Did you complete the sofa to 5km, follow a fitness expert on YouTube, pay a fortune for at-home gym equipment, or join a pre-COVID fitness class through Zoom during lockdown? Looking back at 2020, the weather was good, the nights were light, and you may have escaped joining the average Brit who piled on over 15lbs- brilliant!

But, winter is about to hit, and nights are getting darker, and good weather is not guaranteed. So, how are you planning on making sure this new and healthy you continues to be just that- especially if we experience another winter lockdown?

Train anywhere

If you’re a fair weather runner and you still want to get that cardio in, find a low impact HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout online. The reason I say low impact, is that you may want to give your joints a bit of a rest from running while you can. Low impact HIIT based exerice can be done anywhere; a bedroom, kitchen, garage, lounge-wherever. All you need is a suitable clothing, a non-slip floor, a pair of trainers, and you’re off! Low impact HIIT workouts burn more calories than a normal cardio session, and the intensity comes from how hard you work, not how hard the impact. If you want to give it a go LiveFit Wales/Cymru run live online session, and you can also find over 2 million videos on Youtube to get you started.

Grab a bargain

Not managed to get your hands on reasonably priced dumbbells or home gym equipment? Keep checking Facebook Marketplace for local sellers. Alternatively, the next time you have a medium sized bottle of water, fill it with sand after drinking it, to use as a dumbbell substitute. It’s heavier than a tin of beans, and easier to hold.

Zoom, zoom

Whatever the exercise you have fallen in love with this year, there’s always a way to continue your health and fitness journey, even if we face another lockdown, or the weather becomes less outdoor-friendly. Most online classes are held through Zoom, so my biggest tip is to download it and get to grips with how to use it.

Night-time running

Being visible as a runner in the dark is essential. here are my top tips:

• Wear bright and reflective clothing
• Wear or carry lights and a mobile phone
• Run the side road in the direction of oncoming traffic if there’s no pathway
• Don’t listen to music
• Run in well lit or populated areas
• Run with a friend and if you can’t ensure someone at home is able to track your location via GPS
• Pay attention to your surroundings

This winter can be the time where you create your strongest, healthiest, fittest body, mind and soul. With so much emphasis on being able to look after yourself at home at your fingertips, I hope you get to enjoy the process, and are ready to feel and look amazing to reset next year.