Beat the Cold: How to Exercise In Winter

I recently got a DM from a friend asking for advice on how to stay fit and motivated to train during winter. After giving her some tips, I realised that other people would probably benefit from this advice as well. 

That's why I created the following guide on how to stay fit and motivated to train during winter. Get your training shoes on and let's get started: 

Tip # 1: Warm Up 

Develop a ‘warm up routine’ to help you get ready for your work outs.  For me this means putting my gym clothes on, brushing my teeth and doing warm up stretches. I go through this process almost automatically and in that order because it’s a routine that helps me to get into the ‘groove’ of things so to say.

Your routine can be different depending on what time you exercise and how you exercise. The most important thing is to cultivate a ritual that precedes the actual workout. This helps to get you into the mood and tells your brain that you are now transitioning to that activity. 

Oh, and one last thing, always, always, always, include stretching in your warm up regardless of what time you wake up or where you train. Stretching beforehand is a must to avoid injuries. 

Tip # 2: Layer Up

A lot of people feel discouraged from exercising in the winter because it's cold and uncomfortable. We all just want to keep warm and stay indoors as much as possible.

The good news is that you can keep warm while exercising by either exercising indoors OR dress warmly to make sure that you don’t get cold while running or jogging outside. One thing you can do is to layer your clothing, but not too much because you don’t want to get bulky and heavy. 

Three layers is usually enough to keep you warm and comfortable at the same time. Winter running essentials include a hat (because your head is one of the more sensitive parts of your body), a long sleeve tee, leggings, gloves, woollen socks and quality running shoes. 

Tip # 3: Drink up! 

Keeping hydrated is even more important in winter because the more liquids you take in, the better your circulation, and good circulation keeps you warm. 

To stay hydrated in the winter, you can drink water, teas, and soups. You can also incorporate orange juice or warm lemon and honey water in between drinking plain water, just to get some variety.

Staying hydrated has the added advantage of keeping your joints lubricated which lessens the risk of injury. When you don’t get enough water, you increase the risk of getting injured because your joints gradually become brittle and susceptible to breaking. So yeah, drink up.

Tip #4: Ease up! 

Play your favourite music before or during your workout to get yourself in the mood. Think of the goal you want to achieve and make it a point to give it your best.

If you miss a day or two of running exercise because it’s too rainy and cold, don’t beat yourself up about it. Just do some yoga or dynamic stretches indoors and ease up on yourself. 

At the end of the day, the most important thing is your intention to be the best version of yourself, and exercise and movement is a BIG part of realising that. So just keep that intention and do your best to show up every day and smash it!