How To Keep Exercising Through Winter

Let’s face it, exercising during winter isn’t exactly the most appealing prospect. Between the cold, the darkness and the rain, winter can prove to be a significant obstacle on your weight loss journey. However, there is hope, as these tips should help you push through the winter blues.

Finding it too cold to exercise first thing in the morning? No worries, take a raincheck and exercise in the middle of the day when the sun is at its highest point. If you’re working, try and go for a run or a brisk walk during your lunch break. The fresh air and the exercise will do you good!

If you’re still keen to do a morning workout, make sure you know what’s ahead of you. The night before, check out the weather report and then prepare your gear appropriately. If it’s going to be very cold, prepare plenty of layers. If rain is predicted, make sure to get your rain jacket out. Likewise, ensure your workout clothes are laid out and ready to go when you wake up. Alternatively, you could sleep in your gear — the key is to make the morning process as easy as possible.

This idea comes back to reducing resistance as well. To give yourself the best the best chance to exercise during the middle of the day, or after work, pack your exercise clothing in your work bag the night before. 

Dreading the idea of doing a big workout at the gym on a cold winter’s morning? Just aim to show up. The theory is that if you get dressed in your exercise gear, brave the cold, and then rock up to the gym, you’ve fought the hardest part of the battle. With that in mind, it’s perfectly fine to do an abbreviated workout. It’s also likely that you’ll do the full workout because you’ve climbed the biggest hump — getting there — and the workout itself will feel relatively easy in comparison.

And the award for the ‘Most Obvious Solution To This Problem’ goes to this answer. Don’t like rain and cold weather? Exercise in a heated gym or pool. Don’t want to splash out on membership fees? Well, there are plenty of exercises you can do at home on a rainy day. Additionally, there are plenty of household items you can use to do exercise in lieu of exercise equipment.

One way to keep you both motivated and distracted from the cold weather is listening to music. Choose music that is motivational, upbeat and fast, so it keeps you moving. If music isn’t your jam, try a compelling podcast. The more distracted you are, the less likely you are to feel the cold.