Let the seasonal moodiness begin — daylight savings time ends November 3rd. Yes, in just a few days, the clocks are going back, forcing us to give up those late-night sunsets for an extra hour of sleep.
With the end of daylight savings, you’re going to have to adjust your routine and prepare for the winter months ahead.
No worries — we’ve got ten tips to help you keep working-out despite less daylight hours.
1. Use HIIT to maximize your workout
With less light in the day, you’re bound to get tired sooner. Take advantage of the time spent energized with high intensity interval training (HIIT), a routine that combines convenience with vigorous exercises.
A workout that’s time efficient and effective, HIIT is a good way to get the most out of your training without taking too much time out of your day.
In fact, recent studies have shown HIIT exercises may yield better results related to fat loss and strength gain than traditional cardio or strength training — all in a shorter amount of time.1
2. Workout At Sunrise
Since the mornings are bound to be brutal and adjusting will take some time, you might want to use the sun to your advantage. It is, after all, our evolutionary alarm clock. When your eyes are exposed to sunlight, your body stops producing melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep schedule. 2
If morning cardio is your go-to, running or cycling to the early morning rays might be a good way to fully wake you up and help you transition to standard-time a little bit faster.
Sunrise is around 7:15 am. Get up and get after it.
3. Stay Prepared For The Weather
It’s only getting colder. In turn, it will be harder for you to get out of the house and into the gym if you don’t have the right gear. Luckily, we just stocked up all on all new apparel for both men and women.
We’ve got winter coats, vests, and hoodies perfect for bitter mornings and colder nights. Check out this winter’s best looks below.
4. Workout With A Friend
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that getting to the gym is a whole lot easier when you have a friend to hold you to your word and rag on you when you’re slacking off. If you’re having trouble exercising three to five times a week, try working out with a friend.
Together, figure out a schedule and a routine for each day of exercise and stick to it. This way you can develop a mutual goal and push each other to achieve it.
5. Try A Class
Whether it’s a HIIT class, kickboxing, or a spin class, there are so many options when it comes to choosing an exercise class to take. The advantage here is that scheduling a class to take incentivizes you to get to a gym or exercise studio at a given time.
It’s amazing how much more productive you can be when you want to get your money’s worth. So try something new! Step out of your comfort zone and take a class that pushes you to the next level.
Take Home Message
Transitioning from daylight savings time into standard-time can be rough. During this time, it's important to focus on your nutrition and recovery to avoid falling victim to flu season. It also has a habit of making people sluggish and less productive. Follow these 5 tips and you'll be all set for winter training.
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- Mansour, Stephanie. A 15 Minute Full Body HIIT Workout. NBC news.
- Mead, M. Benefits of Sunlight: A Bright Spot For Human Health. NCBI. 2019.
A Fordham University graduate, Ian majored in communications and media studies with a focus in journalism and a minor in anthropology during his time at college. Here, he wrote for the university newspaper ranked top ten in the nation.
A competitive athlete for most of his life, Ian has spent almost a decade working as an ocean rescue lifeguard in New Jersey. Within that role, he has competed in endurance sports competitions against other lifeguards for the last 8 years.
As a lifelong surfer, Ian spends most of his spare time in the ocean regardless of the time of year. He also enjoys distance running, photography, and frequently spending entirely too much money on concert tickets.
