It’s no secret that when temperatures plummet, so does the motivation to stick to your fitness routine. But we’re here to tell you to stick with it, because not only will you be ready and raring to go for event season but you’ll have made yourself damn proud.
Luckily for you we have put together our five top tips to help keep you moving this winter.
How to Keep Fit in Winter
1. Embrace the Cold
It’s time to stop fearing the cold. We know it may seem like madness, but embracing the plummeting temperatures will help you re-frame your approach to cold weather from horror to excitement. The easy thing to do is stick your head in the sand, sit on the sofa, throw a blanket over yourself and wait until March/April to start working out again. But we don’t want to take the easy route do we? So, embrace that positive winter mindset, wrap up warm and show the cold who is boss. After all, that warm cuppa after will feel all the more rewarding.
Not sure where to begin? Try plotting a run that goes along a particularly beautiful route, so you can enjoy the winter sun. Making sure you’re properly dressed will help too, long sleeves and an outer shell layer to protect you from the wind. But if you really hate the cold, there’s plenty of at-home workouts and classes you can take part in. Sorted.
2. Set Realistic Goals
Goals are what keep us going. They keep us motivated and give us something to work towards. So, don’t wait until the new year, set yourself a winter specific fitness goal now. It can be anything from running 10km a week to simply doing an ab work out once a week. Tailor your goals to what you want to achieve and make sure they are realistic and attainable. Once your goals are set, create a plan to get there even if it’s just adding the workouts or runs into your calendar – it’ll give those sessions more importance.
If you’re not convinced that these small goals will help you stick to your fitness routine, then may we suggest getting a Tough Mudder booked in?
3. Get a Workout Buddy
Know someone that also struggles to stay fit during the winter season? Link up and start working out together, virtually or in person (if the current circumstances allow). Agreeing to exercise with a pal will give you that extra incentive to do something active. It may even change your perspective of working out to something a little more enjoyable and sociable, whilst it’s also much more difficult to cancel on a friend than to just decide not to go yourself. After all, any extra motivation on those dark and gloomy evenings can be priceless.
4. Remind Yourself Why It’s Important
It can be difficult to remember how great you feel after a workout when you have to climb out of a warm, cosy bed and head into the cold. Always remember why you have a fitness regime in the first place. What are you trying to achieve? Why did you set those goals? Remember that exercising on those dark, cold days will also help boost your body’s ‘feel good’ endorphins to help blast away those winter blues. Trust us, the work you put during these next few months will all be worth it when you’re (hopefully) sunning yourself on the beach in July 2021.
5. Be Kind to Yourself
This is possibly the most important tip. Always remember you’re not a machine – cut yourself some slack. Don’t overdo your fitness sessions and make sure you leave enough time in your weekly schedule to chill out and relax. If you don’t, you will burn out, motivation will go all together and you’ll never stick to your fitness routine. After a workout, maybe reward yourself with a couple of episodes of that TV show you’ve been watching or have that bar of chocolate bar you’ve been craving. It’s all about balance.
