Dark nights, cold mornings… Louise Pyne shares her excuse-busting tips for staying on track with your fitness this season

It’s easy to lose your fitness motivation in winter. It’s cold, it’s wet, it’s dark, and exercise just doesn’t have the same appeal as it does in summer. The idea of hibernating at home can be tempting as the temperature drops, but there are plenty of ways to stick to a healthy routine and get your fitness mojo back.

BE REALISTIC

Set yourself a weekly schedule that will realistically fit into your work and lifestyle commitments. Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a training session — just vow to get back on the fitness wagon and work extra hard during your next session. A good idea to keep motivation levels high is to reward yourself with little prizes once you meet specific targets. For example, if you’ve managed a 7am run despite the drizzly weather twice in one week, treat yourself to something like a new book or an indulgent scented candle as an acknowledgement that you’ve reached your goal.