Why autumn makes my gym routine feel harder
As soon as the clocks go back, so does my enthusiasm for the gym. I still turn up, but darker mornings, perimenopause and a persuasive cheese aisle make autumn fitness feel harder. Calling myself an endomorph does not explain all of it.
By September, the supermarket aisles are lined with things that look comforting and usually involve brie, pastry or both. Meanwhile, the willpower that felt lean and optimistic in June is slumped in the cheese aisle, wondering where it all went wrong. I have not stopped training and still turn up for my weekend classes, although I need rather more persuasion to get there.
It can feel as though my metabolism has put its feet up for winter, although that is a feeling rather than a measurement of what my body is doing. Before blaming my shape, I need to look at what has changed in my days.
The seasonal struggle, without the body-type verdict
By October, my appetite grows louder and my gym motivation quieter. My husband calls it “winter prep”. I call it survival, particularly when it is dark before dinner and staying indoors looks increasingly sensible.
I have used “endomorph” to describe my build, but it is a body-shape classification, not a diagnosis or a test of my metabolism. The American Council on Exercise explains the limits of body-type advice: appearance alone can’t tell us how someone will respond to exercise or which diet they need. Nor can it measure their self-control.
So I can’t reasonably conclude that my body type is genetically programmed to store more fat every autumn. What I can notice is whether I am moving less, sleeping badly or finding my usual routine harder to maintain.
Then there is perimenopause: hot flushes, disrupted sleep and the days when I find myself side-eyeing my reflection. The NHS lists sleep problems and changes in body shape and weight among possible symptoms. That gives some context, without making hormones the automatic explanation for every change.
What keeps me moving when motivation dips
Weekend morning workouts help because I get to the gym before my brain has much time to argue. For a few hours, exercise gives me something else to concentrate on besides the weather and what my clothes are doing.
Lifting heavier weights than I once imagined makes my body feel capable. Zumba reminds me that movement can be enjoyable, which helps when the alternative is another evening debating whether I can be bothered. The NHS recommends regular exercise, including weight-bearing and resistance activities, to support health during menopause. That is a more useful reason to train than trying to punish myself for eating pastry.
There are days when progress means more squats or another push on the spin bike. On others, it means navigating the living room without tripping over Lego while Cyrus practises his press-ups. I can appreciate both without pretending they are equivalent workouts. When a longer session feels too much, my experience of trying six five-minute menopause workouts offers another way to think about getting started.
A winter routine that leaves room for real life
- Choose a manageable time. Morning classes suit me, but a shorter session at another time may suit you better.
- Keep some movement enjoyable. Dancing, walking and strength work offer different reasons to keep going.
- Make room for rest and regular meals. A difficult week does not need to become an exercise-and-food punishment plan.
- Get outside in daylight where possible. A winter walk offers daylight and movement, although UK winter sunlight is not strong enough for us to make enough vitamin D.
On that last point, NHS vitamin D guidance says adults should consider a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms during autumn and winter. Between October and early March, we do not make enough vitamin D from sunlight in the UK. This advice supports bone and muscle health, without promising faster fat loss. Follow individual medical advice if you have been given it.
A seasonal dip in motivation is also different from depression. If low mood persists, affects daily life or follows a recurring seasonal pattern, speak to a GP. The NHS explains seasonal affective disorder and its treatments, and advises speaking to a GP before trying light therapy.
What I want to measure this winter
I find that recording my workouts, meals and moods helps me spot patterns. Improved endurance or a better mood after class gives me something useful to notice, rather than treating every fluctuation in weight as a verdict. It is a question I also explore in what midlife health numbers can tell us.
I still find autumn harder, but I do not need to turn my body shape into an explanation for everything. A routine I can maintain, exercise I enjoy and some attention to sleep give me more to work with than another reason to feel guilty in the cheese aisle.
What changes help you keep moving when the nights draw in, and what have you stopped expecting of yourself?
More from Saffron & Cyrus
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Biological age vs BMI: What midlife health numbers tell us
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What am I really paying for with my gym membership?
When dark evenings, changing timetables and membership costs make staying home tempting.
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