Should I alter my winter training?

Winter is coming… Picture the scene, it’s training day. You’re following your training plan to the letter, your nutrition continues to improve and your body is injury free. You’re on a training streak, hitting your goals and succeeding on every level you can. Nothing can you stop you, an unstoppable, formidable force of nature, hurtling towards an inevitable victorious outcome. But today isn’t like any ordinary day, today it’s cold. Today you like the look of your bed a bit more than your running shoes. Today the prospect of training with your team fills you with dread and you’d rather stay in and binge watch another few episodes of a series you fully expect to get better but doesn’t. Where did it all go wrong? What can you do to prevent this? Training in the cold can be physically unforgiving, psychologically challenging and ultimately a game changer when it comes to fitness. But if you fail to prepare for any upcoming weather, the joke really is on you as preparation is incredibly simple. Let’s break it down into a few key questions.

• Do you need to adapt your training?

• Does your sport take place outdoors or have a winter season? For example, football or rugby

• If so, do you need to change your routine at all as you’ll be playing in those conditions?

Training during the winter months is about staying injury-free and not taking unnecessary risks. The same goes for any indoor sports – keep as much training as you can in the environment your sport takes place. Any type of sport or exercise during the winter will require a longer warm up so don’t hide in the changing rooms next to the heater. Get out on the field early – your injury-free winter will thank you when spring arrives.

• What should I wear?

It’s a little bit obvious this one but nonetheless the answer remains subject to debate. There is no generic answer to this. You should wear appropriate clothing for your sport. If you’re running or cycling you still want to have clothes that allow you to move. Focus on your extremities with hats and gloves, potentially a neck scarf depending on the circumstances. A sport such as football is the same advice with the addition of a long sleeved shirt or extra layer of clothing underneath your normal kit. Leggings are a grey area, runners are often seen sporting them. Whatever clothing you choose to wear it should be fit for purpose and where possible, allow you to play your sport without limitation. If it gets in the way, it’s not worth it. If you feel the need to wear it, question whether you should train at all. Sometimes its best not to train, during the snow for example, as the risk may outweigh the reward.

• What are the benefits of cold weather training?

• Why train at all?

It could be argued that it is the ultimate excuse for postponing training. The biggest benefits are up for debate, however one thing is for sure, cold weather training does provide a mental edge. The discipline to complete a task that you know will be a hard effort before you begin provides a psychological advantage that could be the difference between success or failure. Training in any adverse environment can provide this, but before you start doing push ups in the sauna, as long as you prepare correctly (see above points) the cold could provide you with the lesson you need to give you the edge over your competitors or yourself. Training in the cold is for winners, no doubt. We walk into gyms and onto fields with the aim of improving our skills, our reflexes, our fitness, but we never talk about our resilience. The cold is our teacher, endure its lesson, but failing to prepare is preparing to fail.