Laura Henshaw: How to maintain motivation during winter

Staying fit and healthy is a year-round endeavour. But with shorter, darker days, a dip in the temperature and varying COVID-19 restrictions around the country, the motivation – and freedom – to get moving can be tough to muster up.

Fortunately, there are a few tips and tricks that you can use to get yourself up and about when the couch is calling. Try these simple strategies and get the best out of the bad-weather blahs and lockdown blues.

I try and keep my workout routine consistent throughout the year, which for me means five or six sessions a week. During winter, the best way for me to stick to that regimen is to try and shift my exercise to the morning. Once it starts getting dark early, I just know there’s no way I’ll commit to exercise once I finish work.

The trick is to identify those habits, and then create ways to get around them. I know when I make the switch to mornings that I’m going to have a hard time for a little bit, but once it becomes a routine it’s much easier. To be honest with you, if I relied on motivation alone to get me moving – I’d only be doing one in every 10 sessions.

It comes down to discipline and routine. Once you establish those pillars, it just becomes something that you do. I don’t wake up and think, ‘Should I work out today?’. I just get dressed and get moving. No matter how much I want to stay in bed, I know that I’m going to feel good when I’ve finished exercising – and that feeling is going to stay with me throughout the day. 

Setting yourself up for success helps when you’re trying to establish that routine. Often, the most effective way to do so is by removing any obstacles that you might use as an excuse. For example, when it’s freezing outside I have to wear gloves and something to cover my ears, otherwise – no matter how hard I’m training – I don’t warm up. By keeping options in my cupboard, I’m making sure that I can’t use the ‘I’m too cold’ excuse. I’ve got the gloves, the beanie, the long-sleeve top – so there’s no reason not to get out there.

If you know you’re not a morning person, planning for success might mean looking for a gym that’s close to your work, or running or walking home instead of driving or catching public transport. That way, you can pack your gear into your backpack and get active as soon as you’ve finished work, instead of heading home at the end of the day. I always find that if I make it to the couch, there’s a 99 per cent chance I won’t be getting up to get changed for the gym. That’s totally okay, too. You just need to recognise that pattern and plan accordingly.

If you’re planning on training in the morning, lay all your exercise gear out the night before. This will help remove a psychological barrier that you might be tempted to use as an excuse to stay in bed.

If the weather outside is too miserable, or if your gym is closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, there’s plenty of training that you can do indoors. You’ll be able to pick up weights and kettlebells quite cheaply at most sporting stores, or online. You should be able to set up a whole mini-gym at home for under $100. That way, you don’t even need to change out of your pyjamas to get a training session in.

Our Keep It Cleaner program has HIIT boxing and strength workouts that can be done inside. Otherwise, there’s a heap of bodyweight-based routines that don’t need much specialised gear at all.

Don’t forget to warm up properly before exercising during winter, especially if you’re doing high-intensity workouts. It may take a little longer than usual, but there’s a chance that you’ll get injured if you haven’t warmed up fully – so be extra careful in the cold.

It’s also important to make a real effort to stay hydrated. During summer it’s easy to stay on top of drinking water, but as it gets cold make sure that you’re checking in with your intake. I have to be really conscious of monitoring my water levels, because often I don’t actually feel thirsty. If you’re struggling to remember to have a drink, set a recurring reminder on your phone just to give you a gentle prompt.

But most of all, remember that nothing gets your endorphins flowing like a good session, so get out there and enjoy yourself.

Laura Henshaw is a student, entrepreneur and model with a keen focus on mental and physical wellbeing. She co-founded Keep It Cleaner, an online health and fitness program, and will soon publish a book designed to encourage young women to live their best lives. The information in this article is general information only and is not intended as medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances.