When it comes to winter workouts, I’ll be the first to admit—it’s not easy. I always start the season with the best intentions to reset and restart, but winter (and this one in particular) can feel defeating. Polar vortexes keep us home, icy sidewalks make even a simple walk feel risky, and suddenly that 10,000-step goal feels wildly unrealistic. So what can we do?
Here are a few mindset shifts and habits that are helping me reset and restart this season—and maybe they’ll help you too!
MINDSET: Making the Best of Winter Workouts
The first and most important step is encouragement. Instead of listing all the reasons not to move, remind yourself that taking care of your body is a priority—especially in winter. Notice the thoughts that quietly turn into roadblocks and gently squash them.
Some of the familiar ones I’ve caught myself thinking:
- I’d work out if I had a gym or studio nearby—but nothing’s close enough.
- Classes are so expensive. When did Pilates become $50 a session?
- I love working out with friends, but coordinating schedules is impossible.
- It would be fun to try something new, but what if I don’t like it? I don’t want to commit.
- I’ve lost my mojo—now I have to reset all over again.
- I just don’t have enough time in the day.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone—and none of these thoughts mean you’ve failed. They just mean you’re human.
Intentional and Mindful Winter Workouts:
Over the past decade, the way we think about New Year’s resolutions has shifted. Those lofty, all-or-nothing goals often felt unrealistic, and when we didn’t meet them, they left us feeling discouraged and unmotivated. Accountability suddenly felt heavy instead of empowering.
So many of us began rethinking the idea of resolutions altogether. What if, instead of pushing harder, we shifted our perspective? What if we focused on being more intentional, more mindful, and clearer about our why? Yes, these are buzzwords—but they matter. Understanding the motivation behind our choices changes how we show up for ourselves.
So, How Do We Reset and Restart Our Winter Workouts?
Build time into your schedule:
I naturally wake up around 5 a.m. (thank you, menopause?!) and I’ve come to appreciate the quiet stillness of early mornings. It feels like a gift—extra hours before *my* world wakes up. I work from home and attend events at various times, and we have a dog who needs his morning walk no matter the weather. Before lunch tends to be my most productive time of day.
Finding dedicated time is often the biggest hurdle. Fitness classes are great for structure, but if you’re not enrolled in one, scheduling is key. Try blocking time in your calendar or setting gentle reminders—treat it like an appointment with yourself.
Be flexible with your workout time:
Committing to an hour of exercise every day isn’t always realistic—and that’s okay. What I’ve learned is that this shouldn’t stop me from doing something. If I have 30 minutes, great. If I have 15—or even 10 minutes a couple of times a day—that still counts. Small efforts add up, and consistency matters.
Winter doesn’t require perfection. It asks for compassion, flexibility, and a willingness to show up however you can. Resetting and restarting isn’t a failure—it’s all about showing up for yourself. And every step is a step forward. I am mindful of making whatever time I have count. If I only have 30 minutes or 15 minutes or even just 10 minutes a couple times a day — I know it’s better than nothing.
Try Something New:
Often we stall on working out because we’re not being challenged, or in my case, having fun. Trying something new can help reignite your interest. When I started cardio-boxing at RUMBLE Boxing it was the workout that gave me everything I wanted. It helps to clear my head and regain focus. It also kept me motivated and the music is always awesome! It’s been three years and I still enjoy the high energy workouts!
Our editorial and social media teams have been trying different styles of workouts throughout the city at different fitness studios as well to see what else aligns. Everything from Lagree Plus to LevelUp Hot Yoga to HIIT at Sweat & Tonic have kept us moving and motivated!
I also love what Apple Fitness+ has to offer. There are many guided workouts, including yoga, stretching, pilates, HIIT, and even dance style cardio (these are really fun!) for any level. Easy to do at home or away on vacation. Recently, they’ve added restart and reset programs to help us get back on track. If you’re looking to try something new they’ve introduced a FREE MONTHLY SAMPLER that doesn’t require a trial or subscription commitment and created for beginners.
Build Your Momentum & Stay Consistent in Our Winter Workouts:
Apple Fitness+ has a new series of motivating multi-week programs designed to help build momentum and stay consistent wherever you are. If you’re looking to return to working out, the Make Your Fitness Comeback program may appeal to you. It features three popular workout styles: Strength, HIIT, and Yoga. The four-week plan features three workouts per week — one of each type — for just 10 minutes. Every week builds on the previous week to help users progress in their journey to return to fitness.
Want to get back into yoga or start? The Build a Yoga Habit in 4 Weeks program is designed to help users add yoga into their fitness routine. These workouts are designed to increase flexibility, cut down on stress, and build strength and stability. Every week, users will get two 10-minute flows — one slow and one energetic — that complement their existing workout routines and help build a habit.
Strength in Winter Workouts:
The Back-to-Back Strength and HIIT program offers three 20-minute workouts pairing these two popular workout types on Fitness+: 10 minutes of Strength and 10 minutes of HIIT, three times per week, over the course of three weeks. The workouts are designed to be done one right after the other with no break in between.
Strength training is one of the fastest-growing workout types in the world. In fact, if you’re in perimenopause or menopause we all know how important it is to incorporate this into our workout schedule. Apple Fitness+ has a Strength Basics in 3 Weeks program to help users who are new to strength training learn the fundamentals.
Those returning to a strength routine, can also brush up on solid technique for common moves. The program just launched on January 12 and consists of three workouts per week, each one focusing on a different body area, to learn and practice common strength moves to build confidence and improve users’ technique.
Walk the Walk:
Walking is one of the easiest and most accessible ways to add movement to your day. For most healthy adults, aiming for 8,000–10,000 steps is a great goal—but any movement is a win. While my dog isn’t exactly the ideal walking partner (those little corgi legs aren’t built for power walking 😅), I still enjoy getting outside and pairing my walks with a good podcast or Apple Fitness+’s Time to Walk series.
So what’s the difference? Time to Walk is genuinely great. Not only do you hear from inspiring, interesting, and influential people—think Prince William, Jon M. Chu, Dolly Parton, and more—but the format encourages you to keep moving at a steady pace. New episodes are added regularly (Michelle Monaghan is coming up), and it really does feel like you have a walking companion in your ear.
I’m a fan of Apple Fitness+ overall because it helps me stay on top of my daily activity, health, and progress—without feeling overwhelming. There’s a wide variety of workouts to choose from, including strength, yoga, boxing, and even meditation, and you can customize your own plan based on your needs. It’s also one of the more cost-effective options out there. Seriously!
It even tracks my fun boxing workouts and shows my stats instantly on my Apple Watch during and at the end of each session. Plus, having friends who also use Apple Watch adds a fun layer of accountability—we can encourage each other wherever we may be and celebrate closing those rings. I love this feature!
Be Kind To Yourself:
Setting unrealistic expectations can actually slow our progress—and sometimes stop us from starting at all. So go easy on yourself especially with your winter workouts. Do (or discover) what you genuinely enjoy, and give yourself time to ease into a new routine. Before you know it, it becomes a habit. Try new things, celebrate the effort, and be proud of yourself—because every movement counts. Most importantly, keep going.
I’d love to know what workout style keeps you moving? And um…what’s on your playlist?