Getting Ready For Winter

Leaving for work this morning made me realise that it’s definitely getting into the colder season, especially if you’re like me and don’t have too much hair on your head! I know the patterns though. It gets colder, I get in from work, I skip a run and before I know it it’s been three weeks and I’ve lost all momentum from training. 

In today’s blog post I want to share some thoughts and tips on how to stay motivated during the Autumn-Winter season, whether your plan is to push yourself at the gym, or perhaps hitting your running goals. 

If you’re like me and you work full-time, it can be really tricky navigating your time anyway. Plus when it’s cold outside or raining, it can feel even less exciting to make that extra effort to get out there.

One of my main concerns is that because I’m part of a super-sized gym, the most popular times when I want to go straight from work, is that it’s absolutely packed with people! 

So therein lies the dilemma… Do I go super early before work, or later in the evening? 

Going super early beforehand often throws off my work routine. Do I have my deliciously warm and comforting porridge before I head to the gym? Maybe, but then I’m more likely to be too full to even lift a weight! Of course the advantage of going from 6am-8am is that not many others do. You can literally choose what machines you go on, when you want to!

So taking some time to carefully plan the appropriate morning schedule is often worth the effort. Think about the time you currently wake up and the time you could wake up. Obviously the earlier you rise, the more time that’s available to you and therefore the more choice you have for various morning activities. 

The evening is also an option though if you just love your morning lie-ins. 

If it’s my turn to cook dinner and I want to maximise my evening time (especially if I do plan on going to the gym later) is to take out all the ingredients for the dinner I plan to cook later on, including the chopping boards, knives, pans, plates and even the cutlery! That way when I do return home and want dinner to be made quickly, I can head straight back out to the gym, it’s right there without the extra prep time. 

Another major tip to share for evening gym sessions is as soon as you get home from work. Before starting to prepare dinner, get into your gym clothes! From my own first-hand experience, I’m five times more likely to go to the gym once I’ve finished eating (and digesting!) if I’m in my gym clothes already. I’ll think to myself “you’ve made that effort to get changed, so just go!” and I will. 

I think what you wear to the gym also matters.

In the past I’ve worn the wrong socks, shorts, tracksuit bottoms etc and it’s thrown everything off for my gym routine. I’ll often become too hot or too cold and end up leaving twenty minutes after arriving because I just cannot get the right momentum going. 

So I made a pact with myself to make sure, of all the variables, I would choose the right gym wear, clothing and accessories to help me during the colder and more trying conditions. 

The socks that I bought through the adidas online store are so comfortable for my feet, that it’s hard to consider another alternative. Honestly, you have to try them out for yourselves and see! I walk around at the gym a lot, as well as use the treadmill and cross-trainers during the Winter season so that I can still get my cardio-fitness sorted. 

These socks offer that additional flexibility as they’re not too hot that my feet swell and become uncomfortable right in the middle of a session, but they’re also not too thin and offer the right level of protection. 

There are so many options to choose from on the adidas website that will help you during the colder conditions you get throughout the Winter, there really is no other sports website to bother with! 

So no matter how difficult Winter training may seem, if you’re suitably prepared and have an appropriate plan with the right clothing and accessories, you’ll still be in a position to achieve your goals during this period. Good luck out there!

Adam Warren