The days are getting shorter, it’s rainy and cold, it feels a long time since the days when you were getting home from work and heading out for a balmy evening bike ride at 7pm or jumping out of bed to fit in a sunrise run before work.
If you’re anything like me then going into Autumn, all I want to do in the evenings is snuggle up under a blanket on the sofa and watch ‘The Great British Bake Off’ with a cup of tea after having some sort of squash or pumpkin based soup for dinner.
So how can you keep up the motivation to stick with your fitness plan and not lose all the gains you made through the spring and summer?
Here are my 5 top tips to keep motivated to exercise through autumn and winter:
1. Fit your exercise in during your lunch break.
This has a few different benefits. Firstly, you avoid going out in the dark – safety first! Second, by getting out of the office during the day you can top up on your vitamin D which is much harder when the days are shorter and you’re working long hours. Finally, by getting that midday endorphin boost from exercise, fresh air and seeing those amazing autumn colours, you’ll feel more energised and productive in the afternoon.
2. Invest in cold and wet weather gear.
If you’ve got the right gear to keep you warm and dry, then you’re much more likely to venture out on the bad weather days and keep your consistency up. For runners this means good trainers with grippy soles, long thermal leggings, a breathable waterproof and a hat and gloves. For cyclists, think about investing in shoe covers, long leggings, a gilet and waterproof, full finger gloves and a neck warmer. Getting all that gear can be a big investment, so just pick a couple of key pieces – I’d suggest a good waterproof, gloves and footwear – and then layer up for the rest.
A round up of winter running gear:
A round up of winter cycling gear:
3. Swap an outdoor run/bike for an indoor HIIT session.
If the weather gets so bad that you really can’t go out – like if there are high winds, snow and ice – swap out your normal run or bike for a HIIT session. HIIT – High Intensity Interval Training – is a great substitute if you’re unable to do your usual cardio workout and adding the odd one into your training has other benefits too. First, you’ll work your muscles in different planes of motion which is important for building stability. Secondly, you can build SAQ (Speed, Agility and Quickness) drills specific to your sport into your workout that you might not usually have time to include.
4. Try an app for indoor running/cycling
If it’s a particularly bad autumn and winter weather wise, or you live somewhere like I do where there is snow and ice on the ground until spring, indoor training might be your only option. However, training or a treadmill or stationary bike can get a bit boring. To combat this, I use a virtual training app, I can hook it up to my turbo trainer and go and cycle various routes around the world with the app feeding info back to my trainer to increase resistance for hills etc. I can also do set workouts in a game like setting where I can score points and compete against other riders. I use Zwift, which also has a version for treadmill running, but there are plenty of other options out there to find one that suits you.
A round up of the best indoor cycling apps:
A round up of the best indoor running apps:
5. Switch up your training focus
If increasing cardio fitness, a 10km pb or increasing power on the bike have been your goals over the summer maybe it’s time to temporarily switch things up. While the weather isn’t so great to be out running or cycling use the autumn and winter months to focus on other fitness goals that will help you move towards your long-term goals. Here are a few examples:
- Focus on improving your flexibility and mobility to help your body move more efficiently and effectively, aid recovery and reduce chance of injury.
- Focus on increasing core stability, balance, and landing mechanics to help your body cope better with the unexpected.
- Focus on building strength and power in the gym that will translate to pushing bigger gears and faster acceleration when you get back outside.
In reality I use a combination of all these tips through the autumn and winter, but to start with try choosing one or two and see if it helps you stick to a more consistent routine.
Make sure to follow @tredpt on Instagram and Facebook for HIIT workouts, flexibility and mobility routines and core, balance and strength exercises to try this autumn and winter.
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