For “owls” and “larks”: how to build a workout schedule during the cold season?

Head of Teacher Training and Senior Trainer of the LEVITA Ballet and Stretching Studio Network

“In cold weather it is often much harder to force yourself to exercise or go to the gym than in warm weather. The shorter daylight hours lead to a decrease in physical activity, and in the energetic modern rhythm it is difficult to find time and energy for training. I tell you how to choose a comfortable time and format for your workouts so that you can exercise regularly and with pleasure.

• What is a chronotype?

• How to build a workout schedule in the cold?

What is a chronotype?

Today it is hard to find a person who has not heard at least once about “owls” and “larks” – individual daily rhythms of human and animal organisms, which have the scientific name “chronotype”. Studies on the level of performance depending on the time of day were conducted back in the 70s of the last century. The result was the identification by scientists of two basic types of diurnal activity – “owls” and “larks”. People belonging to the “owl” chronotype wake up and fall asleep late, and the peak of their efficiency falls on the second half of the day. Accordingly, those who easily meet the new day with the first rays of the sun – “larks”.

However, not everyone can accurately attribute themselves to one of the “birds”, and there is a scientific explanation for this. The fact is that our individual biological clock does not depend solely on genetics – the chronotype is also influenced by many social factors. The body regularly adjusts its internal rhythms in response to external signals. Physical activity during the day also depends on work, study, personal life and even the weather. Therefore, in practice, human biological rhythms are closely related to the conventional division into “owls” and “larks”, they are much more complex.

Russian scientists from the Federal Research Center for Basic and Translational Medicine in Novosibirsk expanded the classification of chronotypes, revealing four new categories – highly active type (active throughout the day), daytime sleepy type (active in the morning and evening), daytime active type (active during the day), moderately active type (characterized by a decrease in activity during the day).

How to build a workout schedule for the cold weather?

The following six universal guidelines will help every chronotype train regularly and effectively.

Listen to your body

In order to exercise systematically and enjoyably, it’s important to understand what time of day you feel more energized and when you feel less energized. Choose the best type of exercise at a time that suits you based on how you feel.

For example, if you feel most energetic in the morning, but feel tired in the evening, do strength training or cardio at the beginning of the day. Do not be discouraged if doing sports in the morning hours does not allow you to schedule. Indeed, in the evening at low energy levels, it is hard enough to run a cross-country race, but it is quite realistic to talk yourself into doing relaxing Pilates exercises or stretching.

In this case, high-intensity exercises are better to postpone until the weekend. Keep track of when you feel energized and when you feel tired, and then adapt the type of exercise according to your energy level.

Look at your schedule

In addition to analyzing your resource state, pay attention to your daily routine. If you have to feed the kids, walk the dog, finish a report, get ready and run to work at seven in the morning, then a full workout at that time will only add stress to your life – so you should do it in the afternoon or evening.

Also, try to be honest with yourself and don’t be lazy: perhaps you can find free minutes to work out during lunch or before bed.

A matter of taste

Before you start any kind of physical activity, you need to define the purpose of training – it can be general health promotion, weight loss, weight control, gaining muscle mass or preparation for sports competitions.

The challenge that everyone who starts exercising faces is regularity. Already in the first month, most lose motivation and the exercise regimen gets disrupted. To avoid this, don’t fixate on one sport: change them, adjust them to your own schedule and mood. Choose different levels of intensity every day.

Among the main types of physical activity are the following.

Aerobic exercises, among them: walking, running, cycling or swimming. They help burn fat and strengthen the heart and lungs.

Strength training: exercising with equipment or your own body weight can improve muscle strength and endurance.

Flexibility exercises: Yoga and Pilates are designed to improve flexibility and stretch muscles and help prevent injuries.

Functional training: intense exercises that work many muscles at once. They develop strength and coordination and increase endurance.

Stretching: these exercises are aimed at stretching and relaxing muscles, preventing muscle spasms and tension, improving flexibility and improving blood circulation in the muscles.

Wanted to do stretching, but feel a sudden burst of energy? This day, prioritize a high-intensity workout to channel your energy into peaceful activities. Don’t be afraid to change your workouts on the fly: even if you’ve set up for one workout, you can do another one instead – one that’s more suitable for your current energy level.

To keep your body in good physical condition, we advise you to do a short morning exercise every day, a 40-60 minute workout two or three times a week, and to stick to household activities. Taking a walk with the dog, walking up the stairs instead of taking the elevator, and playing with your kids in the fresh air also help you stay healthy. American scientists also recommend a more energetic lifestyle: according to their research, adults should engage in moderate physical activity for 2.5 to 5 hours a week to improve their overall health.

About the same amount of time per week should be devoted to exercise if you want to lose weight. According to Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the average person should exercise for about 40 minutes six days a week to lose weight. Not every day should be cardio or strength training – if you do this, your muscles will not have time to recover and instead of a slim and trim figure, you may experience overtraining, fatigue and muscle pain.

If you exercise six days a week, it is necessary to alternate the load and be sure to go to massage, sauna or sauna for quality muscle recovery. Special attention should be paid to cardio training, as well as consult a specialist and reduce the daily calorie intake, taking into account physical activity, gender, height, age and weight.

To build muscle mass, emphasize strength training with a gradual increase in weight. The optimal duration of such workouts is 40 to 60 minutes and regularity – two to three times a week. Don’t forget to do high-intensity circuit training and stretching from time to time.

Whatever the purpose of your workouts, be sure to consult your doctor before you start exercising.

Cheat for the good

Laziness is the factor that most often invades and negatively impacts your workout regimen. Find your “laziness hooks” and try to cheat them.

For example, you promise yourself all day long to do your workout in the evening when you get home after work. But when you sit down on a comfortable sofa, you put it off for tomorrow. In this case, the couch has nothing to do with it – it is worth figuring out how to break and cheat this cycle without “throwing away” your favorite household chores. For example, you can visit a fitness studio after work and perform a workout there, then come home and rest with peace of mind.

Another option is to lay a gymnastics mat on the way to the couch to be sure to get noticed. Put sports equipment on the couch – this way you will add a training element to the chain of actions.

Combine pleasant and useful

If you are an open and sociable person, physical activity in a friendly company or together with a loved one will help to do sports systematically and add positive emotions not only in the training itself, but also in the relationship with sports partners.

Changing location

The fall and winter period affects our sports preferences in different ways. For those who do not want to go outdoors in cold weather, home fitness is a great option. However, if your home is a place of comfort and relaxation, inspiring you to watch movies with a cup of cocoa, but not for sports achievements, we advise you to choose street training or various types of fitness in the gym, swimming pool and dance studios. This will help you get rid of fall moping and increase your level of workout discipline without much effort.