Strength Through Autumn: Training When It's Cold and Dark

This is the time of year training quietly slips. The mornings are dark, the evenings are cold, the sofa looks a lot more appealing than the gym — and before you know it, you've told yourself you'll "start again in January".

If that sounds familiar, you're not lacking willpower. Shorter days genuinely affect energy and mood (I covered this in Week 1). But feeling less like it is not the same as not being able to do it. This week is about keeping your strength training going right through the darker months.

Stop starting again in January

Every time you stop and plan to start again later, you reaffirm that it isn't important — that it can wait until tomorrow, next week, next month. And in midlife, weeks off add up: muscle and strength take far longer to build than they do to lose (more on why in Why Protecting Your Muscle Matters).

Make it non-negotiable

I write my gym sessions in my diary as appointments. They're non-negotiable, just like a meeting or a dentist appointment — I don't cancel on myself because it's raining or dark.

Going even when you don't feel like it is always better than not going. Some sessions will be your best, some will be just okay — and that's fine. You'll never regret a workout you did, only the ones you didn't.

• Book your sessions into your diary for the week ahead, on the same days and times where you can.
• Get your kit out the night before so there's one less decision in the morning.
• Have a "minimum session" for low days — 20 minutes still counts and keeps the habit alive.
• If you can, train at lunchtime to catch some daylight too.

Warm up properly in the cold

Cold muscles and stiff joints need a little longer to get going. Give yourself five to ten minutes: some brisk walking, marching or cycling to raise your temperature, then mobility for your hips, shoulders and spine, and a couple of lighter sets of your first exercise before you work. Wear layers you can take off as you warm up, and put them back on when you finish.

When you can't face going out: my home session

There will be nights when the gym just isn't happening. That's what a home session is for — not a replacement for your plan, but a way to keep the consistency going. My home programmes use a resistance band and a couple of dumbbells, and look something like this:

For more home training ideas, see The Home Workout Reset.

Recover and refuel

Build your meal after training around protein, and keep drinking water even when you don't feel thirsty — it's easy to under-drink when it's cold. Warm, protein-first meals from Autumn Fuel are ideal, and protect your sleep as the clocks go back — it's where recovery really happens.

Walking still counts

Keep your daily steps going too. Wrap up, wear something reflective on dark evenings, or walk indoors on a walking pad when the weather is grim. It all adds up.