IF you’re feeling lazier now the temperature has dropped, you’re not alone. Shorter days mean less sunlight, so your brain produces more melatonin, which means you tend to feel more fatigued.  

Even the fittest, most dedicated exercise fan can have a hard time in winter. 

Longer evenings and the cold makes it harder to get out of bed (that’s me!!!) and difficult to get the body moving. 

It’s just a very disruptive time of year for maintaining the exercise habit so we need to be consciously aware that we need to put a bit more effort into it. 

But exercise is not just about losing weight, it’s really important for your mental and physical health to keep motivated during winter.

Here’s five reasons to stay active and some top tips: 

ONE: Your body is producing less vitamin D than normal and this can cause you to feel tired.  Some people travel to work in the dark and go home in the dark, not seeing daylight at all.  Try to get outside for at least some part of the day – I promise it will make you feel better. 

TWO: Winter really interferes with habits and routines and we can be unaware we’re not moving as much.   If you used to walk in the mornings or evenings, but it’s too dark now, shift things around a bit. Carve out a different time in your day. If you can’t get out in the daytime, you could walk from the comfort of your lounge or bedroom with Rick Buller (he’s amazing) or Leslie Sanderson (she’s great too!)  on YouTube!  

THREE: When you get into the habit of regularly raising your heart rate, especially in winter, you’ll really feel the benefits. Biggest among them is an unbeatable sense of wellbeing and positivity. It’s clinically proven that you’ll feel happier, you’ll also feel more relaxed, more content, in fact you discover that you can get so much more out of life.