Winter is when step counts quietly drop. The mornings are dark, the evenings are darker, and the sofa looks a lot better than a cold pavement. The good news: you don't need to love the cold to keep walking. You need a few small plans that make the walk easier to start than to skip. Here are twelve.
Get out of the door
- Walk in the daylight you have. If you can, take your main walk around midday, when it's brightest and warmest. Even a cloudy winter sky gives you far more light than indoors, and many people find it lifts their mood.
- Lay your kit out the night before. Coat, hat, gloves and shoes by the door. The fewer decisions between you and the door, the more often you go.
- Shrink the goal, not the habit. On a freezing day, a 10-minute walk still counts. Keeping the daily habit matters more than hitting a big number every day.
- Pair the walk with something you already do. Walk to get your coffee, to the shop, or for the first 15 minutes after work. A walk tied to a routine is hard to forget.
Dress for it
- Wear layers. A thin base layer, a warm middle layer and a wind- or waterproof outer layer. You'll warm up after ten minutes, so start a little cool.
- Cover your hands, ears and neck. That's where you feel the cold first. Gloves, a hat and a scarf or snood make a bigger difference than a heavier coat.
- Choose shoes with grip. Wet leaves, frost and ice are the real winter hazards. Shoes with a good tread, or slip-on ice grips, keep you steady. Slow down and take shorter steps on slippery ground.
- Be seen in the dark. Wear something bright or reflective, and carry a small light or use your phone's torch on unlit paths.
Keep moving indoors
- Count every indoor step. Walking on calls, taking the stairs and pacing while the kettle boils all add up. Your phone counts steps indoors just as it does outside.
- Find a dry route. Shopping centres, covered markets, museums and big stations are good for a long walk when it's pouring.
- Walk during the ad breaks. Marching on the spot or walking laps of the house through an episode can add a couple of thousand steps on a bad-weather evening.
Give yourself a reason
- Make someone count on you. A friend to walk with, a streak you don't want to break, or a pet that's waiting for its walk. In VirtuPet, your steps keep a little pet healthy and happy, so a skipped walk shows on its face (it gets sad, never worse, and one good walk brings it back). Steps from your iPhone and Apple Watch count, indoors or out.
If you have a heart or lung condition, or the cold affects your breathing, check with your doctor about walking in very cold weather.
Want a number to aim for? Read how many steps a day you need, or try the free 30-day walking challenge. For desk days, see how to get more steps when you work from home.
