As winter rolls in with its shorter days and colder temperatures, keeping your fitness clients motivated can feel like an uphill battle. It’s a time when the cozy warmth of indoors often wins over the chilly call of the gym. But fear not, fellow personal trainers. With the correct set of workouts and the cutting-edge functionalities of our all-in-one fitness app, you can turn this challenge into a thriving opportunity.
In this guide, we’re diving into the best winter workouts that will not only keep your clients engaged but also ensure their fitness journey stays on track, even when the mercury drops. From dynamic indoor routines that defy the confines of the gym walls to embracing the crisp outdoor air with exhilarating activities, we’ve got you covered. And the cherry on top? Our app’s suite of features is designed to seamlessly blend into your professional toolkit, helping you to create, schedule, and track these winter workouts with ease.
So, grab your training gear, and let’s explore how you can keep your clients fired up this winter, ensuring their fitness goals don’t hibernate until spring!
Winter Workout Essentials
In winter, you have two options: workout inside, where it’s warm, or exercise outside, taking advantage of seasonal temperatures. Before we dive into my preferred list of winter workouts to get my client’s heart pumping, let’s look at the pros and cons of both indoor and outdoor winter activities.
Adapting to Indoor Settings
If you love the outdoors like I do, then you’ll have to learn to adapt to an indoor workout lifestyle for the months of winter. Some of your clients will also have a challenge on their hands regarding adaptation to the winter.
In the US alone, more than 10 million people are dealing with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). That’s a total of 3% of the entire country(1). Anyone who suffers from this disorder will have extra reasons to hibernate for the winter. Your job is to motivate them to get them moving and help stave off the worst effects of SAD via regular exercise.
Embracing the Outdoors
Explore outdoor workouts that are feasible in winter, such as brisk walking, jogging, or snow sports, and how these can be integrated and tracked using the app. Many clients will respond positively to a nice change of pace from the warmer months.
You’ll need to ensure that you have each individual’s needs in mind. People who suffer from ailments like Psoriasis, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), Asthma, Arthritis, and even those with the flu are all prone to worsening health effects due to the cold weather(2).
The 17 Best Winter Workouts To Keep Clients On Track
I’ll order the 17 winter workout ideas from the most universally effective and accessible to the least, considering factors such as ease of access, equipment requirements, and suitability for a broad range of fitness levels.
- Bodyweight Workouts: Highly accessible with no equipment needed; suitable for all fitness levels.
- High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Indoors: Offers quick and effective workouts that are adaptable to different fitness levels.
- Yoga and Flexibility Work: Accessible to most people, requires minimal equipment, and is excellent for all fitness levels.
- Pilates: Similar to yoga in accessibility, focusing on core strength and flexibility.
- Circuit Training: A balanced mix of cardio and strength, easily adaptable to different fitness levels.
- Strength Training Routines: Requires some equipment but is highly effective for a broad audience.
- Boxing or Kickboxing Workouts: High-intensity and fun, but might require some essential equipment like gloves.
- Indoor cardio options (e.g., treadmill, stationary bike): These are effective for cardiovascular health but require specific equipment.
- Virtual Fitness Classes: Accessible to those with internet access; effectiveness depends on the type of class.
- Kettlebell Workouts: Versatile for strength and cardio but requires kettlebells.
- Rowing: Excellent full-body workout, but requires a rowing machine.
- Spinning or Indoor Cycling: Great for cardio; requires a stationary bike.
- Outdoor Cardio Options (Running, Jogging, Brisk Walking): Weather-dependent but accessible and effective for those who don’t suffer from conditions aggravated by the cold.
- Stair Climbing: Easily accessible, though intensity might vary based on the environment.
- Mindfulness and Meditation: More for mental health, less about physical fitness, but beneficial for overall well-being. Also, this is accessible to anyone, and no equipment is required.
- Aqua Aerobics or Swimming: Effective but requires access to an indoor pool.
- Indoor Rock Climbing and Snow Activities (Skiing, Snowshoeing): Highly engaging and effective but the least accessible due to specific location and equipment requirements.
This order is based on a general assessment of accessibility and effectiveness for a wide range of people. As personal trainers, we can further tailor these suggestions based on the specific needs and circumstances of the client. Remember, a personalized approach will always get better client engagement.
Keeping Clients Engaged and Motivated
I’ve got three things that I focus on to keep my clients engaged and motivated. Here’s how I do it:
Customization and Personalization: In my years of experience as a top professional trainer, I find that the personalization of workouts to cater to the strengths and needs of the client is typically more effective than ‘one size fits all’ solutions.
Progress Tracking: Here’s where an app like Elite Trainr is really a bonus. Using the built-in dashboard, you and your client can track their progress together, enabling you to help keep them engaged easily.
Ongoing Communications: Ensure you maintain close contact with your clients to help motivate them through the cold winter months.
According to research, as many as 31% of the population feels negative about winter, and another 13% strongly dislike, even hate, winter(3).
The numbers tell us that 44% of people don’t care for winter. With your ongoing support and communication with your clients, you can help them through these dreary months with specialized workouts and results tracking.
Utilizing App Features for Enhanced Experience
One of the best-kept secrets to successfully navigating winter with your personal training clients is to use a robust platform like Elite Trainr to manage your clients throughout the whole year.
The customizable dashboard is brandable, so you can shine like the pro that you are. Furthermore, with features like over 3000 animated GIFs to help you create those winter workouts that will keep the clients on track and coming back for more, you really can’t go wrong (unless you don’t use something like Elite Trainr, that is).
Embrace the Chill: Powering Through Winter with Elite Workouts
As we wrap up our journey through the 17 top winter workouts, it’s clear that the cold months don’t have to be a time of fitness hibernation. Whether it’s the simplicity and universal appeal of bodyweight exercises, the dynamic energy of HIIT, the calming flow of yoga and Pilates, or the exhilarating freshness of outdoor activities, there’s something for every client.
Your role as a personal trainer transcends the boundaries of just being a fitness guide. It’s about being a motivator, an innovator, and a supporter, especially when the winter blues hit hard. By personalizing workouts, leveraging the power of progress tracking, and maintaining ongoing communication, you can turn the winter season into a period of growth and achievement for your clients.
Remember, Elite Trainr is more than just an app; it’s your partner in this journey. With its customizable features, a vast library of exercises, and branding options, it empowers you to shine as a professional and keeps your clients engaged and motivated.
As winter unfurls its chill, let’s not just endure but thrive. Use these workouts, embrace the technology, and, most importantly, channel your expertise and passion to keep those fitness flames burning bright. Together, we can turn the coldest season into a time of warm triumphs and continued progress.
Here’s to a winter of wellness, achievement, and empowerment. Let’s make it count.
Additional Resources
- Coaching Through The Holidays: Tips To Keep Your Fitness Clients On Track
- How to Choose the Perfect Personal Training Niche
- A Step-by-Step Guide to Opening a Personal Training Studio
- Earnings Unveiled: What Top Fitness Professionals Really Make
Article Sources
- “Seasonal Affective Disorder Impacts 10 Million Americans. Are You One of Them?” 2019. Boston University. November 2019. https://www.bu.edu/articles/2019/seasonal-affective-disorder/.
- Mbagwu, Edith. 2019. “Can Cold Weather Make Health Conditions Worse?” Ochsner Health System. Ochsner Health System. February 19, 2019. https://blog.ochsner.org/articles/can-cold-weather-make-health-conditions-worse.
- Lamar, Brian. 2022. “We Made It: Public Perceptions on Winter – EMI.” EMI. March 29, 2022. https://emi-rs.com/2022/03/29/we-made-it-public-perceptions-on-winter/#:~:text=Overall%2C%20most%20people%20tend%20to,people%20say%20they%20hate%20winter..