Winter Running: Bad Weather Alternatives

Today I want to talk about how to fit in a sweat session when the weather really isn't favourable! Good on you if you can manage to tough it out through the snow and ice- it can be a great way to make your run more challenging and, with such beautiful scenery, more interesting! However, sometimes that just isn't possible, or safe, and particularly for people who struggle with asthma (like myself) running in cold weather can really aggravate the condition and make breathing hard work.

Here are some of my alternatives to pounding the pavements...

1. Take your running to the treadmill or your cycling to the turbo trainer. I find running on the treadmill pretty boring, so I try to do intervals or hill sessions varying the speed and incline to keep things interesting! Here are some of my latest workouts for half marathon training:

Both of these take under half an hour, so are perfect to squeeze in during your lunch break or a quiet moment.

2. Do a DVD/YouTube video. I have a playlist on YouTube of Yoga for Runners videos, as well as some Foam Roller Exercises for Runners which are great to turn to on a rest day or after a workout.

3. Mix it up with some indoor cross-training- head to a climbing wall, an exercise class or a badminton court. Try something new! Sweaty Betty are a great option if you're trying to save some money, offering free classes at their studios up and down the country,  ranging from Pilates, Yoga, Boxfit and Barrecore!

4. Make up your own indoor circuit, using weights, bodyweight exercises, skipping rope- whatever you have to hand. Steph and I used to do outdoor circuits during our work lunch-hour, but a lot of these can be adapted to indoor sessions too- check out my Pinterest board for more ideas!

5. Try a snowy workout- embrace the cold weather and go ice skating, sledding, even shovelling snow can be hard work!

6. Sneak some more activity into your daily routine. Since buying a Jawbone UP24 in the Black Friday sales, I've become much more aware how inactive I can be during the day. I make a point to get up at regular intervals in the office to refill my glass of water, make a cup of tea, or go and speak to colleagues rather than sending emails. If you can, maybe try and get off the train/bus a stop earlier and walk that last stretch to work too!

Where do you draw the line with cold winter weather? How do you fit in a workout when the weather is too bad to run? 

Beki x