During the winter, the absolute last thing you want to do every evening is keep fit. If you’re a regular jogger or if you enjoy running, you’ve probably already taken note that this time of year isn’t as safe as the summer. Not only are the roads dark, but the surface of the sidewalk is a lot more slippery with wet fallen leaves – and soon there’ll be snow and ice waiting to trip you up too.

If you’re a member of a gym, it’s still hard to drag yourself out of your cozy house in the evenings, even if you spend half your summer on the rowing machines to attempt to sculpt your perfect flat stomach for bikini weather. No one would blame you for letting your fitness routine slack a little in winter – after all, you’re spending months in warm sweaters, with the indulgence of Christmas in the middle! But here are some ways to keep those endorphins pumping through what many find the hardest time of the year.

Run Up And Down The Stairs

Image source
 
Okay, so you might feel a little silly pounding up and down the stairs in your own house, so you might have to wait until you’re home alone to do it. But it’s a good way to improve your cardio fitness by raising your heart rate – and if you do it a few times a day, you’ll find that you get less breathless every time and that it gets more manageable as you get fit! You should also make sure that you take the stairs instead of the elevator when you’re at work to keep up your fitness during the day.

Keep Hydrated

Image source
 
You should technically be drinking eight glasses of water a day, which equals out to around two litres, or half a gallon. If you make sure you stay hydrated, it’s so much easier to be fit and healthy. You could add fruit to your water to flavour it if you don’t like plain water, but if you get in the habit of just drinking plain water whenever you can, it will end up becoming second nature to you and you’ll have less headaches through the day. It will also help with your hair, skin and nails. It’s hard to stay hydrated through the winter with the cold air and biting winds, but drinking plenty of water will help to stave off those chapped lips and sore hands.

Check Out A Fitness DVD

Image source
 
You don’t have to go to a gym to take part in a fitness class. If you want to, you can always create a fitness class in your own home by checking out a fitness DVD! Chances are, there are classes that you enjoy going to the rest of the year that you’d like to continue on through winter – but it’s just a little too painful to force yourself to leave your house! Pick your favourite workout class and check out DVDs or YouTube videos that you can do in your own space. Whether you’re watching yoga on YouTube or Tai Chi DVDs, you’ll enjoy being able to do it in your own apartment so you can enjoy a cooling down shower right afterwards and feel great about retreating to your couch and TV for the rest of the evening.

Invest In Some Equipment

Image source
 
If you’re lucky enough to have a little extra space, you could consider making a big investment and buying an exercise bike, a treadmill or some weights. Being able to go downstairs into your basement or into your garage before or after work is much more enjoyable than having to go all the way to the gym.

Work Out In The Mornings

Image source
 
Winter mornings can be miserable, with dark skies and rain or snow falling outside, and you may not want to get out of bed. But if you work out first thing in the morning, you’ll be flooded with endorphins so you’ll feel much happier about getting on with the rest of your day! Before you take your morning shower, take ten minutes to do some planks, sit ups and press ups. This will help to maintain your core muscles and strength through the winter until you’re ready to get back to a more intense fitness routine when the weather improves. It’ll also set you up for the rest of the day – you’ll feel more alert and switched on all morning, and you’ll be ready to eat a good breakfast so you won’t be snacking on junk food through the day.