How to Stay in shape during the Winter

Published: 12/22/2013 - Updated: 02/13/2016

When the thermometer starts decreasing in temperature, so does our motivation to get up and get going in the morning. This is also accompanied by the desire to consume more caloric foods such as breads and chocolates, which makes keeping fit and controlling our weight more of a challenge. It is for this reason that exercise, even in winter, is important, and the following tips can be useful if we continue to do regular physical activity.

Stay warm

During the winter and cold weather your body is literally fighting to retain its heat, so it is ideal to dress for the weather, using warm clothing and keeping doors and windows closed to retain heat inside.

Schedule your workouts

In addition to the cold weather, there are other challenges to keep working out during the winter. There are less daylight hours – many people do not even get off work before darkness falls – and there are many work and family commitments, meetings, events, and more during the winter months. Try to adjust your exercise routine to the hours you have available; a good idea is to exercise in the morning if possible.

Challenge yourself

Signing up to participate in a sporting event or race in springtime can help you stay in shape during the winter, but remember that you must prepare for it, so set daily and weekly goals. These short-term challenges are necessary for your motivation during the winter.

Become a member of a gym or exercise at home

If it is too cold to train outside, consider becoming a member of a club: There are many whose membership is accessible and also gives you the opportunity to vary your exercises. Choosing and exploring new options will surely find an activity that grabs your attention.

Routines at home

Moreover, you can also work out in the comfort of your home whether you make use of a stationary bike, do routines that appear on television, or looking up a dance routine or cardio exercise on the Internet. Today technology has put various ways of exercising at home at our disposal. Sometimes, even walking around the room can be a great way to exercise: The main thing is to not stop moving.

Exercising at home is an ideal option for those who do not have time to travel to a gym, and cannot get out due to weather conditions and the cold.

Work out with friends

It has been found that during the winter months, our spirits are often dampened. Scheduling group activities for exercise is a good idea, as this will help you relax and to enjoy a healthy life, in addition to caring for your health and figure.

Get quality clothing

It is normal to not have winter clothes for exercise, probably because you usually do not exercising during the winter. Buy a medium size, get suitable footwear and warm clothing and/or sportswear. Remember it is recommended that you buy clothes that can be easily taken off due to temperature changes that occur with exercise and in the colder months.

If you want to run, do not forget that…

While doing exercise outside, you must protect yourself from the cold, so it is recommended that before jogging or running that you moisturise well and you do a short warm-up routine.

If it is very cold, also use clothing to protect your head. Remember to use a scarf or ski mask to cover your mouth and nose as cold air can lead to discomfort such as burning breath and even affect diseases of the respiratory tract. Some people prefer to exercise when the sun has risen in the morning as it is a source of heat.

About the author
  • Miriam Reyes

    Miriam Reyes is a professional expert in nutrition and dietetics. She has more than 12 years of experience in caring for patients with overweight and eating problems. She studied at the Universidad del Valle de Atemajac (UNIVA), where she obtained a degree in nutrition. Linkedin profile.

8 Replies to “How to Stay in shape during the Winter”
  • Lucy says:

    Well, maybe the winter brings some conditions that make us difficult to stay healthy, the major problem is the change in the diet, especially caused by a lot of sugar and things like that, you can change that if you stay away from the sweets but if you want to still enjoy the food, doing exercise sounds like a pretty good idea!

  • Henry says:

    Yes, it is pretty hard to keep on going with almost all activitites when winter has come, even the job is a hard thing to do, you just want to stay warm at home and enjoy watching tv and eating, which is very bad habit during this season, then you find out that you have gained many pounds, so we should avoid that

  • Sally says:

    IT is a hard thing to do, but not impossible, I am still doing my usual work out, I even go for walking and running in the cold, of course wearing the best clothes to avoid problems, especially with the sweat, so thank you for the recommendations, those would be very helpful during this season for me

  • Leonard says:

    I am walking at my house because the climate is a little bit weird during this season and I want to avoid complications as colds and even rainy days, that’s why I opted for some machinery to work at home, I had the luck that a friend of mine had those things and didn’t use them so asked him to lend them to me for a little why so I didn’t had to pay

  • Zaira says:

    Winter is almost over but still there are places that have a very low temperature even killing people, so doing exercise must be something that should be done inside, if you do not want to go outside to workout, I recommend buying some exercise dvd’s which will keep you in fit at least for this season

  • Karina says:

    Winter is starting here in Peru, it is getting colder each time, and eventhough I do not like desserts, in winter chocolate cake is my favorite. it is like my body just ask for it, so it really is a good idea to exercise my body so I work out less on summer =)

  • Stacy says:

    Staying in shape in the winter is always hard – especially when our definition of “in shape” depends on being lean and capable of producing truly powerful efforts in whatever sport we partake in. In winter, I typically focus on endurance activities, be it indoor cycling, running, things that burn lots of fat. I’m much less motivated to do sprints in the snow…

  • Emily says:

    It’s true, we often slow down and are more reluctant to get going/exercise during the colder months, but we mustn’t be too harsh on ourselves! This is a completely normal and natural reaction to cold weather (related to hibernation in many mammals) as Winter can also be a great time for staying in doors, cooking, being with family and keeping warm! It’s a fine balance between the two.