4 Ways to Train When the Weather Is Crap

If your weather’s anything like the weather here at the mo, it’s not very inviting to go out and run in. I’m okay if it starts to rain while I’m out – in fact, I can breathe easier when it’s raining – but when it’s damp and grey and drizzly, it’s hard to motivate myself to get out there in the first place. 

But, if you’ve got an event coming up, you need to get your training done, so what’s a girl or guy to do? Train indoors, obvs. You have plenty of options, here are some of them: 

1. Go to the gym

You can do all the training you want at the gym. Run on the treadmill, cycle on the stationary bike (or do a spin class – spin is great training), go on the crosstrainer (these are also great if you’re injured and avoiding high impact training such as running), or do some rowing. Just don’t forget your MP3 player otherwise you’ll have to listen to the gym’s taste in music, which is usually rubbish. Oh, and don’t do what I did once and forget to take your trainers. 

2. Set up a home gym

Depending on the space and budget you have available, you can buy as much or as little equipment as you like. You could convert your garage into a gym and install a treadmill, stationary bike, crosstrainer, rowing machine, step machine, weight machines and free weights, and then you’re all set up to exercise to your little heart’s content. If you don’t want all that equipment or you only want equipment for a short period of time – for example you’re training just for one event; a marathon, say, and you have no intention of ever running again afterwards, you could hire a treadmill and/or other fitness equipment, then when you no longer need it, you haven’t got the inconvenience of it hanging around the house unused and taking up space. 

3. Use exercise DVDs/videos 

Fitness DVDs aren’t all Jane Fonda-esque aerobics, so if you don’t fancy poncing about in a leotard and legwarmers, there are plenty of other DVDs, so you’re sure to find one that suits you. Personally, I’ve got body pump DVDs I bought on eBay, a kettlebells DVD and a couple of other strength-training DVDs and there are also websites like Fitness Blender that have a huge number of exercise videos for you to choose from. 

4. Stay in bed

Did you know men burn approximately 100 calories during sex, while women – appropriately enough – burn 69? So, when you wake up on a Sunday morning and see the weather’s a bit crap and you can’t be bothered to go out for a run or bike ride, have sex with your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife/cat instead. (I’m joking about the cat. Please don’t have sex withyour cat.) 

So, those are four ways to get your training in when the weather’s bad. Remember though, training indoors shouldn’t be a complete replacement for training outside but it can be handy now and again and it’s better than nothing.