Opinion: How to stay motivated to exercise this winter

Exercising in winter can be hard. Photo / Getty

OPINION

If you hadn't noticed yet, it's getting colder.

We've had our first frost, the heat pump is being used more regularly and the recently-replenished barbecue gas bottle has stayed full.

There is no denying it, winter is truly on its way.

Like most seasons, winter and I have a love-hate relationship. I love a hot shower in winter or snuggling into bed but eventually, you have to step out into the cold and go about your day.

But one of the main things I, and I'm sure many others, struggle to do in winter is stay motivated to exercise.

It takes much longer to get warm in the winter, the barbells are ice cold, the mornings and evenings are dark, the excuses are infinite.

As much as a hate the saying "summer bodies are made in winter" exercising in winter must be done if you don't want to undo the previous months' hard work. So here are some of the ways I stay motivated to train all year long.

The first and hardest thing to do is embrace the cold.

In summer I find myself complaining about the heat. I'm too hot, too sweaty when I work out and when I start breathing heavily it's like working out in a sauna.

So before I complain about the cold, I think back to just months ago when I would complain about the heat. We complain about the weather no matter what it is so does the cold really make a difference?

Secondly, layers are your best friend. Sometimes in winter I'll go to the gym with a singlet, a long sleeve layer, a sweater and a jacket. But I'm always surprised how quickly the layers start to come off when I start moving.

A minute on the rowing machine is enough to get the first layer off and by the end of the warm-up I'm down a second. It's easier to get warm than you think.

Another way to stay motivated is to change it up. While there is much to be gained from routine and doing the same thing each week, some people can find it a little repetitive.

With dark evenings, it can also be tempting to head straight home after a long day at work so why not try training in the mornings. It's a good way to start the day by warming yourself up. It may be cold but that's what layers are for!

Or try a different kind of exercise. The aquatic centres have warm water to swim in and dogs need walking no matter the weather.

And finally, train with friends. It's easy to not show up when you're the only person expecting yourself to go to the gym.

But if you tell a friend you'll meet them at the gym at a certain time, you're less likely to fob them off. If you do, you'll be letting them and yourself down.

While going to the gym may make you feel better about yourself, at the end of the day it doesn't matter to me if you do or don't exercise this winter.

For me, I'm going to try and keep up with the pace I have but if I fall off the wagon in favour of warm pumpkin soup and apple crumble, I won't be beating myself up about it.

Because those things make me feel just as good about myself as an hour at the gym.