It’s hard to muster up the enthusiasm to workout outdoors when you have to bundle up before you head out! What you really want to do — and the last thing you should do — is open the wine, sit on the sofa and pull on a cosy throw in front of the TV.

But come on…. it’s only winter! Don’t be beaten by a little chill in the air or drizzle of rain. Exercise is one of the best ways to beat the winter blues brought on by the shorter days. Get your mindset on going and get your gear ready so you have no excuses

Once you get outside, you’ll be glad you stuck to your plan — and you’ll find out pretty quickly that cold air can perk you up to get moving!

Here are our top tips for exercising outdoors this winter:

• Protect yourself. Dress in layers of soft, breathable fabrics such as bamboo, organic cotton, and merino wool. Adjust layers according to your body heat — remove them as you warm up, and put them back on as you cool down. Take care to protect your head, hands, and neck with hats, gloves, and scarves, and don’t neglect any exposed skin — apply layers of sun protection and lip balm as needed.

• Warm up…for a little longer than usual and increase your heart rate and body temp slowly. When it comes to the cold weather, it’s really important to make sure your muscles aren’t stiff, so take the time to warm up slowly to prevent pulling a muscle and you’ll cool down faster so layer back up and get back indoors as quickly as you can.

• Stay hydrated. We tend to forget that we can get dehydrated when exercising in cold weather just as we do in hotter temperatures, so it’s still extremely important to up your water intake. The same goes for fuel, even if you aren’t out to run a marathon in the cold, getting a hearty helping of carbohydrate an hour or two before vigorous exercise can make all the difference.

• Winter Rules

 It is important at this time of year to take extra care when heading outdoors. Pathways can become quite slippery particularly in the morning and evenings. If you see ice on the pavements and think you’ll switch to running in the curbside, be extra careful to wear brightly colored clothing to help drivers spot you. Make sure you have the proper footwear to lessen the chances of slipping and falling. It’s advisable to head into traffic to be extra safe.