7 Fitness Tips To Stay Motivated to Exercise in Autumn

We have made it to Autumn; my favourite time of year. Summer evening strolls have been replaced with frosty and brisk fresh air walks. But with this also comes the temptation of Halloween sweets and Christmas chocolate lining the shop shelves and the temptation to binge is very REAL!

Binge watching Netflix snuggled up under blankets by the fire seems like the perfect past time when the weather outside gets colder, however it’s so important to keep moving and stay fit during these months for both your health and wellbeing. So, if you’re struggling to find the energy atm – here are our top tips for staying motivated to exercise in autumn. 

How to stay motivated to exercise in winter; first of all, stop the seasonal fitness bullshit!

We’re fed messages in the media that fitness is a seasonal trend – ‘Get Fit For Summer’ or ‘Get a Bikini Body in 10 Days’, however the more we think about keeping fit as a lifestyle all year round, the better and more sustainable results will be reached.

Every year, the 1st of January arrives and the “new year new me” statuses starting flying around social media, but why should the new year be a catalyst to start looking after yourself? It is never too late to start working on your health and wellbeing and what better time than today! I am not talking extreme changes; simply making the effort to go the gym, walk or run twice a week and eating a little healthier will start to change how you feel in yourself.

Set a goal for Spring

This is something I do every Autumn and Winter; I set myself a goal for Spring, which forces me to stick to training throughout the colder months. A few years ago I set myself a goal to hike my first ever mountain (Cadair Idris), aiming to do it in the February knowing full well that my cardio ability was SHOCKING and the weather was going to be brutal. I had two options; work hard so I could achieve my goal on the day, or sack off training for chocolate fuelled Netflix evenings and have no idea how I would do on the day.

What did I end up doing? I had my indulgent days, but I made sure I was including specific training in my regular fitness routine at least three times a week, even on the coldest evenings. And after 4 months of training I completed my goal, it was an emotional roller coaster – but I did it! And now I basically live in the mountains every weekend because the sense of achievement was so addictive!

If you have a goal and you want to do well this can be a really great time of year to set a goal to keep pushing you through the Winter.

Focus on the benefits

I am an advocate for balance, I love to keep fit and healthy, however I also love chocolate, cheese and lazy duvet days. What I have learnt over the years is to listen to my body and notice what makes it feel good or bad. Working out 7 days a week makes me super tired and more likely to feel run down, find a good balance that makes you ‘feel good’ both physically and mentally.

Find indoor activities

The colder months could be the perfect excuse for you to find a new activity to fall in love with. There are so many options available to us now to exercise indoors, and it doesn’t just include going to the gym. I recently tried indoor climbing and absolutely loved it! Other examples might be swimming, gymnastics or trampolining, anything to get you motivated! Search what is around your local area and try something new.

Buy new activewear

An excuse to go shopping? Yes! Those strappy gym vests you’ve worn throughout Summer are probably not up to the cut for the colder months. Think about what activities you will most probably be doing during the winter months and buy appropriate clothing for them. If you are running outdoors you will need suitable layers which includes something waterproof. If you are based in the gym maybe some long sleeve tops will be more appropriate.

Comfort food clean up

What is your go to comfort food in Winter? Mine has to be heart warming slow cooker stews and soups. I love to indulge once in a while, but if you want to keep up with your fitness progress you do need to take into consideration the food you are eating.

There are always ways you can make your favourite meals a little healthier with ingredient swaps or simply making it from scratch instead of buying a ready meal. Invest in a decent slow cooker, get in the kitchen and experiment!

Try working out at home

If you really can’t face leaving the comfort and warmth of your home there are plenty of options for working out at home. There is a big misconception that you need equipment for working out which most do not own, however there are plenty of effective body weight workouts you can do using no equipment at all. Youtube is a treasure chest full of different workouts to try from Pilates to HIIT.