Let's take this inside

This is the time of year when running outside becomes increasingly difficult. Mornings are pitch black, evenings aren't much better and it's also cold and invariably wet. Even the hardest of the hardcore struggles to keep to their outdoor running schedule meaning there is no hope for the more fickle runner.

So do you settle for a winter of regular guilt-trips on the days you know you should go running but really can't face it? No. Join a gym for the few months that nature makes outdoor running near impossible.

You will really enjoy the change to your excersie routine and can take advantage of all the different pieces of equipment, using them to tone up your whole body and to do a bit of cross-training. You can attend classes, use extra facilities like swimming pools and saunas and you may find that your friends and family are keen to exercise with you again now that you're not suggesting a two-hour run.

That's not to say you have to completely abandon outdoor running for the three or four months you belong to the gym, you can still go for a longer run outdoors on a Sunday. In fact if you've got a race coming up it is not a good idea to kick the outdoor running in altogether. You'll probably find that you enjoy doing that a lot more if you're only doing it once a week too.

So the winter doesn't have mean endless guilt-trips and the gain of a few extra kg. Use it as an opportunity to revitalise your fitness and your exercise regime.

Image by Kapungo