5 ways to make exercise easier this winter

Not a fan of the cold? Here are 5 ways to make exercise easier this winter. As the nights are darker, the temperatures are colder and we’re all feeling significantly less energetic than we did during the warmer months. Why does it seem so much harder to push ourselves to exercise during winter? If anything, we should use these months to exercise more so that we’re ready for bikini season when it comes around again. So here’s how to do it…

Prepare your outfit the night before

It pays to be prepared. When we don’t feel like exercising during winter, it’s very easy to fall into a pattern of lazy behaviour. The more prepared you are before your workout, the less likely you are to back out. If you’d like to go for a run in the morning, lay out your running gear the night before so you won’t waste any time deciding what to wear when you wake up. If you prefer to exercise in the evening, lay out your clothes in the morning or take them with you to work. Preparing your clothes will save a lot of time and prevent you from procrastinating.

 Wear the right layers

Deciding how many layers to wear when it’s cold can be tricky. Too many layers and you’ll be too warm. Too few layers and you’ll be too cold. You need to find a happy medium and figure out what’s best for your body temperature. Wear layers that you can easily take off if you have to, such as a lightweight, zip-up jacket. You also need to make sure your body is still able breathe – despite being covered in numerous layers. Long-sleeved tops with thumbholes, fingerless gloves and leggings with mesh can all provide your body with sufficient ventilation while exercising in the cold.

Pump up the music

Music can make you feel happy, sad, nostalgic, hopeful…basically every emotion under the sun. So, it’s no surprise that listening to the right music can make you feel more motivated during exercise and boost your performance as a result. It doesn’t matter what your music preferences are, whether you enjoy getting pumped up to rock, R&B or even jazz. As long as you curate a playlist that’s guaranteed to get you in the zone to work out, then you’re bound to find exercising a lot easier and more enjoyable.

Workout with a friend

Motivating yourself to exercise can be difficult at times, especially when it’s so cold, dark and dreary outside. By teaming up with a friend, you don’t just have to rely on yourself to get moving, as you can rely on each other. When you’re really not in the mood to exercise, they’ll spur you on, and vice versa. Time flies when you’re having fun, so when you exercise with a friend no doubt your workout will go by in a flash. Plus, you can go somewhere together afterwards for some food and a bit of a chinwag.

Fuel your body

Just like a machine, your body needs fuel in order to function properly. There’s no way you’re going have the motivation to exercise or the determination to make a workout count if you haven’t fuelled your body efficiently. On top of that, eating after you exercise is also crucial. When you exercise, you use up energy stores in your muscles. You need to eat in order to replace these energy stores and repair the muscles that were broken down during your workout. Many of us tend to lack energy during winter, so eating before and after a workout will definitely help to perk you up.