Well, there we have it! The temperatures across the whole country have dropped consistently over the past month, meaning we are well and truly heading into Autumn. Although many people will miss the sunshine and heat, there are another set of people who are embracing autumn and all it brings. Cosy nights in on the sofa, Halloween, Bonfire Night and comfort food are all classic autumn staples. But, after you’ve worked so hard on your summer body, you might not be ready to give it all up yet. Most of us do tend to relax our fitness regime during the colder months, but that doesn’t mean it needs to disappear completely. Plus, that way, you can treat yourself to an extra big slice of cake at Christmas.

Ice skating

With the rising trend for Bavarian style Christmas markets in the UK, more and more cities are hosting big winter attractions. One of these is a pop-up, outdoor ice skating rink. You may go with your family or with the girls for the sheer novelty of it all – but actually, ice skating can be an excellent workout. It is an aerobic exercise that works a lot of muscles that normally get left behind in the gym – such as the hips, knees and ankles.  It is also great for strengthening the areas that most women want to tone up, such as the legs, bum and core. Even if you don’t have a pop-up ice rink coming to your town this winter, there is sure to be a rink nearby that you can spend an afternoon at. Plus, because ice skating is a social activity, you won’t even realise you’re exercising!

Cycling

You might have stored your bike away in your garage or shed at the first sign of frost, thinking you won’t need to use it until next year. Wrong! Cycling is still a viable way to keep fit and get out and about during winter. All you need to do is make sure you have all the right provisions and the right cycle insurance policy. If you are expecting a particularly harsh winter, it could be worth changing your road bike tyres to ones that have more grip. Many of these are also puncture resistant, so you won’t need to worry about being left stranded somewhere. Also, make sure you layer up to protect against the cold – and cycling gloves are an absolute must!

At-home workouts

A big party of the autumn/winter season is enjoying time spent in your house, being all cosy. But that doesn’t mean to say you need to lounge on the sofa all day. There are plenty of home workout videos available to buy, or you can even access some via YouTube – like from the Fitness Blender channel. Aside from that, get creative with your workouts. Put on your favourite music and dance around whilst you wait for your dinner to cook. Even just a few minutes of enthusiastic dancing can burn serious calories! If you want to take it up a level, add in a few squats or burpees in every couple of minutes. Getting fit doesn’t need to stop just because the weather is bad, after all.

What’s your favourite way to keep fit during the colder seasons?

*Collaborative Post