Hi folks, I was due to complete last month’s two part article on Heart Rate Zones this month. On reflection this can be quite a heavy topic and not particularly good for light Christmas reading. So next month we will dig a little deeper into HRZs but this month we will touch upon winter training and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)...

SAD & UNMOTIVATED?

Hi folks, I was due to complete last month’s two part article on Heart Rate Zones this month. On reflection this can be quite a heavy topic and not particularly good for light Christmas reading. So next month we will dig a little deeper into HRZs but this month we will touch upon winter training and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Clever winter training

The much shorter days and colder, wetter weather can really play havoc with any outdoor training plan or sport/hobby. It is easy to miss days that quickly build up into missed weeks. If you are a runner or especially a cyclist it is hard to justify stepping out the front door to endure any number of hours of cold, windy, rainy and even dark conditions.

The question is do you really need to endure them. Well rather controversially for the vast majority most of us the answer is no.  Wouldn’t it be great to save the long runs and rides for glorious winter days where you can really enjoy the conditions. Now imagine for the rest of the time working hard indoors with your favourite tunes playing with the winter conditions behind a closed door. Surely that will be more sustainable and enjoyable.

Of course it would, but how can you keep sport specific fit? Well most professional sportspeople employ a periodisation training model (bear with me) meaning that they cycle their training rather than simply repeating the same programme infinitum. This avoids plateauing and stalling their progress.

It might look something like this:

Weeks 1 - 8: General Preparatory Phase (GPP): building a general strength and endurance base

Weeks 9 - 16: Special Preparatory Phase (SPP): developing sports specific qualities

Weeks 16 - 48: Competition Phase (CP): maintaining athlete’s fitness during competitions

Weeks 48 - 52: Transition Phase (TP): physical and mental recovery with light movements

So what does this mean?

Simply put ‘general fitness’ is transferable between sporting disciplines. A runner for example will spend a fair bit of training devoted to running technique and duration over the distance that they normally compete over. But serious runners will also introduce interval training, sprinting, strength training etc on a cyclic level.

When I was a good few years younger than I am now I did a four month ship’s deployment to the West Indies. As a result space was limited and running was not an option. So I took part in the ship’s company fitness circuits whenever I could. After four months of hard work I returned home and ran my local 5 mile fun run route nearly five minutes quicker than my previous Personal best.

So don’t get hung up on not being able to get outside and train: join in with some circuit training, hit the gym and lift heavy stuff or jump in the pool and thrash out some lengths. By doing so you will maintain/improve your overall fitness and enjoy some or all of the following physical and mental benefits:

1. Weight loss
2. Positive body image
3. Energy boost/mood enhancement
4. Increased blood flow
5. Increased immunity
6. Reduced stress levels, anxiety and depression

As I say to my clients and circuit goers “train hard but train smart”

Have a Great Christmas and may your fitness journey continue into 2020.