Many fitness enthusiasts battle through winter’s freeze to keep exercising, fearing an unmoveable bulge from all those comfort foods when it comes to swim season. But rather than fight winter, flow with it and use it for even greater spring shape.
Pro-athletes employ ‘periodisation’, or the progressive cycling of different aspects of training during specific periods. It ensures the athlete’s performance condition ‘peaks’ at the right part of the season.
Essential parts of periodisation are rest and lower intensity phases, particularly off-season. Rest is essential as it allows the body and mind to recover and refresh. Athletes often take weeks off exercise, or rotate alternative activities for a break from repetitive routines.
For someone just wanting to look fit for the warmer weather, peak season is probably summer and off-season winter. So when really cold weather hits, don’t feel bad about doing less exercise. Note: less, not none. Look for options that present maximum convenience, provide new workout skills (see below) – and are fun! And, of course, if you find yourself perusing the pantry, opt for comfort foods that aren’t fatty or sugar soaked.
Eastern philosophy such as Chinese medicine also suggests people should live in harmony with the natural cycles of their environment. The cold dark of winter implies a slowing down, taking time to reflect on health and replenish energy. Winter is yin in nature – chilly, damp and inactive, so we should be introspective and restful in preparation for the bursting of new life in spring.
Curling up with a good book about fitness or learning a healthy cooking recipe echo this idea and are perfect for a rainy day. Both will help you to achieve physical goals in the long term.
Like a seed about to sprout, at winter’s end you need to start exercising…hard. As you’ve used winter to re-energise and upskill, this will be easier. It’s simple logic: to reach pinnacle performance, you must first slow down to rest.
But the question still remains: how do you to get up to exercise at 6:30am in 10 degrees, even if it’s less exercise than you do in summer? Here are some creative ways to get motivated on a chilly winter morning:
Warm-up indoors
The first five minutes of exercise is often the hardest, but going out cold into the cold makes it even worse. Do a 10-minute warm-up inside before heading out. Even better, heat the room or take a hot shower as well. Your body will find hitting the icy outdoors a lot easier to cope with.
Recreational activities
We can still burn calories with activities such as dancing or rock climbing, or anything with an element of fun that is more likely to drag you out of the house.
Home gym
Wii Fit, spin-bikes, fitballs, skipping ropes equal small investments for a big return! The best home fitness tools are DVDs and online workouts as you can use them to explore other fitness trends and activities that will add new skills to your regime.
Weekend warrior
Use your days off to exercise without the pressure of work. A healthy person can do at least four exercise and/or recreation sessions in two days, in morning and afternoon time slots. However, remember to gradually ease into this extreme approach and allow ample rest between workouts.
There’s nothing wrong with chilling out in winter! Use it as a time to rejuvenate, enrich your exercise talents and emerge into spring at your best.
