Stay fit in fall & winter with these 10 tips

Now that the warm months of the year are just a dim but fond memory in the back of your mind and the dark season is upon us, your body shuts down all by itself. So it's also no wonder that your passion for sports and fitness noticeably wanes and drops in your personal priority list. That's a problem, though, because after all, we all want to stay fit through fall and winter. After all, you've worked too hard for your fitness all year to let your form completely fall into disrepair now. The good news is that with a few simple tricks, you can maintain your fitness through the cool season.

Tip 1 - Change your training goals

One of the best ways to maintain fitness during the darker months of the year is to have a little change of scenery by changing your exercise goals. While you've been focused all summer on reducing your body fat percentage and keeping that low body fat percentage to look good at the beach, you should take advantage of the circumstances of the cold season. Now that the days are getting shorter and colder, the layers of clothing worn are increasing at the same rate. So why don't you use the favor of the hour to put in a mass phase? Of course, your goal should be to build up as little body fat as possible. But since this usually cannot be prevented completely, winter is the ideal season, especially since the flab remains hidden under a thick sweater.

Tip 2 - Expand your menu

Nothing can get you out of caloric discipline faster than a boring diet. If you want to prevent this boredom, you can turn to seasonal foods. Instead of grilled chicken, steamed broccoli and brown rice, seasonal dishes include pasta with chestnuts and sage, scalloped rutabagas or a Pumpkin Million Dollar Pie. Fall and winter fruits and vegetables are not only flavorful, but also rich in antioxidants and other valuable micronutrients that support your immune system.

Tip 3 - Fill up with new energy through change

If your stroke rate slowly decreases during the fall, your motivation to visit the gym can also secretly decrease. To prevent this from happening, break out of your workout routine and try new things. Whether it's trying a new training system or participating in a transformation contest, this change will bring you and your workout routine back together. However, don't forget that any good workout also includes proper nutrition, recovery, and an adequate amount of sleep.

Tip 4 - Eat more protein

You want to stay as defined as possible? Then simply increase your protein consumption. The more protein you consume, the easier it will be to keep fat burning at a reasonable level and keep hunger under control despite less activity. The reason for this is the so-called Thermic Effect of Food. This means that your body has to expend more energy to digest proteins than it does to digest carbohydrates and fats, for example. You shouldn't miss out on these extra calories burned. Of course, it is not only about the quantity of protein, but also about the quality. As a guideline, you can orient yourself to 2-2.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.

Tip 5 - Plan ahead to save time and energy

When life gets hectic, nothing helps you maintain your body fat percentage more than a defined nutrition plan that you can stick to even in the most stressful situations. Not having a plan in such a situation often leads to various calls to the pizza service or visits to the fast food restaurant, which is certainly not conducive to your fitness in the long run. Take some time every Sunday to plan your meal plan for the next seven days and write your shopping list for the week. If you stick to this plan with a few exceptions, you will get through the winter much fitter than most other hobby athletes.

Tip 6 - Pamper yourself in a smart way

The one or other caloric sin happens. There's no way around it, because despite all discipline, everyone gets caught. Instead of completely biting off your indulgences, take a smarter approach and learn how to sin in a smart way. It's best to make sure that you always have a sufficient amount of healthy snacks in the house that not only fill you up, but also provide your body with valuable nutrients. A protein pumpkin parfait in the fridge, for example, makes it much easier to resist the sugar- and empty-calorie-laden raisin bun at the bakery.

Tip 7 - Optimize your diet for better performance

When planning your meals, you should pay special attention to using seasonal foods, as mentioned before. Incorporate these foods into your diet more often than usual and you will see your performance improve significantly. Pay particular attention to your pre- and post-workout nutrition and always ask yourself if you are eating enough protein and enough complex carbohydrates before training. Also make sure you're eating the right proteins after your workout to provide your body with the building blocks it needs for recovery as quickly as possible. Also focus on the calorie balance, because if you want to build muscle over the winter, you must not give up a calorie surplus out of false fear of a little body fat. Otherwise, you can train as much as you want for months and still not much will happen. To monitor your calorie intake, it's always a good idea to use an appropriate tracking app.

Tip 8 - Try new fall activities

If you're the type of person who's more drawn to the outdoors, it's understandable that you don't want to spend months in a gym. A great way to avoid positional fever is to try new activities. On dry and sunny days, why not go for a round of rollerblading, complete a few cross-country runs in the woods, or try a winter sport or two if there's enough snow. The fresh air will also do you more than good to feel energetic even in the dark winter, and to get a good night's sleep.

Tip 9 - Use the short days to sleep longer

Now that it's getting darker earlier and earlier, you should definitely take advantage of this. You can already tell that everything is different in winter by the fact that it's much harder to get out of bed in the morning than in summer. You also get tired much earlier because the sun, which sets in the late afternoon, causes your body to ramp up production of the sleep hormone melatonin. This is actually the ideal opportunity to catch up on the sleep you neglected during the long summer nights. It makes sense to take this step simply from the point of view that there is a strong link between sleep duration and fitness. Only if you get enough sleep can you regenerate optimally and also ensure that your insulin sensitivity is maximized. The latter, by the way, also helps you keep your metabolic rate high and reduce the risk of cravings.

Tip 10 - Sweep your backyard

Admittedly, this last tip doesn't necessarily have anything to do with sports, but it is quite effective. Whether you're clearing your backyard or sidewalk of fallen leaves or fresh snow. Don't think of this activity as a chore to be avoided at all costs, but think of these cleanups as an extra workout. These "add-on workouts" will help you burn more calories, helping you reach your fitness goals along the way. And of course, if you're particularly motivated and even enjoy shoveling snow, you can ask to take on this task for your neighbors.