What a winter we’re having weather wise. We’ve had ‘The Beast from the East’, then it was ‘The Pest from the West. Now we’re going through ‘The Beast from the East 2.0. What have the north and south got in store for us? This time of year can prove troublesome for training.

British Weather | Inclusive Fitness

Troublesome British weather

The morning runs before work, the evening bootcamp sessions, and the weekend hikes start to come to a halt as the bitterly winds, driving rain and blankets of snow come in and take hold. In this article I’m going to explain some methods and exercises you can adopt in your training regime to aid you through this period of time to ensure your training remains on track.

It is an incredibly busy year in terms of training. We’re coming towards the tail end of training in terms of March and April marathon and half marathons. Training will need to begin and be stepped up if you’re taking part in a summer cycle, ironman or swimming event, and more commonly, that summer body is starting to be thought of at greater length. The trainers are dusted off, clothing washed, you get up early, aim to go for a morning run, and BAM! Snow, wind, minus conditions. Back to bed and the warm duvet it is. However, this continuing for a prolonged period of time starts to become a bit of a problem and the longer you leave it, the harder you’ll have to work, or possibly the goal that you had becomes unrealistic and unachievable. So, what should you do to get your training on the right track?

Escape to the Gym | Inclusive Fitness

Escape to the gym

If possible, the easiest one would be to join a gym if you don’t have a gym membership already. There are gyms near me that you could sign up for and it will cost as little as £15 per month – not a huge hole in the back pocket, and a decision that means you can run, cycle, row or weight train at about 20c if my gym is anything to go by. If the gym is big enough you may also be able to have a swim in a relatively warm pool while you’re at it. However, if this is not for you, have you ever thought about training in the comfort of your own living room? Put on one of your motivational songs or TV programmes and exercise away. It will cost nothing, or next to nothing if you want some portable equipment, and you’ll ensure that you can test your cardiovascular and muscular systems in your own home with a few simple exercises.

Exercise Anywhere | Inclusive Fitness

Or 10 simple exercises for anywhere

Over the years, regardless of location, I have found that the exercises listed below tend to be some of the most effective, most hated exercises by the vast majority of my clients. This is for the simple fact that they are hard. Not hard to perform, but hard because they push your body to its limits. Complete a circuit of these where each exercise is performed for 45 seconds, with a 15 second rest period and you will be fatigued. 10 exercises, 10 minutes to complete. Simple, time effective, and your training progresses even with the beast outside your windows. So here goes, as always, it’s great to hear your feedback so let me know how you get on with these 10 exercises.

1 – Burpees
2 – Squats
3 – Push ups
4 – Plank
5 – Wall sit
6 – Triceps Dips (off chair or something of similar height)
7 – Lying leg raises
8 – Lunges
9 – Sit ups
10 – Mountain Climbers

Once again, 45 seconds of exercise, 15 second rest period. Works your upper and lower body as well as your core muscle groups. It will take 10 minutes, and if you’re feeling really daring do two sets of each, a 20 minute workout in total. Try not to let the poor weather beat you and affect your goals. It will soon be April, hopefully a lot milder and better conditions for your outdoor training. In the meantime, beat the beast, the pest and whatever else the British weather wants to throw at us. You won’t regret it when the personal bests come rolling in soon. Keep up the good work, as always. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for any help with your training and good luck with the training.