Category: Fitness

Exercising outside is a great way to instantly revitalise any fitness routine, regardless of the season. Whether it’s the freshness of spring, the warmth of summer, or an unexpectedly mild autumn or winter day, the allure of the Great British outdoors is always there.

We already know that the benefits of exercising outdoors are vast, providing a rejuvenating experience for both the body and mind. But for those who are keen to venture beyond running, hiking and cycling, there’s a treasure trove of other, less obvious al fresco workouts waiting to be discovered. Here’s a deeper dive into some familiar workouts, tailored for the outdoors.

1.Yoga and Pilates

The tranquillity of nature complements the holistic nature of yoga and Pilates. After all, these exercises are not only about achieving physical strength and flexibility — they’re about bringing together mind and body, in the pursuit of overall wellness.

Taking these workouts outdoors every once in a while can give them a rejuvenating twist.

Whether you’re practising Sun Salutations under the actual sun or holding a Pilates plank with the rustling leaves as your background track, make sure you choose a flat, non-slippery surface; a flat patch in your garden or a quiet corner of your local park is the perfect setting.

2.Barre

This ballet-derived workout is less about pirouettes and more about posture, strength and flexibility. As such, barre’s unique blend of ballet, yoga, and Pilates is easily transferred beyond the dance studio into various outdoor settings.

The emphasis on precision and core strength can be even more pronounced when you’re drawing balance from uneven natural terrains. Likewise, trees or park benches can prove to be excellent substitutes for the traditional ballet barre. Challenging yourself in an outdoor setting can refine your techniques and focus. With nature as your backdrop, you may even find your stretches going a notch deeper.

3.Strength training

Strength isn’t just built with weights; it’s hewn from perseverance and adaptability. Need to try something different to revitalise your routine? Try heading outdoors for a session. Nature offers plenty of resistance and equipment, from rocky terrains to the gravity you defy with each jump.

In outdoor strength training sessions, your body weight becomes your primary apparatus. Think push-ups, lunges and planks. For added resistance, everyday items like filled water bottles can be your makeshift dumbbells. All you need is a little imagination.

4.Circuit training

Outdoor circuit training opens up an alternative to your usual routine. Using park or garden elements — like benches for tricep dips, open spaces for shuttle runs or pathways for lunges — you can make your surroundings an integral part of the workout, allowing you to experience a comprehensive, full-body workout while enjoying the great outdoors.

5.HIIT (high-intensity interval training)

Intense, short bursts of energy expenditure are the core of HIIT — and the adrenaline rush is only amplified if you’re lucky enough to work out amid undulating terrains, fresh air and open skies. So as well as your regular indoor class, consider adding the occasional outdoor HIIT session.

Expansive park areas are ideal for drills like sprints, jump squats and burpees, as well as expansive movements like broad jumps and lateral shuffles. The outdoors presents a canvas for you to design your own high-intensity narrative. Imagine doing downhill burpees downhill or uphill sprints; that’s nature’s way of upping the intensity!

6.Aqua aerobics

Nothing says summer like a splash in the pool, and water workouts are an excellent way to combine resistance training with cardiovascular fitness.

Aqua aerobics in outdoor pools (or other safe bodies of water) offers a unique challenge while natural light improves your mood. Many David Lloyd Clubs offer classes in outdoor pools during the balmy months. Our aqua aerobics sessions use water resistance, combined with floats and water weights, ensuring you get a full-body workout while staying refreshingly cool.

When diving into these workouts, make safety your priority. 

However much you love running, there may be some days when your motivation levels are low. If you find yourself in this position, don’t panic. The good news is that there are some quick and easy ways to get your motivation – and your run – back on track.

We’ve asked the experts at ASICS for their insider advice on rediscovering the joy of running. Whatever your level, these tips can help boost your motivation. Running novice, long-term runners and everyone in between, get ready to be inspired!

Running motivation hacks for everyone

It’s normal to experience times when just lacing up and getting the run done is a struggle. Here are my tips to help stay motivated and get your run done!

1.Know your ‘why’

Why do you run? Are you training for an event? Is it for fitness, weight loss, mental wellbeing, for the social aspects, or just because you love to run? Review your ‘why’ regularly and remind yourself of it when demotivation bites.

2.Plan your run or sessions in advance

I plan a week ahead. Knowing what kind of run, where you’re heading, when, how fast and how far can prevent procrastination before you head out of the door.

3.Set challenging (but realistic) goals

The feeling you get from nailing a session or achieving your planned run can really make your day. Or, enter a race so you have a target to train for. Visualising how you’ll feel when you achieve that goal is a great motivator before or during your run!

4.Mix it up

Road, trail, track, treadmill. There are many places to run so use them all to mix things up and avoid the monotony of running the same loop all the time. Exploring new routes and getting lost in nature is part of the fun!

5.Make your run your commute

Incorporate your run into your daily commute or errands. Can you run to/from the train station, get off public transport a few stops early and run the rest, or even better run the whole way! Save money, get your miles in and help the environment by leaving the car at home – that’s a win-win in my book.

6.Make it social

Committing to run with others at a time and place is often all you need to make sure you get out of the door, and the encouragement can really benefit your run.

Consider joining a running club. Structured training and running with others is fantastic, and group runs are particularly beneficial in terms of running safely in the months with darker evenings.

7.Prepare for the weather

Whether this is wearing the right clothing to help keep you dry, warm or cool, being prepared and comfortable can be a real benefit to help you stick to your plan.

A treadmill run on particularly hot or icy days in the temperature controlled gym can be a huge benefit ! Whilst some don’t favour the ‘dreadmill’, my view is that a treadmill run is better than no run at all!

8.Get the tunes on

Music can be a great motivator regardless of where you run and a distraction to help the miles pass by. Personally, I love a good podcast or audiobook and look forward to my run to continue listening.

9.Embrace your rest days

Burnout is one of the biggest reasons for losing the running mojo, so don’t feel guilty if you’re tired or feeling under the weather.

10.Eat well

A well balanced diet will help you feel energised and post exercise recovery.

11.Remember, it doesn’t have to be all running!

Get into the gym and lift some weights, swim some lengths to loosen your body up. Cross training can help prevent burnout and improve overall strength and fitness. It will also help you stay injury free!

It’s that time again. The mornings are darker, the air’s sharper, and suddenly it feels near-impossible to leave the embrace of your duvet. But before you let your bedding win another battle, here’s the good news: winter doesn’t have to derail your fitness goals.

In fact, it can make them stronger.

Think of winter as your reset season: a time to move for warmth, energy and joy rather than just ticking off workouts. The key thing is to take a different approach than you do in spring, summer and even autumn. A few simple tweaks to your routine and mindset can really make a difference, helping you winter-proof your fitness routine so that you stick to it even when your duvet is calling.

Shift your focus: energy, not aesthetics

In winter, think about how movement boosts your mood, energy and immune system. Regular exercise helps balance circadian rhythms, keeps vitamin D levels steadier and supports mental health — the holy trinity of surviving a British winter with your sparkle intact.

So forget perfection. This is your season to lift your spirits, not just your dumbbells.

Warm up your mindset

If your motivation naturally dips when it’s cold and grey outside, work with that, not against it. Set smaller, more realistic goals: 20 minutes of movement, not an hour. Try reframing ‘workouts’ as ‘energy sessions’ to shift your mindset from obligation to reward.

If accountability helps, book classes with a friend. You’re far less likely to skip a 7 a.m. indoor cycling session when someone’s saving you a bike. Or set up a recurring gym date to make winter workouts feel social instead of solitary.

Switch up your training mix

Cold weather is the perfect excuse to explore new ways to move.

• Make the most of indoor training. From high-energy group classes to Reformer Pilates, the warm glow of a studio is hard to beat when it’s icy outside.
• Focus on strength. Winter is ideal for building muscle and power before spring. Think resistance training, heavier lifts and functional circuits.
• Recover smarter. Balance intensity with yoga, swimming or mobility work to keep joints happy and prevent injury.
• Head outdoors (strategically). A game of Padel or tennis on a crisp, dry day can feel invigorating. Just make sure you’re wearing winter-appropriate kit, then reward yourself with something warming afterwards, whether a sauna or a coffee.

Nourish and restore

Your body’s working harder to stay warm and energised in winter, so feed it accordingly. Choose warming meals with protein, fibre and complex carbs to keep energy steady. Hydrate even when you don’t feel thirsty, as central heating can be dehydrating too.

Prioritise recovery: stretch, sleep and refuel. A post-workout smoothie or hearty soup hits differently when it’s cold outside. If you can access a sauna or steam room, a few minutes in the heat practically counts as therapy.

Embrace the season

Winter doesn’t have to be about hibernation. Think of it as your training cocoon. Pull on soft layers, move to stay warm, and let those post-workout endorphins be your antidote to grey days.

Movement is self-care. And when you treat it that way, you’ll find your motivation lasts well beyond January.

The key takeaway

This winter, skip the guilt and chase the glow. Whether you’re lifting, stretching or simply moving because it feels good, every session is a reminder that staying active isn’t about pressure. It’s about joy. And that’s something worth keeping all year round.

Exercising outdoors in winter can be exhilarating. There’s something uniquely refreshing about working up a sweat when it’s cold. But let’s be honest: it can also be a real challenge. That’s why it’s important to choose your outdoor winter workout gear with care.

We all know the benefits of exercising outside. It’s not always easy to remember those benefits when you’re standing by your front door trying to persuade yourself out into a cold, damp, icy morning or evening.

Whether you’re a runner, walker, cyclist, golfer or racquets player, choose the right winter exercise outfit and you can set yourself up for greatness.

Firstly, winter-specific workout outfits can improve motivation and confidence – you’ll have an easier time coaxing yourself out into the cold when you know you’re wearing the right kit for the conditions.

Secondly, winter workout clothes can help with performance. It’s tricky to smash your 10k time or power through an outdoor circuit-training session when you can no longer feel all of your limbs.

And, of course, there’s the safety element. Letting your body become too cold can be detrimental to your health – and that’s before we get on to avoiding injuries from slipping, and the importance of staying visible in the dark.

Explore our guide to what to wear for winter exercise and put together your cold-weather outfit in advance. Once you’re outside, you can forget about what you’re wearing and focus on your workout. Go for it, winter warrior!

Don’t ignore the power of accessories

Let’s start small. It’s easy to overlook the difference accessories can make when you’re exercising outdoors. When you’re cold, blood is redirected to the vital organs – the core, essentially – which means your hands and feet will bear the brunt of chilly weather.

That’s why we recommend adding a pair of gloves to your winter workout wardrobe, whatever exercise you’re doing. You don’t want anything too bulky – lighter, breathable fabrics will keep your hands cosy but not unpleasantly sweaty. Look for a pair of touchscreen gloves if you’re likely to want to mix up your exercise playlist on the go.

Next up, think about your head. A simple baseball cap should work when it’s only mildly cold, and it’ll also help you with glare on those sunny winter days. When temperatures tumble, consider a breathable beanie – or a headband for your ears and forehead if you don’t like that full-coverage feeling as you warm up.

On sub-zero days, you might also want to add a neck warmer (also known as a neck gaiter or buff).

Finally, make sure your socks are keeping your feet warm. If you normally wear a low-cut style, consider ankle- or calf-length to avoid exposing skin to the cold weather.

Choose the right fit and fabrics – that means no to cotton

In any season, cotton clothes will absorb sweat, keeping moisture trapped against your body and lowering your temperature – and that’s definitely something you want to avoid in winter. You’re looking for fabrics that have moisture-wicking properties, such as polyester, nylon and bamboo.

Other key winter fabric terms to look out for are ‘fleece-lined’ and ‘thermal’, just so long as they’re also moisture-wicking. If you really want to gild the lily, you can also consider fabrics with extra cold-weather-protection technology, to help you retain body heat.

In cold weather, tighter-fitting workout clothes will trap heat. Even if you normally favour loose exercise clothes, it really is worth going for a closer fit in winter.

Are you particularly fond of shorts and/or workout gear with cut-outs or cropped tops? There will always be some hardy individuals who stick to their summer exercise gear, but for most, winter is the season to cover as much skin as possible when you’re outside, particularly when the temperatures fall below zero.

Layering is the key to winter workout outfits

As a general rule, you’ll need a minimum of two layers to keep warm and dry as you work out in the fresh air in winter.

Base layer

This is a long-sleeved, moisture-wicking top. If you’ve dismissed our gloves advice, try a style with thumbholes at the wrists, so you can easily pull the sleeves over your hands.

Mid-layer

The layer that gives you an extra injection of warmth. Usually a bit looser than your base layer, this can be anything from a gilet to a fleece top to a sweatshirt, depending on whether your exercise of choice is high or low intensity.

Outer layer

This is your protection from wind and rain, such as a waterproof jacket. Whatever you do, choose a breathable option. There are few things less desirable on a winter workout mission than feeling like you’re steadily marinating in your own sweat.

If you’re doing high-intensity exercise outdoors, look for a jacket you can easily remove and stow (or tie round your waist/shoulders) if you start to feel overly warm.

Think grip when it comes to footwear

Icy parks and pavements are the natural enemy of winter workouts. If you are comfortable with venturing out onto slippery surfaces, prepare for battle with shoes or walking boots that have enhanced grip. Wider soles will also help with balance.

Exercising in the snow? Look for footwear with waterproof outer layers.

In darkness, make sure you’re bright

If you’re exercising in the morning or evening, chances are that at least part of your workout will take place in the dark. This means you need to ensure you’re extra visible to both cars and pedestrians.

High-visibility clothing is good, reflective clothing is even better. It’s important to note the difference between the two.

Hi-vis is a fluorescent or very bright colour that makes you more visible in low light. Reflective clothing, as the name suggests, reflects light back to the source – such as a car’s headlights. Your winter weather clothing should have elements of both.

You can also buy inexpensive hi-vis and reflective strips that attach to your workout gear with Velcro, or choose bright, reflective accessories. Make sure you can be seen from the front and the back.

A head torch helps with visibility and can also prevent falls if you’re struggling to see the terrain ahead.

Stay warm, stay safe – and enjoy your winter workout!