Winter Training Success – A Checklist for Trainers and Clients

As the days get shorter, as the air gets chillier and as the mornings are frostier, it can be really tempting for your clients to ditch their workout and take their active wear to sip coffee in a cosy café instead.

But Winter does not have to spell the end of your clients’ amazing movement routines. Stay ahead of the pack in Winter with these simple, tried and tested hacks – trust me, I work outdoors at 5.30am and these keep me sane, warm and dry!

Bonus: This is a simple, copy and paste format that would make great newsletter content for your clients!

Feel free to copy from here down and forward on to your clients. I shared mine in an Instagram post:

Keep Your Feet Warm

First things first. I don’t know about you, but once my feet are cold, that’s it! The rest of me is cold and I can’t warm back up. So, to keep feet warm and dry, here are a few great ideas:

• Waterproof your shoes. Most shoe shops and outdoor adventure shops will stock waterproofing or water-repelling spray. Be sure to check the instructions before you use it, and apply it the night before. You’ll need to do it every week or so, but this one is a game changer!
• Invest in woollen socks. Merino socks CHANGED MY LIFE. They keep your feet warm and dry, and even if they do get wet, you stay warm.
• Have spares. If you’ve got errands to run after your workout, have a spare pair of socks and shoes ready and waiting for you in the car. Yes, my laundry increases in Winter – I can go through three or four pairs of socks in a day. But my feet stay warm!

Dress Like An Onion: Layers

Secondly, clothing choices can make or break how you feel about Winter. As you know, I work outdoors all Winter. And here’s what I do:

• Wear layers. This is a tip that is as old as time. But honestly, wearing multiple layers that you can take off as you warm up during the workout, then put back on as we cooldown is going to make things so much easier for you. Think singlet, t-shirt, long sleeved t-shirt, vest, jumper. Even a pair of trackies over your leggings.
• Fleecy leggings. We live in a truly magical time when some of our biggest active wear manufacturers have been cluey enough to produce workout tights ACTUALLY designed for Winter. I now live in these!
• Fleecy stockings. Before the advent of fleecy leggings, I used to wear a pair of fleecy stockings under my workout leggings. Lovely and warm, with no restriction to my movement, these were a staple of my wardrobe for the Winter months.

For The Extra Chilly Days

Lastly, it’s the little things that will make the biggest difference.

• Workout gloves. We all know fingers can physically hurt from the cold Winter air, and from holding the cold, Winter kettlebells! Invest in a good pair of full length (not fingerless) workout gloves and I promise it will change your life! Workout gloves are different to regular gloves in that they have a reinforced palm and grip on the inner face for holding onto and using equipment.
• Headwear. Having cold ears is really uncomfortable and can make you feel colder than you really are. Grab yourself a buff (a thick headband that can be used as a scarf as well), a beanie, or something in between and feel the difference!
• Wear sunscreen. How counter-intuitive does this sound?! But it’s actually not. Sunscreen will help prevent the negative affects that the cold, drier Winter air can have on your skin. Windburn, anyone?!
• Jackets. If you’ve layered well, you won’t need a puffy, down-filled jacket that will restrict your movements. But you may want to wear a thin, breathable spray jacket to keep you drier in the misty ‘spit’ that can sometimes roll through as the sun warms up the clouds.
• Bring a bag. No one wants their phone or car key fob getting wet on the dewy grass. And there is nothing worse than putting back on a wet jumper after it has been sitting on the ground. So, give yourself somewhere to put everything and to keep it all safe and dry. Even a sturdy, plastic bag will do here (great to reuse them!).
• Do all this for the kids. Don’t let your kids be the reason you miss out on your workout. Rug the kids up, waterproof their shoes and help them enjoy being outdoors in the cooler weather so that you can still find your workout time!

There you have it. With these hacks, you’ll still be able to keep up your exercise routines.

You’ll thank me when you’re ahead of the game as the warmer months roll back around!

Theresa Prior

Theresa Prior has a mission to bring Mums and women together in a safe and supportive environment that just so happens to have fun fitness sessions at it’s core. She has been running her own personal training business since 2013. Theresa helps her clients understand that all aspects of their health are equally important.