How to train during winter

During the winter, it is always difficult for me to find the mental energy to cope with training in the dark and the cold at the end of an already difficult working day. The traffic and the carelessness of motorists expose us to great risks; the loosely lit cities and the harsh climate are certainly not great allies. In spite of this, even in winter I don't lack the desire to train and, by finding a few compromises, I manage to continue improving thanks to productive training sessions.

First of all, it is essential to have the right gear so that you can make yourself as visible as possible. I do this by wearing technical garments designed specifically for the purpose such as those from the Asics Lite Show line, but also simple flashing lights that can be easily applied with clips or a frontal light that you can find in the Petzl or Silva stores.

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In the area where I live, options decrease considerably during the winter because, as I go out in the late afternoon, I have no way of going on the trails and also the lighting in the towns is scarce, so I find few circuits in quiet, safe areas where I can do as many repetitions as I want. Therefore, once a week I include a more intense session to be run on the track, both because it is very useful to run short or repetitions at high intensity, but also because the athletics field is isolated from traffic, it is lit up and is frequented by several people with whom you can share the pain or the gain.

When I try and break up the routine by indulging in a midweek run in the daylight, I can sometimes find myself struggling. That's why, when I manage to have a longer lunch break, I squeeze in a slow running workout in the middle of the day. A short hour, no more, and at a low intensity so as not to affect the afternoon's work output too severely.

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Winter is also the time of year that, for more than one reason, suits muscle strengthening work. Always with the aim of making training as varied as possible and also to introduce different training stimuli, a good suggestion is to include gym sessions, for which you don't necessarily need to commute if you acquire some small and useful home equipment (elastic bands, kettelbells, weights, a mat...). At weekends, on the other hand, I make the most of the available daylight hours for longer running sessions and more demanding work that I would not be able to carry out on weeknights.

As it is a period for me that is far enough away from competitions, I can also take more days of rest: the benefits are certainly mental, but also physical. In fact, the stress that we subject ourselves to on a daily basis certainly contributes to making our bodies more resistant, but also, at certain times, our immune system is more vulnerable and we can contract seasonal illnesses. Ultimately, I advise everyone not to stop exercising even during the cold season because with the right equipment, a bit of company, and a few different workouts, winter passes quickly and it is better to make it to spring and to the first competitions already quite fit!

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Thank you Gloria Giudici for your valuable advice!

For more tips, please consult our Running Hub.

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