With the days getting shorter and the temperature dropping at this time of year it can be hard to motivate yourself to leave the house in the evenings to do exercise. At the same time it is around this time of year when people’s moods are lower and also when we tend to overindulge in food and drink, calling for a real reason to not give up on exercising.
Here are some tips to help you turn your attitude to winter exercising around…
Head and Hands – make sure you wear a hat and gloves to prevent losing body heat.
Feet – wear socks that wick moisture away from your skin such as merino wool or wool. Cotton socks are a no-no as they absorb moisture, either from sweat or rain, and they stay wet which leaves your feet freezing.
Layers – choose a base layer similar to your sock material that will not absorb moisture (i.e. Thinsulate, Polyster etc.)
Warm Up – Do your warm up routine before leaving the house. If you are warm before you start exercising, you will stay warm for longer during your workout.
Route – Choose an area that is sheltered from wind. If this is not possible begin your run or walk into the wind so that it will be on your back on the way home.
If none of these tips have inspired you to get up off the couch and get outside you could try joining an exercise group or team orientated sport like tag rugby, running groups, boot camps etc. This can be a good motivator as you won’t want to let your group members down.
As a last resort – try the gym, even though you will miss out on the invigorating feeling that comes with exercising in the fresh air, it’s better than nothing!
