Gym memberships in the UK boom every January & that’s no fluke. As the nation of the roast dinner & cold weather, we grab Christmas with both hands here (especially if I’m using those hands to snack on Twiglets, pigs in blankets & alcohol). When you look outside at a pitch black & freezing cold England, it’s also a lot harder to get out of your Oodie & do some exercise. In simple terms, our calories increase, our activity decreases & gym owners sit rubbing their hands together whilst they excitedly wait for January to come around. I’m here to stop you losing all your progress this winter with a few simple strategies to get you feeling good, looking good & enjoying your food without guilt.
1. Fight the unseen calories with these tips:
Keep a close eye on calorie dense Xmas snacks such as nuts, oils, savouries. If it helps, portion yourself some out rather than diving into the full box.
Opt for low calorie drinks mixers & breakfasts, as we usually don’t even notice these small changes.
Plan the week around your blow outs. This means recognizing the days you’ll end up over consuming & making up for it on the remaining days of the week by under consuming.
2. Keep activity up by:
Start a habit of an extra daily walk which becomes a non-negotiable. This will be probably the single most beneficial thing on this list!
Find a new activity to keep it interesting in winter. Whether it’s a new class, sport or even an active hobby, it can massively help to counteract the unmotivating winter conditions if you get to throw yourself in to something new!
3. Keep mentally healthy despite the weather:
This is one of the rare times when I’d say supplementing becomes non-negotiable. Vitamins (especially vitamin D) become especially tricky to get in, so read back through our vitamins blog posts for some suggestions on which to reach for.
Socialise more! Even you fellow introverts, getting plenty of socialising in winter will help your frontal lobe stay stimulated & happy.
You know that daily walk thing from further up? That! It will also help with energy levels, vitamin balance, brain function & mood!
4. Bonus strategies to take your winter progress up a level:
We have a blog on the winter blues to help with the mental side, but in terms of the physical; find the times you can squeeze in some activity, meal prep or nutrition knowledge building. Even just 30 mins is better than none. Why not set yourself a challenge such as couch to 5k or 250 push-ups in December? But most importantly…
Enjoy it & accept it! You’re never going to avoid some of winters progress blockers, but why should you? It’s there to be enjoyed, so make sure you do. You can get your perfect body back, but you’ll never get another go at the memories of this wintertime!
Elliot Hutchinson // 01.12.2024
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