<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Finding the time to work out can be difficult at any time of the year, especially during the winter. When the cold and blustery weather arrives, the idea of heading out to the gym, or actually finding enough time to fit in a workout in the daylight, becomes more and more challenging. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400">With the winter comes freezing cold temperatures, dark nights and snow and that means wanting to stay warm and snug. You can still stay fit and well (and warm!) during winter, all you need to do is create a home workout that can be just as beneficial as visiting the gym. It’s also stress-free, budget-friendly and customisable to suit your needs. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Yoga is the perfect workout to do at home. By creating a home routine, you can move and adjust at your own pace, stretch as much as you like and practice some of the more difficult poses that you might not feel comfortable doing in a busy class setting. All you need to get going is some self-motivation, some performance wear designed to move with you, and you’ll have sorted out your home routine in no time. Brands like </span><a href="https://a-gameactive.com/"><span style="font-weight: 400">A-Game</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> produce quality yoga wear that not only keeps you warm in the colder months, but also promotes circulation as you move through each movement. Here are some great tips and ideas to get your yoga routine perfected so that you can start sooner rather than later. </span></p>
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<p><b>Get Moving</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Move away from the idea that yoga needs to have a set time and place, or that you need to be wearing certain clothes for it to be called yoga. Start off with the poses that you know and ones which feel good to your body. The best thing about a home workout is that you can do it for as long as you want. Whether you wake up and move for 30 minutes in the morning or do a 45 minute session to wind down before bed, there is no bad time when it comes to a </span><a href="https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/pilates-and-yoga/yoga-with-lj/"><span style="font-weight: 400">yoga workout</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400">When you’re feeling stressed, anxious or just the need to move and stretch, yoga enables you to completely stop what you are doing, step away and move and breathe. It helps you to refocus your energy, calm and relax your mind and see the bigger picture. Sometimes it is all you need to complete your to-do list with a positive energy.</span></p>
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<p><b>Designate A Spot For Practice</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">You may find that once you have a designated spot within your home, you’re more likely to stick to your workout routine. Once you have a spot sorted out, you may want to have flowers or candles in the area to help achieve the right mindset to switch off and workout. Find a space which has a peaceful and calming tone. Unless you are following an online video, try and stay away from your TV or mobile. </span></p>
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<p><b>Schedule The Time</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">If you exercise on an ad-hoc basis, you may find yourself working out on random days or times. Set up a calendar of what you need to do every day and keep it open on your phone or computer. Schedule out your work deadlines, meetings, dates, birthdays and workouts within this time, so that you can get a calm and structured view of your month. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400">If you feel like you can’t find time for a workout, take a second look at your calendar. You will find that you have some spare time here and there, even if it just 10 minutes, to unwind on the yoga mat. Set yourself weekly workout goals, whether it’s 3 times a week or just 20 minutes on a Friday evening. The more you practice, the more benefits you will feel and see and practising will become more natural for you. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Having a set selection of clothes which you wear for your workouts will also make you find the time. Whilst you should workout in whatever you feel comfortable in, don’t use what you wear for workouts for anything else. If they are in the wash or need ironing, you will find excuses not to workout. Having a set collection of workout clothes that you wash after each wear will keep you focused, whether you wear a favourite old t-shirt or crop tops, as long as you are comfortable and are ready to workout is all that matters!</span></p>
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<p><b>Set Yoga Date Nights</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">To make working out more fun, set up regular yoga date nights with your partner or friends. You can get together at one another’s places and do yoga and then cook a healthy dinner for you to enjoy afterwards. Not only does this make it more fun, but it will keep you motivated and you’ll begin to make yourself accountable for how regularly you workout. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Meeting up with friends and your partner will also have a positive effect on your mental health, as you’ll feel much happier and have something positive that you can look forward to each week. </span></p>
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<p><b>Simple Yoga Routines</b></p>
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<p><b>Child’s Pose</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Start with this to steady your breathing and relax. Check in with how you are feeling and begin to clear your mind. </span></p>
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<p><b>Cat-Cow</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Start in tabletop and slowly move through the Cat-Cow move, going with the flow of your breathing. This will warm up your spine and back muscles. Inhale for the Cow pose, and exhale for Cat.</span></p>
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<p><b>Downward Dog</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">From tabletop, flow into Downward Dog. Begin to peddle outwards with your feet and bend slowly into your knees. Lift your right leg, then the left. This will provide a good stretch throughout your hamstrings and calves and open up your chest and shoulders. This is a great move to do in the morning, as it will wake you up and leave you feeling energised. </span></p>
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<p><b>Warrior</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Warrior is a pose which enables you to move and flow however you please. Start with the Sun Salutation pose and then move at your own pace and ability into the Warrior pose. From here you can flow into whatever you feel like. If you really want to work your core and get your heart rate up, flow into some planks or add in some core work to strengthen your core and back muscles. </span></p>
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<p><b>Forward Bend</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">If you spend a lot of your day sat at a desk, then the Forward Bend move will not only stretch out your hamstrings but your lower back and hips too. It also puts gentle pressure on the digestive organs and helps to calm your mind and nervous system. Once you have done this move a few time, feel free to try any other move which you feel your body needs. </span></p>
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<p><b>Savasana</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Perhaps the most important pose of all, the Savasana pose lets your body and mind completely let go. If you can, turn off or dim the light, lie down and close your eyes. Make a conscious effort to relax every part of your body, from your head down to your toes. Try and stay in this position for as long as you can, before slowly opening your eyes and rising to a seated position. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Once you have committed to yoga for a while, you may feel that you are more present and your stress and anxiety levels have reduced. You may also be sleeping better and feel more energised. Yoga is a great exercise to do in the comfort of your own home, especially in the winter, and comes with so many benefits. You can practice in your own time, at your own pace and still feel amazing afterwards. </span></p>

Yoga For Winter Months: How To Stay Healthy in Winter 2025
