Training Through Winter: How to Keep Moving When It’s Freezing

We get it! The shorter days, icy mornings and early evenings sap our motivation to train through winter. Even when we’re able to drag ourselves out for a session, stiff joints, tight muscles, and energy levels teetering on empty make for lacklustre efforts.

But winter doesn’t have to be a season of setbacks. While it’s a completely natural response to the conditions, and there’s nothing wrong with staying under the covers on a few of those frigid mornings, there are various ways to keep training when winter’s icy chill sets in. 

Here are five of our best tips and hacks to help you train through winter…

Planning your training sessions and laying out your gear ahead of time takes the most difficult part of working out, out of the equation – the physical act of getting out the door. After that, the rest is easy.  

Discipline starts the night before. If you set out your clothes the night before for the next morning’s session, or pack a bag to go straight to gym after work (instead of going home first), you’ll be less likely to skip your session.

The more automated your morning routine, the less mental energy you need to get moving. 

It is also worth investing in winter-specific training gear if you train outdoors. These garments will keep you warm and comfortable as they’re specifically designed to limit heat loss and keep you dry with moisture-wicking technology. 

And learn to layer. Wearing multiple items of technical workout gear traps pockets of air between each layer, which your body heats up. These layers offer better insulation (and are more comfortable) than a single thicker and heavier jacket or top. 

A proper layering strategy will keep you dry for a more enjoyable training session. As your body temperature rises in response to the physical effort, you simply shed one layer at a time. 

The best way to develop your willpower is the same way you increase your strength or muscle size – by training it!

When your motivation levels wane in winter, you need willpower to get you out the door, and willpower is like a muscle. If you don’t flex it often enough, it weakens. 

But that also means you can build and strengthen it. You just need to know how to ignite your willpower. This starts with our thoughts by making the conscious decision to think positively.

People who try tackle a task with a negative mindset are far more likely to quit before achieving their goal than those who started out with positive thoughts. 

So think about the positive aspects of your impending workout, like how you’ll feel afterwards, or how you’ll be one step closer to your goal, rather than any negatives.

If you train outdoors, always check the weather and prep accordingly. When the weather conditions aren’t conducive to sessions outside, adaptability will help you maintain your consistency, which is always better than aiming for training perfection.

Switch to indoor workouts when necessary. Whether it’s a quick treadmill interval session, a spinning class, time on the WattBike, or a gym-based strength routine, taking your training indoors helps you control the conditions, which makes it far less likely that you’ll skip a session.

If time or energy is an issue, shorten the session but crank up the intensity. Think 25 minutes of intervals or EMOMs (Every Minute on the Minute) instead of an hour-long grind.

The goal is to keep the habit alive and the body moving, not to crush yourself every day.

Cold weather can tighten muscles and joints, increasing the risk of injury and making movement feel harder. When Jack Frost loses his mind, smart recovery is your secret weapon to training through winter with ease and comfort.

Follow these tips to get moving the right way in winter:

• Add dynamic warmups before workouts to raise core body temperature and improve mobility.
• Stretch or foam roll after training while your muscles are still warm.
• Use hot showers, Epsom salt baths, or heating pads to soothe stiff muscles and aid recovery.
• Don’t skimp on sleep – it’s the best form of passive recovery.

Consistency hinges on how good you feel. Keeping your body supple and mobile helps you stay motivated and pain-free through the colder months.

While winter workouts can feel like a grind, you can give your motivation and performance a mental and physical boost with the stimulants and thermogenic compounds included in pre-workout and fat burner supplements.

A pre-workout formulation, like Biogen Premium Pre-workout or Biogen Rage Rampage, that contains caffeine and beta-alanine provide a mental and physical power-up to power through the winter malaise with supercharged endurance.

Caffeine is known to boost energy levels and combat fatigue by stimulating the nervous system to make hard efforts seem less of an effort. 

The beta-alanine included in pre-workout formulations creates carnosine, a molecule that acts as a buffer, helping neutralise lactic acid build-up and keeping rising acidity in check to potentially improve endurance.

Thermogenic fat burners, like Biogen Rage Thermo Extreme or Biogen Pre-Burn Pulse  don’t just support fat metabolism; they can also increase core temperature, boost energy, and enhance focus. 

The thermogenic effects of key ingredients like caffeine, green tea extract, and cayenne pepper means a product like generates heat and may even help you feel warmer during those frosty morning sessions.

Taking a thermogenic 20–30 minutes before a workout can:

• Enhance mental alertness
• Increase calorie burn
• Help shake off winter sluggishness

Winter can be a tough season, but it’s also a chance to build grit and stay ahead of the pack. 

By prepping smart, staying mobile and limber, caring for your body, and strategically using supplements to fuel your drive, you can forge serious gains in winter and make it one of your strongest seasons.