LEONIE'S HOT TIP FOR TRAINING IN WINTER

Let me introduce you to the lovely Leonie. 
The evening crew know Leonie as the bubbly, funny, upbeat & hilarious Blitzfitter who’s always got a smile on her face and makes the sessions nothing short of entertaining….even when she’s burpee-ing (is that even a word??)!  There’s never a dull moment with Leonie and we can't get enough of her enthusiasm!

But I bet you didn’t know this fascinating fact about her….
 
Leonie actually was part of a boot camp in the UK for a few years. 
 
OK so before I go on, what springs to mind when you think about the UK – it’s cold, grey, rainy, drizzly, miserable sometimes, snowy, sleety and can be absolutely freezing!!!!  But you know what?   She still consistently did OUTDOOR boot camps while she was there….. out in the elements….with a MILITARY fitness group……run by a guy called Jason who called himself THE GLADIATOR…..
 
She trained outdoors when the warmest was 3 degrees during the day and 0 degress (or lower!) by the time she trained at 6pm. 
 
And it got me thinking – this would be normal for people in the UK.  They'd probably accept that they live in a colder environment and understand why they can’t let the weather determine whether or not they stay fit and healthy.  They just get on with it. 
 
But how do you train in such cold conditions? HOW?  It’s so cold! Can you imagine doing tiger crawls in the snow? We complain when there’s a light shower & tiger crawling on the wet grass making our hands get a bit dirty! 

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leonie's #1 hot tip

So as she’s the expert in cold weather training, we asked Leonie for her number one hot tip on training in the cold so that we – here in cushy Brisbane, where it doesn’t get colder than about 5 degrees in winter - can learn to embrace the weather and not let it stand in our way to reaching our fitness goals.
 
Leonie says:  “My top tip for training in the cold - learning the art of layering.
I used to wear a singlet, t-shirt, a long sleeve shirt and thick leggings. When it got really cold (below zero, I think minus 6 was the coldest) it was also two pairs of socks, gloves, jumper and a beanie. And we used to run around a lot!!! 
 
There was no luxury of towels and lights either, it was running through the park, doing exercises wherever you stop and by whatever light was in the park. Then when we finished, we’d put on our jumpers back and a very warm jacket straight away - then heaters full blast in the car but that was to get rid of the ice sometimes starting to form on the windscreen!!!
 
We would train, rain, hail, sunshine or snow!!!”
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leonie's most memorable boot camp story

So we asked Leonie what was one of her most memorable stories about boot camping in the UK?
Leonie says:  “My most memorable training session in the cold was when it snowed during the day so by the time I got to training, it was all nicely white, cold and in some areas a bit slippery. It was a lot of fun trying to complete the exercises required and not fall over and injure yourself!!  And floor work like sit-ups was not off limits either!! Also because it was winter, the council park I used to train in closed it gates before we finished so we would have to then find a place to jump over the fence to get out.”
 
So compared to Leonie’s experiences in the UK, you’ve got to admit that we’ve got it pretty good here in Brissy.  Even when we’re at winter’s coldest.
 
So I guess the thing to remember now that the weather is cooling down is – dress for the season.  In summer, you wouldn’t rock up to boot camp in a scarf, jumper and beanie, just like in winter you’re not going to rock up in shorts and a light singlet. It’s all about dressing for the season and in winter, it’s all about layering!!  
 
Treat yourself to some new winter training gear.  And as you warm up, rip off one layer at a time.  Dress for the season and don’t let a drop in temperature stop you from following your dreams! 
 
And as Leonie says “when I think it is cold here, I just remind myself that it really is like a UK summer!!!”
 
Remember, it’s only cold if you’re standing still! ​

​What's your hot tip for staying active over winter?  Comment below!