As we head into the New Year uncertain as to how long it will be until the doors of our favourite training establishment can open again, here’s a few tips to ensure comfort and satisfaction from your home and outdoor workouts.
1. Dress for the occasion…
…And that doesn’t mean dinner at Everest base camp. It’s may sound obvious, but in the cold, wet climate that the UK is blessed with, it’s imperative to ensure you are wearing clothes that retain heat, not rain or the cold temperature. When choosing your activewear, make sure you are selecting garments made with synthetic fibres (nylon, polyester, elastane etc.) that can dry quickly, but also be thin enough to layer. Layers trap warm air between garments and provide a great buffer against the elements throughout your workout.
2. Safety in Colour
If there’s anything that can combat a grey, dreary day, or even a clean white one, it’s a roadrunner with a kaleidoscope for limbs. Ditch your safe and comfortable black active wear and throw on a bold, bright combo that’s going to increase your visibility to cars, bikes and Airbus A330’s. We guarantee you’ll brighten up your own day as well as any passers-by suffering from the Winter blues.
3. Consume liquids…
No not Granny’s left over Pernod from Christmas… that cool, refreshing H20 that’s going to keep you hydrated throughout your workout. It’s normal to feel less thirsty when training in cold weather, but don’t be fooled by the lack of dry mouth. Your body is still losing fluids through sweat and breathing, so keep that water bottle topped up and sip regularly throughout your session.
4. Warm up and cool down…
There’s no escaping this at any time of year, but especially not during those chilly winter months when your muscles are at their most vulnerable. Fifteen minutes of cardio focused exercises (jumping jacks, lunges and burpees), will hit all of the major muscle groups and increase your blood flow to them. Simply reduce the intensity of your activities for a ten-minute cool down, relieving the heart of any stress it might feel going from 100 – 0.
5. Protect Your Skin
In case Vogue isn’t your magazine of choice, skin can become sun damaged even in winter. UV rays will still penetrate any uncovered features, which is why it’s important to moisturise your face and prevent it from drying out. You may feel satisfied with Vaseline, but you may also want to invest in a cream containing SPF or, if it’s cold enough, hide that conk behind a face mask or scarf.
6. Be inventive and keep things different
Use the old park bench you’ve passed 1000 times before for 5 rounds of dips or push ups. Impress the local youths with monkey bar pull ups or use the neighbours garden wall for some body weight step ups. Take your loan pair of dumbbells outdoors and think creatively about how you can use mother nature to enhance your home workouts.
7. Create your space
Whether that’s in your living room, study, garage or local park, make sure you have an area set up that is suitable for training in. Remove any objects that could cause frustrations – children’s toys; unwanted Christmas presents; rogue plants – and remove any distractions that could inhibit your focus – namely people and WhatsApp. Set a time to exercise and let your household know that this is your workout time and space – warning signs are acceptable under these circumstances.
8. Try New Routines
Not only is there an abundance of online fitness programmes on social media and beyond, in your solo workout space, there are no wandering eyes to check what you’re lifting or critique your form. Give your body some new challenges by trying and perfecting moves you’ve seen been but not tried. New moves and variants will keep your physique progressing in the right direction, and you’ll have some different exercises to showcase when we finally do get back to the gym.
Whatever you decide to do. Keep sane and safe and don’t let social constraints grind you down. Get up, get out and make some gains.
