{"id":1952,"date":"2018-11-20T10:40:00","date_gmt":"2018-11-20T10:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/OU-Sport\/?p=1952"},"modified":"2018-11-20T10:40:00","modified_gmt":"2018-11-20T10:40:00","slug":"exercising-in-the-cold-dark-and-wet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/OU-Sport\/?p=1952","title":{"rendered":"Exercising in the cold, dark and wet"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Simon Penn<\/strong>\"\"<\/a>Every morning when I drive my daughter to nursery, I pass multiple cyclists commuting to work in the cold, dark and sometimes wet conditions.\u00a0 I emphasise to my daughter how motivated these cyclists are and that they should be commended for their dedication to maintaining their exercise routine as the winter draws in.\u00a0\u00a0I say this because I, like many, am a fair-weather trainer who loves exercising outside in the summer but struggle to exercise in the winter.Research shows that environmental variables (e.g. temperature, length of day and precipitation) can all affect our ability to maintain our levels of physical activity (Welch et al., 2018; Wagner et al., 2014).\u00a0 To stay healthy, we should be completing 150 minutes of moderate, or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise and some strength training a week (Department of Health, 2011).\u00a0 In the winter, reduced daylight and lower temperatures both cause a reduction in an individual\u2019s total minutes of physical activity carried out per day (Welch et al., 2018).\u00a0 So, how can we overcome the winter blues and increase our motivation to exercise?<\/p>\n

Understanding psychology can help to boost our motivation.\u00a0 We need to\u00a0identify the barriers<\/strong> that prevent us from exercising in order to establish effective compensatory techniques to overcome the barriers.\u00a0 Additionally, setting appropriate goals<\/strong> can increase our effort and perseverance to an exercise routine because they provide purpose and direction to training (Wilson and Brookfield, 2009).<\/p>\n

Removing Barriers<\/em><\/p>\n

When we wake up in the morning with the aim to exercise, it may then be too dark, cold or wet to get us moving. \u00a0So, what can we do? \u00a0If you do not like the cold or the rain, treat yourself to some warmer\/waterproof clothing or look at the weather forecast and plan your day so that you can exercise when it is not raining or during the warmest part of the day. \u00a0If you do not like the dark or exercising alone, exercise at lunch in built up areas or find a buddy to train with so that you will have company and an additional reason for completing the session (so not to let your friend down).\u00a0Local running clubs are a great way for runners of all levels to help increase their commitment to exercise.\u00a0\"\"<\/a>Lastly, one of the most important things when planning exercise is to choose something that you like and enjoy.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t like running, then don\u2019t plan to run because you will spend more time debating whether to run or not.\u00a0 Work out how to do your exercise of choice.\u00a0 If you like cycling or rowing, can you purchase a second-hand indoor bike\/rower to replicate your training inside?\u00a0 Once you have removed your barriers to exercise, you can then determine why you are going to train.<\/p>\n

Setting Goals<\/em><\/p>\n

One of the most useful motivational strategies is that of goal setting and when applied effectively it can provide direction to your training. \u00a0For optimal goal setting, the goal should be applicable to your training.\u00a0 For example, aiming to complete a future event (e.g. run, cycle, triathlon) will provide purpose to your training and establish a timescale to complete the training by.\u00a0 To increase your motivation, goals should be difficult, yet achievable (Weinberg and Gould, 2015).\u00a0 Therefore, when deciding on your long-term goal, make sure that it is challenging and that you can measure your success (e.g. completing the event or not).\u00a0 To improve the chance of succeeding in your long-term goal, break the goal into short and medium-term goals.\u00a0 For example, if increasing the distance in an event (e.g. 5 km to 10 km), your long-term goal may be to complete 10 km within 12 weeks.\u00a0 Appropriate short and medium-term goals would be to complete 7 km within 4 weeks and 9 km by 8 weeks.\u00a0 Additionally, you can set process goals (things that will help you achieve your long-term goal) such as weekly targets (e.g. complete a minimum of three 60-minute sessions) which can provide daily motivation. \u00a0Setting the right goals and using them effectively will help you to beat winter.<\/p>\n

Beating winter?<\/em><\/p>\n

I have already begun to beat winter.\u00a0 I removed my barriers (the cold and mornings) by purchasing cycle overshoes and exercising at the warmest part of the day.\u00a0 Then I set my goals:<\/p>\n