Here in the UK, autumn seems to have hit a new gear. Whilst the clocks changed last weekend, the sensitive (and early-rising) among us have noticed a significant change in daylight hours. It’s evident in the evenings too, with us now officially passing the point of post-6pm sunsets (the next one isn’t until March!).
This presents a few lifestyle challenges, one of which being the motivation to get out and exercise. For many women (trans or cis) and non-binary people in particular, this can lead to concerns about safety – I’m not going to discuss those specifics here, though I do want to acknowledge the issue. What this post will cover is how to cope mentally with finding the get up and go to get out and exercise when there’s more darkness than light outside…
Preparation to exercise is key
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: organise your shit the night before. Weekday mornings are not the time to be hunting for leggings, socks, keys, water bottle, or anything else you need in order to get to your session. It’s not even about it being a matching set (unless that’s important to you), but about convenience and speed – I know that when I have too much time to think about things, I’ll just duck out instead.
So, before you go to bed, make sure any devices you need are charged up. Put your bag, outfit, and anything else you need next to your bed. When you alarm goes off, scoop it all up, get dressed, and get out of the house. First obstacle cleared…
Planning training sessions will help
If you’re like a rabbit in the headlights on the gym floor anyway, having a blank page in your training journal will only make you worse. I’m a professional, and I don’t come up with sessions on the fly.
When you haven’t got someone planning your sessions for you, or aren’t attending a class, make time once per week to sit down and map your training out. Decide in advance which exercises you’ll do on which days, and how many sets. Reps and weights will figure themselves out in the moment. But if you don’t do the other things, you’ll make two mistakes – only doing your favourite exercises; overtrain and undertrain body parts. Planning will prevent errors, and allow you to overcome another issue…
Exercise accountability buddies can be useful
Some of us – hi, it’s me – are lone wolves. We don’t train in a pack. We show up alone and crack on. Others like to have a buddy. Someone to chat to. Someone for whom they must show up.
Accountability buddies can be great, but I caution against overreliance. Make use of them to build confidence, and socialise. But don’t allow them to be your sole crutch. Cultivate independence at the same time. Be prepared for the accountability to be virtual, rather than literal. Don’t let someone else have full responsibility for you showing up, because your schedule then relies heavily on them, and you deserve more than someone else controlling whether or not you get your endorphins.
This too shall pass
Autumn and winter are but seasons. They can feel like the worst thing in the world – I honestly don’t know whether I can cope with the UK’s rainy greyness for the rest of my life – but they will eventually end. Knowing that, even though it’s out of my control, helps me. It won’t be forever. We will see spring and summer again.
If you’d like help with winter exercise…
I am but a message away! Come and train with me, face to face, in a nice cosy gym in Horsham, West Sussex. To set up a consultation, send me a message