Discover how to stay consistent with movement in winter by working with your energy, lowering the pressure to perform, and redefining what “counts” as a workout.
Winter is often framed as the season when motivation disappears. Shorter days, colder temperatures, and the instinct to stay cozy can make daily movement feel harder than ever.
However, Rebecca Kennedy, Peloton Instructor and Nike Master Trainer, says that for many people, the opposite is true. Winter can actually be an ideal season for building a consistent movement routine that lasts.
“Surprisingly, I actually find more and more people maintain activity levels in the winter,” Kennedy says.
Rather than fighting winter’s slower pace, she suggests leaning into it, using the season’s structure, predictability, and slower pace to your advantage.
Here’s why winter can make routine-building easier, plus practical ways to take advantage of what the season offers.
One reason winter can be easier for building healthy habits is that daily life tends to be more predictable. Once the holidays pass, calendars often quiet down. There’s less travel, fewer spontaneous plans, and more regular schedules overall.
Kennedy points out that for many people, this structure creates the perfect environment for consistency. People are no longer in “summer mode,” which often involves disrupted routines and competing priorities.
“Once people are past the holiday craze, it’s game on,” she says. “They have focus and are able to commit to a regular schedule and actually enjoy having routine.”
In other words, winter removes many of the variables that make it harder to stick to routines. When your days look more similar from week to week, it’s easier to decide when movement happens and then keep showing up.
You don’t need to push hard to maintain a consistent and effective movement routine.
Winter naturally lowers the pressure to perform at your peak: shorter days, colder temperatures, and fewer social or outdoor commitments often mean there’s less expectation to train for events, chase adventures, or maximize daylight hours.
With this lowered bar, it can feel easier to celebrate just showing up and moving your body, even for a few minutes. This shift creates space for maintenance, gentle movement, and habit-building without feeling overwhelming.
Motivation can dip in the winter, but redefining what counts as movement can help you stay consistent. Even a briefs walks after meals, a beginner strength session, following along to a fitness YouTube video, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator all count.
Kennedy recommends
“Ideally 30 minutes of movement daily, that could be power walking, stretching, lifting moderate-to-heavy, or Pilates. Anything that either elevates your heart rate, challenges your muscles, improves conditioning, core strength, stability, or power,” she says.
Kennedy emphasizes that consistency matters more than intensity. “Consistency is the most important part of any training routine, even if the intensity is dialed up or down; showing up is key,” she adds.
Less daylight is one of winter’s biggest challenges, but Kennedy sees it as a cue to work with your natural rhythms rather than against them. Darkness biologically signals the body to wind down, which can affect motivation.
“The solution isn’t forcing willpower, but working with your energy,” Kennedy says.
During your workout, focus on how the movement feels rather than performance metrics. Kennedy advises, “Focus on how the workout makes you feel (after) instead of what it looks like or how many calories it burns. Take notice of your mood, your energy, confidence, how it impacts your day, improved sleep, etc.”
Reflecting on these effects can reinforce the habit and motivate you to move again, creating a positive feedback loop that works with your energy rather than against it.
On low-energy days, Kennedy relies on a strategy that lowers resistance: the five-minute rule.
“I get dressed, and I will move for at least 5 minutes, even a warmup counts, and then I assess,” she explains. “I’m allowed to call it quits [after 5 minutes], but 9/10 times my body has woken up and is wanting more.”
This approach removes the mental hurdle of committing to a full workout and focuses instead on getting started. “Typically the getting started part is the hardest,” Kennedy says, adding that discipline, while tough, is a muscle worth building.
One way to maintain motivation throughout winter is to mix up different types of movement. Kennedy strongly encourages variety to prevent both physical and mental burnout.
“When we challenge our bodies in different ways we build a more balanced, resilient system rather than overdeveloping one area and neglecting another,” she says.
A well-rounded winter routine might include strength training, low impact cardio, and mobility work. This combination supports heart health, muscle strength, joint health, and overall movement quality, helping your body feel better even when temperatures drop.
Winter can feel isolating, which is why Kennedy emphasizes the power of community. Whether it’s an in-person class, a virtual program, or an accountability partner, having a shared structure makes it easier to stay consistent and enjoy movement, even on days when motivation is low.
At the same time, she reminds people to lead with self-compassion: “If you miss a day, it doesn’t mean you’re bad, or it’s not worth it to keep going, it means, you pick back up when you’re ready,” she says.
She encourages focusing on realistic goals and gradual progress.
“Try to avoid lofty unrealistic goals in a short period of time. Instead, the goal is, bring movement into my daily routine. Allow yourself to evolve slowly, and always, always bring compassion and humor to the table. Things happen, life happens, and we adapt,” Kennedy adds.
By leaning on others while being kind to yourself, winter routines can become more sustainable, approachable, and even enjoyable.
“Winter isn’t a time to pause, it’s a time to adapt, stay consistent and continue investing in a body that feels and IS strong, resilient and supported,” Kennedy says, capturing the essence of how movement in the colder months can be both practical and empowering.
Winter may look like a season of slowdown, but that’s exactly what makes it fertile ground for routine-building. Fewer disruptions, lower expectations, and a focus on consistency over intensity can help movement feel more doable and more sustainable.
By leaning into winter’s structure, redefining success, and meeting yourself with flexibility and compassion, you may find this is the season where movement finally sticks.
Rebecca Kennedy has launched a new low impact cross-training program with Peloton called HiLit. HiLit blends strength, pilates, tread, mobility, and low impact cardio into a progressive plan that builds muscle and conditioning. It features all-new workouts, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks. Learn more.
30 Days of Winter Wellness
Day 30
Here are some quick tips to start your winter movement routine:
- Celebrate simply showing up. Short, gentle movement still counts.
- Choose workouts that feel supportive and focus on how movement makes you feel afterward.
- Focus on showing up consistently rather than the intensity of your movement.
Catch up on Day 29 of the challenge to discover screen-free winter activities.