Winter is here, which means the days are feeling shorter and the weather’s getting colder.
The dark and nippy mornings don’t exactly make it easy to arise for an early spin class or a run.
We spoke with two exercise experts for their tips how to keep motivated to get moving in winter.
Why does it seem harder to exercise in winter?
The season can indeed be very disruptive to people’s exercise routines, says Matthew Bourke, from The University of Queensland’s Health and Wellbeing Centre for Research Innovation.
“Things like the cold, bad weather, it getting lighter later in the morning and darker earlier in the evening are key barriers which get in the way of physical activity,” Dr Bourke says.
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“For a lot of people, these barriers outweigh their motives to exercise.
“It takes a lot more effort and self-control to overcome these barriers to exercise in winter.”
Sport and exercise psychologist Emma Slade says evolution suggests why some people want to “hibernate” more in winter.
“We have shorter days, in turn less hours of sunlight, and often our appetite changes towards more hearty and warm meals,” Ms Slade says.
“Some people may find winter really leads them to slow down, and again this stems from our evolution.
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“Winter for many species is time for restoration.”
During winter, it’s common for some people to enter a hibernation-like condition — bears and other animals do the same.(Unsplash: Gregory Pappas)
Low mood could play a part
During the darker, colder winter months, it’s not uncommon for some people to find they struggle with motivation.
Many Australians report that they feel flat and lethargic in winter, the federal government’s health advice website Health Direct says.
Some people might put this down to ‘the winter blues’.
But a small proportion of people might experience something more severe, called seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
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SAD is a type of depression that usually develops in winter and autumn.
The cause isn’t clear, but it’s believed the lack of sunlight has something to do with it, Health Direct says:
“It is thought to be caused by changes in light exposure, which lead to changes to the body’s circadian rhythms (its ‘body clock’).
“At different times of the year, the body produces different amounts of melatonin and serotonin, which affect mood.”
In winter, SAD symptoms can include:
low mood
sleeping too much
lack of energy and fatigue
craving carbohydrates and sugary foods
gaining weight
losing interest in normal activities
But SAD is rare.
SAD affects “about one in 300” Australians, Professor Greg Murray, director of the Centre for Mental Health at Swinburne University, says.
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While the ‘winter blues’ or SAD can take a toll on our mood, experts say exercising regularly is one way to help alleviate some of the symptoms.
Gym memberships decrease
At the start of every year, gyms see a surge of newcomers eager to kick start their year with fitness goals.
However, by June, 50 per cent of new members will cancel their membership, according to a report from an international body representing the fitness industry.
“In Australia, if we have people starting the year out strong and making a new year’s resolution to exercise more, we naturally expect some of this motivation to start dropping over the first half of the year,” Ms Slade says.
“This occurring at the same time as leading into winter is a double-whammy on motivation.”
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Are there any types of exercise that can help improve motivation?
The short answer is no — because everyone is different.
“The type of exercise that you enjoy is usually the one that will get you moving more consistently,” Ms Slade says.
“It’s the form of exercise where you know overcoming the slight grind and grumble in getting started will soon be overcome by a deep feeling of satisfaction or fulfilment.”
Dr Bourke agrees.
He points to a study that showed participants’ motivation wavered if their main focus for exercise was on improving health and body image, rather than exercising for fun, accomplishment or a challenge.
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The study called the former focuses external motivators and the latter intrinsic motivators.
“There was a study in Wisconsin which looked at motivation between people who exercised all year round and those who only exercised during winter,” he says.
“The authors found that people who sustained their levels of exercise during winter were more strongly motivated by the enjoyment, challenge, and the social affiliation compared to those who only exercised in warmer months.
“That’s why it’s important to try and find something that you actually like doing.”
For some people who love a challenge, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts may tick the box.
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For others, a fun exercise may be taking a walk in the park with the dog. Or maybe, joining a weekly social run club.
Tips on how to stay motivated during winter
Here’s what Ms Slade and Dr Bourke suggest.
Forge a habit
Dr Bourke’s biggest tip to defeat the urge to stay toasty on the couch is to build a habit.
Schedule your workout into your day with a precise time, so it’s set in stone.
“One way to form a habit is through what is called context-dependent repetition,” he says.
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“This is where someone forms habits by doing the same thing in the same contexts over time, such as going to the gym on their lunch break every Tuesday.”
He also recommends using specific cues that signal to yourself that you’re headed out to exercise.
The goal is to build up an association between a cue and an activity.
Take washing your hands after using the toilet as an example: handwashing is the activity and using the toilet is the cue.
Your cue might be bringing exercise clothes to work on specific days, and your activity might be going for a run straight after the work day ends.
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After a period of repetition, it will become almost instinctual to get changed into your work-out gear as soon your shift is over.
Shift your mindset
It’s true that darker months can affect mood, but Ms Slade encourages people to embrace seasonal changes rather than dread them.
“‘I’m lazy in winter’ is a very common form of self-talk synonymous with skipping sessions and sleeping in.
“Shifting this thought to more adaptive thinking such as ‘with trial and error I can adapt and find a winter routine that works for me’ creates a more compassionate and curious space.
“The weather isn’t in your control, but how you prepare is.”
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Work out what might be getting in the way
This is where problem-solving comes into the picture.
“Give yourself a couple of weeks to find a winter routine that works for you,” Ms Slade says.
“After each bout of exercise, reflect on what worked and also what didn’t work or got in the way.
“From there, you can continue to tweak and modify an approach that suits best.”
For example, if you plan to go to the gym in the evenings in winter, but find yourself getting home first and instead settling in for the night, you might take your workout gear with you and head straight from work to the gym.
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I can vouch for this!
And if you don’t get off to a good start this winter, you can continue to problem solve your routine and adjust it right in time for next year.
If it’s too cold and dark to exercise outside, why not consider an at-home workout routine.(Getty: Laura Olivas)
Pump up the music
According to a study in the International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, listening to motivational music before you do something can put you in the right frame of mind for the task at hand.
“Pre-task music can be used to heighten exercisers’ activation for an impending bout of exercise, and has been shown to optimise arousal and facilitate task-relevant imagery,” the report says.
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Another study in the Psychological Bulletin also found stimulative music can distract from pain endured during exercise through competing sensory stimuli.
“Music has the capacity to provide significant positive effects for exercises in terms of reduced perceived exertion and more efficient oxygen utilisation,” the report says.
So, forge a habit (as per Mr Bourke’s advice) to listen to music before you exercise.
It could help you get your sneakers on and drive you out the door, even if it’s cold outside.
“Integrating media, such as music, podcasts, or audiobooks can be a great way to make exercising more enjoyable,” Dr Bourke says.
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When does winter start in Australia?
Winter officially starts today —June 1.
But, because Australia is so big, the seasonal conditions people experience differ depending on where they are.
Northern parts of Australia experience wet season and dry season.
While further south, people tend to think of seasons in the European or North American sense — summer, autumn, winter and spring.
Winter officially ends on August 31.
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When is winter solstice in Australia in 2024?
This year it’ll be on June 21, the Bureau of Meteorology said in a social media post.
If you’ve ever wanted to lose weight, you’ve probably heard the phrase ‘calories in versus calories out’. While it’s true to a degree, losing weight in menopause isn’t about eating less, but rather eating differently.
Speaking to fitness coach Loretta Hogg, Dr Stacy Sims says: “One of the first things that women often do, because we grew up in an era of calories in, calories out, less calories means fat loss. That is not true because if you are not eating enough, your body holds on to fat.”
This is called the ‘starvation response’, and it’s the body’s way of protecting itself when food is restricted. Metabolism slows down, hunger hormones increase, and fat stores are preserved for survival.
“Staying adequately fuelled” and strength training regularly is what’s actually needed to lose weight while managing our hormone levels in menopause. “When we’re looking at how we’re going to budge some of the meno-pot, we really want to focus on getting strong and building that muscle because if we are working on muscle and our whole focus is muscle and bone, then we end up eating accordingly.”
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Fibre and protein are the food groups to focus on, she says. They are filling, aid muscle growth (and so help maintain a healthy metabolism), help reduce food cravings, and provide us with the key nutrients our body needs when oestrogen levels fall.
We know there’s a huge market for protein powders, bars and other supplements, but actually, most of us can get what we need from eating high-protein foods.
The amount of protein you need in menopause depends on your weight. “The recommended protein intake for women over 45 is approximately 1 to 1.5g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, which is higher than the general recommendation for younger adults,” Dr Nadira Awal, a Doctify-rated GP who specialises in women’s health and menopause, previously told woman&home. You can work out your personal recommendation using menopause specialist Dr Mary Claire Haver’s perimenopause protein calculator.
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Dr Sims says many women are “afraid of abundance” when it comes to eating, but emphasises that “without abundance we can’t lose fat”. “Let’s change the focus on not what we want to lose, but what we want to gain. We want to gain bone, we want to gain muscle. We want to fuel for that, so then the body fat comes off,” she tells Loretta.
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Dr Sims says the best way for us to gain this muscle and bone growth is through strength training. “We need to focus on heavy lifting,” she explains in another video on her Instagram account. “The caveat here is that most perimenopausal women haven’t had a long history in strength training, and it’s a learned skill.” She says consistency is key, and starting off small, even just focusing on movement without weights, before you start adding some load. “But the goal is to get into heavy resistance training, where we have low reps with a heavy weight,” she says.
Dr Sims says it’s “absolutely safe” for women to lift heavy during perimenopause and menopause – and it’s something we should all be doing. She is keen to emphasise that it’s never too late to start, and that “what matters is your form and your function”.
If you’re new to lifting weights, try a simple dumbbell workout at home and work your way up from there. If you have the means, consult a personal trainer for guidance on developing a workout plan.
Sleep is another lifestyle aspect that Dr Sims says says may affect how you lose weight. She says poor sleep “creates metabolic disturbance and dysfunction and increases fat gain”. Improving our sleep quality can lead to body composition improvements in as little as two to three weeks. High levels of cortisol, caused by poor sleep and ongoing stress, also makes fat loss harder as our bodies hold onto energy rather than using it.
Some key ways to improve sleep include going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, limiting blue light exposure at bedtime, and cutting down on your alcohol and caffeine intake.
Editor’s note: This article is the seventh in an eight-part series led by retired General James Mingus, the thirty-ninth vice chief of staff of the Army, on transforming the Army to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s battlefield. You can read other articles in the series here.
The battlefield in America’s next war will offer no sanctuary. The war won’t be fought from forward operating bases equipped with elaborate gyms, contractor-provided dining facilities, or coffee shops. The battlefield will be austere, harsh, and unrelentingly violent, with victory only possible by combining physical strength, endurance, and a will to prepare.
The Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) program is the bedrock upon which this preparation begins. Winning America’s next war requires an Army that can get to the fight, win the fight, and get home from the fight—a mission profile that demands not just fit soldiers built for endurance, but warrior athletes built for endurance and able to leverage strength, speed, and power, and grounded in sound sleep and nutrition.
Culture Shift Begins with Mindset Shift
For the last several decades, the Army took pride in fielding formations rooted in a physical fitness culture relying heavily on push-ups, sit-ups, and miles of running and ruck marching. Physical training began predictably after saluting the flag at 0630 and ended promptly when the basic exercises, calisthenics, and formation run were complete. It was one-dimensional, unimaginative, boring, and, ironically, lazy. Army fitness during this period was solely focused on physical endurance.
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In the early 2000s, however, Army fitness began to change, led by special operations units like the 75th Ranger Regiment, which began experimenting with trending fitness regimens like Gym Jones, CrossFit, and Mountain Athlete. By combining emerging principles from several of these programs, special operations units began designing their own programs, such as the Ranger Athlete Warrior program. The rest of the active Army quickly started to model these programs, and the first H2F pilot kicked off in 2018.
Advances in exercise science and twenty years of war helped reframe the Army’s fitness mindset to encompass mental, physical, nutritional, and sleep dimensions. This mindset shift forms the basis of the H2F culture, changing how we train and care for soldiers. The focus is now on building strength and resilience like professional athletes—or more fittingly, warrior athletes. Where mission endurance was the goal before, tactical athleticism is now the goal, with an emphasis on strength, speed, power, and agility.
You Can’t Fake Results
A key part of any fitness program is the ability to measure its effectiveness, and in only a few short years, the return on investment for the H2F program has been profound. Currently sixty-six brigades have an H2F performance team, which consists of twenty-two professionals: a program director, dietitian, physical therapist, and occupational therapist; seven strength and conditioning coaches; four athletic trainers; one cognitive performance specialist; and six military personnel. By 2029, the program will expand to cover the entire active Army, as well as four states of Army National Guard and two Army Reserve commands.
According to analysis from the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, if H2F had been implemented across the entire Army, over a five-year period it would have added 1,080 deployable soldiers to the fighting force. If that’s not compelling enough, also consider these complementary H2F data points compiled by the Center for Initial Military Training Research and Analysis team after analyzing data from 2019 to 2023:
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61 percent decrease in musculoskeletal injury referrals
44 percent decrease in behavioral health profiles
79 percent decrease in substance abuse cases
22 percent decrease in fitness test failures
33 percent increase in expert rifle marksmanship qualification
Expanding the Tools
As part of continuous transformation, the Army is looking for unique ways to leverage technology to enhance the H2F program. Several units are experimenting with wearables like rings and watches that measure sleep efficiency, heart rate variability, and blood oxygen saturation—providing rich data to inform approaches to physical, nutritional, and sleep aspects of fitness. Today, entire Army divisions are turning physiological data into leader decision-making information. A company commander who knows his or her soldiers’ sleep scores, for example, is equipped with data to combine with other information to help select the most well-rested platoon to lead a dangerous mission. Individual soldiers will also learn the correlations that exist between their fueling, recovery, and performance habits, which will help in multiple facets of their personal lives.
The Army is also continually working to improve facilities and services that support H2F. Most units now have access to twenty-four-hour functional fitness gyms on post and many units utilize fitness containers—effectively, gyms in a box. Plans are also in place to build additional facilities to ensure soldiers at every post have adequate equipment to train. To improve nutrition, the Army is experimenting with campus-style dining facilities that will supplement, and in some cases replace, traditional dining facilities—affording soldiers a myriad of quick, 24/7 accessible healthy food options. A no excuse not to work out and no excuse not to eat healthy mentality now abounds across the Army.
Soldiering has no offseason and no time-outs, and wars wait on no one. When America calls, the Army responds. Unlike professional athletes who can vary training volume, intensity, and specific exercises over planned cycles or offseasons, a practice known as performance periodization, soldiers have no such luxury. Tactical athleticism via compound periodization is the goal for soldiers—ensuring peak performance at all times by developing key physical attributes (e.g., strength, endurance, and power) year-round to maximize efficiency, prevent burnout, and improve overall warfighting readiness. The H2F tools highlighted above aid in measuring and maximizing this readiness.
What’s Next?
Imagine two Army squads ascending Colorado’s Pikes Peak carrying fifty-pound fighting loads. Squad A trained to get to the top through push-ups, sit-ups, and miles of running. The soldiers of Squad B are warrior athletes who took the H2F approach. When Squad A’s soldiers finally struggle to the top, they’re just happy to be mission complete and they flop on the ground. The soldiers of Squad B assault the mountain, and when they get to the top, they still have enough juice to rip the arms off their adversaries and steamroll into the next mission. In their post-hike squad photo, they’re all standing tall—straight backs, satisfied smiles, and trap muscles extending inches above their shoulders so they almost appear to have no necks. For them the mission is just getting started, and their smirks seem to say, “Is that it? What’s next?”
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Welcome to the No Neck Army.
Retired General James Mingus served as the thirty-ninth vice chief of staff of the Army.
Colonel Graham White is an infantry officer and the executive officer to the vice chief of staff of the Army.
The views expressed are those of the authors and do not reflect the official position of the United States Military Academy, Department of the Army, or Department of Defense.
Strongway Gym Supplies has released squat rack cage packages to the market for exercise enthusiasts across the United Kingdom. The packages combine squat cage frames with safety features suited to home-based strength training, now available through the company’s online platform.
The power cage design centres on four vertical posts connected by horizontal crossbeams. Adjustable safety bars mount between the posts at various heights, catching the barbell if a lift cannot be completed. This safety mechanism becomes relevant during heavy squats or bench presses performed without a training partner present to assist with failed attempts.
J-hooks secure the barbell at the proper beginning positions for various exercises by fastening to the posts at predetermined heights. Quick adjustments between squats, presses, and other barbell movements are made possible by the hooks’ ability to slide up or down the posts and lock into position using pin mechanisms. Depending on the exercise being done, pull-up bars that extend across the top of the frame provide grip positions that vary from wide to narrow.
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Mandip Walia, Co-Director at Strongway Gym Supplies, said the cage addresses concerns people have about training alone at home. “Without someone there to spot, there’s always the question of what happens if the weight gets too heavy midway through a set,” he noted. “The safety bars remove that worry. Position them correctly and they’ll catch the bar before it pins someone. That makes a genuine difference in how hard someone can train when working solo, especially on exercises like squats where bail-out options are limited.”
Steel tubing forms the frame structure, with powder-coated finishes applied to resist corrosion in garage environments where humidity fluctuates. Bolt-together construction allows the cage to be disassembled if relocation becomes necessary, though the assembled weight often exceeds 100 kilograms once all components are secured together.
Weight storage pegs project from the rear posts on most models, keeping plates within reach whilst adding mass that stabilises the frame during use. The pegs typically accommodate enough plates to load a barbell for intermediate to advanced training sessions without running out of storage capacity.
The complete range of home fitness equipment, include squat racks, is available to be explored at: https://strongway.co.uk/collections/home-fitness.
The cages fit into garages, spare rooms, and basement areas commonly found in UK residential properties. Height clearance sits around 210 centimetres for most models, working under standard ceiling heights but potentially tight in older homes or loft conversions where ceilings run lower. Floor space requirements roughly match that of a small garden shed once the cage stands fully assembled.
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The width of the frame includes the length of the Olympic barbell and the space needed to safely enter and exit during exercises. If the dimensions are too narrow, the posts get in the way of natural movement patterns. If they are too wide, they take up too much floor space. Most manufacturers try to find a balance between these factors, but the exact measurements vary from model to model.
Band pegs feature on some cages, providing anchor points at floor level for resistance bands. This allows accommodating resistance during squats and presses, where band tension increases as the bar rises through the movement. The technique has found followers among strength training practitioners, though it remains less widespread than traditional plate loading.
Full details about the squat rack power cage can be viewed at: https://strongway.co.uk/products/strongway-multi-gym-squat-rack-power-cage.
Randeep Walia, Co-Director at Strongway Gym Supplies, remarked that cage packages align with how people actually approach home training. “Training at home has proven effective for improving muscle strength, endurance, and power when maintained consistently,” he explained. “Frequency matters more than location. Training more than three times weekly produces better outcomes, and having a cage at home eliminates the travel time and scheduling constraints that often interrupt consistency. The cage becomes the foundation. Everything else—bench, bar, plates—gets arranged around it.”
Dispatch runs across mainland UK addresses with timelines confirmed during checkout. The cages arrive in multiple boxes given the size and weight of individual components. Instructions guide assembly, though managing the heavier frame sections works considerably better with two people rather than attempting solo construction.
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Packages can be purchased as cage-only units or complete setups that include benches, barbells, and weight plates. Pricing reflects the total equipment included, with buyers selecting options based on what they already own versus what needs acquiring.
The release tracks with patterns observed in the UK home fitness market where demand for core strength training equipment holds steady. Power cages appeal to users seeking barbell training capabilities with built-in safety features, particularly relevant for individuals training without supervision or access to spotters during heavier lifting sessions.
Those interested in exploring the range of exercise equipment available at Strongway Gym Supplies can visit: https://strongway.co.uk/.
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For more information about Strongway Gym Supplies, contact the company here:
Strongway Gym Supplies Mandip Walia +44-800-001-6093 sales@strongway.co.uk Strongway Gym Supplies, 26 The Pavilion, Coventry CV3 1QP, United Kingdom
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