Set yourself up for a healthier winter by making small, manageable changes now.

There is never a perfect time to start a new health and fitness regime. But if you struggle in the winter months like me, let’s get on top of that now and into some healthy habits.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed and try to make too many changes all at once and buy into the ‘all or nothing’ mentality. But that is not what I am about. It’s important to work around your current lifestyle and work/family commitments and set up a routine that feels doable.

DO NOW

Hopefully, we have at least two months left of nice weather. While the going is good, get as much outdoor activity as possible. Running, walking, cycling, bush hikes, kayaking, swimming, wakeboarding – you get my drift. Be active outside and top up on the vitamin D while you can. If you are a religious participant in winter sports, you will remain active outdoors throughout winter – which is great! Set a goal to do some outdoor exercise at least two to three times per week until the weather decides to pack it in and the firewood emerges.

DO SOON

Be prepared for exercise options that are indoors and not weather-dependent. If you already have a current gym membership, that’s perfect. You are set up to do strength, cardio and classes without getting a drop of rain on your activewear. If you don’t have any indoor options currently organised, here are a few ideas:

• exercise classes (boxing, dancing, yoga, Pilates, MMA)
• purchase second-hand gym equipment like free weights, rower, exercise bike
• get a stand for your bike so you can still enjoy cycling from the comfort of indoors.

DO NOW

Enjoy the last of the healthy summer barbecues. Get out the apron and tongs and cook some delicious lean cut meats like eye fillet, and team it with a delicious fresh salad with plenty of vegetables. I don’t know about you, but I do not feel like a salad through the winter months – it doesn’t hit the spot the same way.

DO SOON

Drag out the slow cookers and be prepared to create some delicious and healthy slow-cooked meals. It is an absolute no-brainer to chuck vegetables and a piece of meat in the slow cooker before work and come home to a delicious-smelling healthy dinner. This pushes away the urge to go for that drive-through on the way home. You can even meal prep by making bulk amounts of simple dinners to use for lunch or dinner the next day. Stews and stir-fries work well in meal prepping and freezing to take the hassle out of having to cook every night.

DO NOW

Make sure you have enough exercise clothing and equipment to last you through winter. Do you have warm jerseys, pants, windbreakers etc that will help keep you warm, especially if you are exercising outdoors. This may seem like something your mum would say to you – but we will come up with any excuses not to exercise. If you feel like you don’t have enough warm exercise gear and you’ll get too cold when training, that can be enough to deter you from getting active during the cooler months.

DO SOON

As an optional motivator, you could commit to an event at the tail end of winter. For example, you could sign up for a 10km walk in September. That way, it gives you something to work towards and keeps you on track and focused. If public exercising events aren’t your thing, then you can always set your own goals. For example, I want to cycle 50km in three hours. You can keep yourself accountable by diarising your goals, setting countdown timers on your phone and even setting mini goals along the way. If you were working towards a 50km cycle, you would try and extend your cycling distance and speed periodically over the winter months. There are plenty of apps and programmes online to help build up walking, running or cycling fitness and stamina.

DO NOW

If you’re already struggling with your motivation levels or don’t know where to start, reaching out to a local personal trainer or coach can be so helpful – even just to set you up initially. If you aren’t interested in going to a gym, many coaches work online or independently from a gym and can help set you up with a nutrition plan and training programme. You may think they are expensive, but it is a long-term investment in your health and wellness that is absolutely priceless.

If you’re not quite ready to go down the 1-1 coaching pathway, you can always enlist the help of a friend or family member to exercise with you or keep you accountable on your health and fitness journey. I used to have a friend who I would send my food diary and exercise activity to each day. This is something I asked her to help me with. It wasn’t so she could send back judgemental comments about what I’d done or eaten; it was a form of accountability and it motivated me to try and make her proud.