So, the pre-winter weather has hit, and with less than 8 weeks left in the year, many of us are thinking about how to continue staying motivated and active during the colder season. Whether you are deciding to start your fitness journey, initiate a new training regime, or incorporate weight training into your protocol, remember to set small goals and build your way up. One reason some of us shy away from our bigger goals is that we set them too high to start with and then get disappointed when we did not achieve them as fast as we had hoped. I know that this was my biggest issue when I started working out. I was constantly focused on the result that I wanted and my progress on the scale, so I would not let myself relax into enjoying the process or the progress.

We all need to reframe the perspective to allow your body to feel like this is a lifestyle change that takes small habits every day to be successful. Exercise should be a transformative and empowering experience for both your physical and mental well-being. Weight training, for example, is known to increase longevity as muscle mass is directly linked to healthy aging, metabolic health, and weight loss. While the world of weights may seem intimidating at first, with the right approach, you can build strength, sculpt your body, and boost your confidence. If you are just starting your fitness journey, easy walks or yoga can also help you get in the mood to try new workouts.

After years of working out and finding out what I like and what keeps me motivated through trial and error, I find that incorporating a mix of workout classes, walks, and my own training keeps me excited about coming back to my routine. The moment I get bored or feel myself lacking motivation, I try to sign up for a fun new gym to try or find a new instructor on YouTube. This makes me feel like working out is an activity and a fun experience and not a chore. I highly advise that when you are setting your goal, you look at the big picture and then incorporate smaller actions that are right for you to achieve those goals. It's all about listening to yourself and remembering that working out is not about punishing yourself but about learning to enjoy moving your body.

Set Attainable Goals:

Before you dive into any workout plan or training, take some time to define your fitness goals. Whether it's completely revamping your lifestyle, building muscle, increasing strength, or improving overall health, having specific objectives will guide your workout routine and keep you motivated. Easy and achievable routines make you feel good about reaching your goal, for example, aiming to work out three times a week or aiming to walk more than 10k steps three times a week. The less attainable your goals, the faster you will get discouraged, and most of us have experienced that before.

Remember the Warm-Up and Cool-Down:

Warming up is essential to prepare your body for the demands of any training and reduce the risk of injury. Include dynamic stretches and light cardio activities to increase blood flow, elevate your heart rate, and loosen up your muscles and joints. Start with a few squats, lunges, or marches on the spot. Finish with a little downward dog or a few yoga poses to stretch out hips, shoulders, and legs. End in savasana on your back. This will let your body take a second to feel rested after the work has been done.

Choose the Right Workout:

Weight Training: Whether you opt for free weights (dumbbells, barbells) or machines, select equipment that aligns with your goals and preferences. Beginners may find machines more user-friendly, while others might prefer the versatility of free weights. I personally do not like machines; I find they are hard to understand in terms of learning the relevant weight that is appropriate for you or how many reps to do, so I always opt for free-weights. I find that the free weight section can also be a bit intimidating with guys towering over you and taking up most of the space. My strategy is to grab a few different weight types (5-20 lbs) and take them to a separate room where I can work on my own. I either build my own routine or work out using Form by Sami Clarke, Tracy Anderson method, or Sculpt Society. Find what makes you comfortable and do it!

Pilates/Yoga: Looking to build core strength, stability, and have low impact on your body? Then pilates or yoga is a great place to start. It builds the deeper inside muscles and helps them support your larger muscle groups while working on your flexibility and incorporating breathing techniques. These have been my go-to workouts since starting my skin/digestion/hormone journey because it is a low-stress activity that feels strengthening and lengthening without taxing my body. After years of overworking out (like I mean 3 hours a day, some days), I realized that shorter effective workouts that are multi-purpose actually work better on my body. Especially in my case where I had to gain the trust of my body back after not listening to it for years, I found this activity really helped my body learn to enjoy working out again. Now I do hot yoga and reformer pilates, and I find both workouts challenging enough and relaxing, simultaneously, which strikes the perfect balance.

Pilates and yoga is a low-impact workout I love to do anywhere.

Walking/Hiking: For those looking to start small with cardio, start with regular walks. I then like to add longer walks or incorporate more hikes and uphill walks, maybe eventually evolving to jogging or running to feel like I am improving my endurance. Personally, I don’t love running and prefer steady-state cardio like walking and hiking which is amazing for longevity. Don’t discount it because you feel you should burn 800 calories in one hour and don’t feel walking as a workout is effective. Interestingly enough, for me walking actually burns fat better than most cardio activities when done correctly. In the summer, my routine is to do a morning walk around 6 am before the world wakes up, twice a week. Alongside a regular weight training or pilates routine, I noticed my body toned up more quickly and my mental health was at its best during this period of time (probably thanks to being in nature and getting Vitamin D as well). I generally work to try and do 10k steps a day which has been a struggle since the cold weather hit.

Hiking gives me mental clarity, and a good leg workout.

Conditioning/HIIT: For intermediate to advanced sports lovers, try throwing in some difficulty into your routines with a class that builds endurance, strength, and stamina with conditioning, HIIT, or tabata style workouts. Remember, only do this if you have significant experience in varying your workouts and with technical moves. Also, I would suggest avoiding HIIT if you are a woman with high cortisol (regular daily stress or chronic stress and inflammation) and/or have hormonal issues. My experience in the peak of my hormonal journey was the more stable I could keep my hormones, the more supported my body felt in stabilizing itself. HIIT felt like a stressful workout that was taxing my body and brought my cortisol up too much for my body to process properly.

Trying a new conditioning workout in London- VersaClimbing Cardio class.

Compounding is Key:

Compound exercises engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, making them efficient and effective for overall strength development. If you choose to start with yoga, you will notice all the planks will help build your arm and ab muscles while also helping your flexibility. If you are working on conditioning like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and overhead presses with weights, you will see your legs, glutes getting stronger slowly. These are all great choices for beginners. Begin with something that challenges you but allows for proper form.

Find a Workout Buddy to Keep You Accountable:

If you struggle with committing to a routine, find a friend or workout buddy to be your accountability partner. Ask them to come to workouts with you, go on walks, or even just tell them when you intend to work out during a week. This kind of forced accountability works to make your workout part of your social life while also adding additional motivation to keep your promises to yourself (and your friends). I love working out with my friends, and it's a go-to activity for weekends that feels like everyone enjoys. At times, it definitely helped me stay committed to my routine, but just remember that this should not be your one fallback because inner motivation and commitment are also important as you commit to treating your body with kindness.

Stay Consistent and Patient:

Consistency is key in any fitness journey. Establish a realistic workout schedule that fits into your lifestyle, and commit to it. For example, I love mornings; even 30 minutes makes a difference, and I make this my daily non-negotiable even if it’s just a thirty-minute walk before work. Understand that results take time, and celebrate small victories along the way. Patience and kindness to your body, as well as compassion, are key in achieving long-term success and commitment to your routine.

What Not to Do:

Get disappointed if you feel you are plateauing on your fitness journey.
Punish yourself if you fall off your new schedule or routine.
If weight loss is your goal, focus on the scale or weigh yourself every day.

Incorporating exercise or modifying your routine takes time, to make it work you should try to engage with the mindset of “I get to workout” not “I have to workout”. Our bodies can hear us, and the more we speak to them in ways that make us feel safe, the better it will adapt to your new routine or workout. Remember fitness and sports are a gift that can bring you to new social circles, give you confidence and ultimately help improve both your physical and mental health. If you can clearly identify your goals and build a schedule that creates good habits, you'll build a solid foundation for a sustainable and fulfilling fitness routine. Now, fitness is not a nice to have its a must-have for me. It keeps my mental health in check (especially in winter) and gives me a feeling of ownership around my choices and my priorities around health and longevity.

DISCLAIMER:

The skinbodyalchemy blog and articles are not meant to instruct or advise on medical or health conditions but to inform. The information and opinions presented here do not substitute professional medical advice or consultations with healthcare professionals for your unique situation.

Starting and Sticking to Your Fitness Journey in the Winter