Training for Winter

Do you feel a tickle in your throat? you feel more lethargic than usual? your head feels a little hot. Then it might be a sign that your body's adjusting to the winter and changes in weather. I know I've been feeling a little under the weather lately. It could be stress! If it is, then stress combined with the cold weather is a sure mixture to get the dreaded cold. But I do have a battle plan.

The days are getting shorter, the sun rises later and sets earlier. These are the sure signs winter is setting in and our motivation levels to workout are at a low ebb. No longer do we pounce out of bed to do our morning walk or hit the gym as early. Afterall, who wants to wait 15mins for their car to warm up - mine takes that long anyway! or who wants to head out into the foggy cold and hit the streets.

Staying motivated. To keep yourself motivated, focus on what you'll gain if you keep exercising throughout winter. If you have a contest in mind late this year, then keeping focused is easier than those who haven't got a goal. So the best plan to keep motivated during winter is to set your self a mini goal for winter.

Train in the light! Perhaps it's training at night time that is giving you the blues.
Try changing your training to lunch time or afternoons. Furthermore, changing your training
time could even give you a different stimulus you need to recharge your workout.

Set achieveable goals such as: Not going over a certain bodyweight Do at least 4 cardio sessions per week You'll do at least 4 weight sessions per week Set strength goals, such as by the end of 4 week cycle you want to Squat extra 10kg Only have one treat each week

Get outdoors! Working out Indoors can be quite a demotivating factor so take the
opportunity do your cardio outdoors when you can to enjoy some of the sunlight.
Fresh air can help shake those winter blues, improve your mood and increase your
energy levels. Plus being outdoors is much more pleasant on the eyes than treading on the
treadmill or bike staring blankly at the TV screens in the gym!!

Try something different! If facing a workout by yourself is getting you down over winter,
why not try some classes? most gyms offer quite a wide array of classes so there's bound
to be something that suits you. Just one class a week can offer you the break you need
from training by yourself. You could try boxing, circuits or aerobics to keep you mind and
body refreshed for your workouts.

Cardio at home. If you're still find yourself struggling out of bed to get in your car, and drive to the gym in the mornings then maybe you should invest in some exercise equipment at home. A stationary bike, treadmill or rowing machine can offer a compromise for your exercise routine. You can set the machine in front of a window or read while you work out. There's no ideal piece of exercise equipment. Try to find one that's practical, easy to use and enjoyable and one that you will continue to use.

Riding your bike. The stationary bike can provide an intense indoor workout, without the
pounding that your joints get from a run. But rather than simply sitting on the bike and riding
for 30 minutes, break the workout up into phases. For example, start with a 10-minute
warm-up ride, followed by alternating one minute of hard riding and one minute
of easy riding for 15 minutes, and then a five-minute cool down.

Winter Nutrition
If you want to put on more muscle, then winter's probably the best time to bulk up. Generally we tend to be less active and tend to eat more in winter. With the longer nights, you also tend to go to sleep earlier which gives you more time for your muscles to grow.

However, most of us are concerned with keeping the weigtht off over winter. So it's just a matter of maintaining your summer nutrition so that you don't need to work too hard in summer to work off your winter bulk. When we're cold we tend to lean towards carbohydrates in the winter as this gives us the feeling of warmth and sataiety, however, if our bellies get too warm we can put weight on.

So it's imperative you are sensible about when (and how much) carbs you eat. Most of your carbs should be eating during the day when you have more chance of working it off. You can still have some carbs up night but make sure you don't overdo it. For those of you with a sweet tooth, it's probably best if you don't have too many chocolates or biscuits in the house as this goes great with that coffee after dinner doesn't it?!!

Stay Hydrated
Changing weather is always a drain on your body. With every cold day workout you increase your chances of getting the flu or catching a cold. For this reason, it is just as important to stay hydrated during the winter months as it is on those scorching summer days.

Although you may not feel as hot as you would in the summer, it is still easy to become dehydrated during a winter workout, which will affect your performance and overall health.

Supplements With winter comes the onset of colds and general effects of lethargy. To combat
this, try and take in more Vitamin C, L Glutamine and maintain your protein intake so that your immunity is strong to combat any nasty flus and colds.

Stay warm!!