The summer months are great for staying fit, with people more likely to enjoy long walks, play tennis, go for a run, or even have fun paddleboarding. However, once the weather turns colder and the nights draw in, it can be harder to continue with these outdoor sports. 

As a result, many people succumb to hibernating over the winter months, staying indoors and becoming more sedentary until spring weather and brighter days return. 

This doesn’t need to be the case, though, as there are many ways you can carry on exercising when the weather is cold outside. Here are just a few:

1) Strength training

Whether you join a gym or buy some adjustable dumbbells to work out at home, you can use winter as an opportunity to build muscles and get stronger. 

Strength training is beneficial for everyone, no matter their gender or age, and the NHS recommends two or more sessions of muscle strengthening exercises every week, including lifting weights and resistance training. 

Among the benefits of strength training are improving joint stability, which reduces the risk of injury; strengthening bone density, making bones less prone to fractures; boosting muscle mass to stay strong in old age; and increasing metabolic rate to enable the body to burn calories at rest. 

It also reduces the risk of chronic conditions, such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes; and it is known to boost mental health, releasing feel-good hormones and helping you feel empowered, confident and strong. 

Women, in particular, benefit from strength training, as it helps mitigate the impact of menopause, such as muscle loss and a reduction in bone density. 

2) Padel

Padel is the buzzword in fitness at the moment, with people all over the world having a go at this racket sport, which is played on a small, enclosed court. 

Like squash, the walls are part of the game and it is played with a solid racket, but it is scored like tennis. 

The sport was invented in Mexico as long ago as 1969, but it has only just become huge recently, with an estimated 30 million players around the world. 

It is typically played in doubles, making it a very sociable sport; however, this means it can be hard to practice regularly if it is hard to find friends to join in. 

3) Cardio machines

These days, fitness enthusiasts don’t have to wait for better weather to train for a race, or live in the countryside to practice long-distance cycling, as there are so many cardiovascular machines that enable us to stay fit and healthy anywhere and at any time. 

For instance, you could invest in a curved treadmill to put in your garage if you want to carry on running in the winter but don’t like the idea of hitting the pavements in the dark or risk slipping on black ice and injuring yourself. 

An assault bike is also popular, as it gives people a full-body workout, thanks to its resistance. Not only does it increase the heart rate, which is great for cardiovascular health, but it encourages the legs, arms, back and core to work hard and builds muscles in these areas.

It is also impressive at increasing endurance, which is needed in a variety of fitness challenges, as well as everyday life. 

Assault bikes are also popular with anyone who wants to lose weight, as it burns a lot of calories, while remaining low impact, so it does not harm the joints. This makes it ideal for anyone who is recovering from an injury or who has problems with their knees.

4) Prepare for Hyrox

You could also use the winter months to train for your next Hyrox contest, with this fitness race having become the most popular exercise trend in recent years. 

This course includes an 8km run with different stations throughout, such as rowing, burpees and lunges. 

It has seen a surge in popularity lately, with a 1,000 per cent participatory increase in the last five years. This could be due to its social experience, with many people taking part in teams, or its functional workouts, which boost strength, endurance and cardio fitness. 

You don’t need to train outdoors for Hyrox, with many gyms now including specific classes to help people to get ready for the contest, and equipment that is included in the race.

You could even invest in your own Hyrox machines, from a weight sledge and track to a skiing machine, and have them in your own indoor gym. This will allow you to improve your fitness on these stations, so you can smash them at the next competition.