Instagram fitness queen Kayla Itstines reveals her tips to keep you motivated this winter

WINTER is upon us, and probably all you want to do is stay in and eat comfort food. But resist the temptation. The cold weather is no excuse for letting your fitness regimen lapse.

THE ADVERTISER: Adelaide personal trainer Kayla Itsines. Supplied for The Advertiser. Photo Timothy Burgess - Image Play.

WINTER is upon us, and probably all you want to do is stay in and eat comfort food. But resist the temptation.

The cold weather is no excuse for letting your health and fitness regimen lapse, according to fitness guru Kayla Itsines.

“Feeling healthy, happy and confident in your own body doesn’t have to be something you only feel in summer — you deserve to feel like this all year around,” she tells The Exclusive magazine.

Check out her top tips to help you keep fit, active and motivated during winter:

1. Consistency

Find an exercise regimen that you can maintain consistently throughout the winter months. Find an exercise routine that works for YOU and stick to it.

2. Keep it intense

High intensity resistance training means that you can fit in a high intensity workout in a short period of time, and still achieve amazing results. These types of workouts can be found in my Bikini Body Training Guide and only take 28 minutes. This means that you can do them from the comfort of your own home so you can’t blame the cold weather outside.

Focus on high intensity interval training.

3. Walk

If it’s not raining, walk! Throw on some gloves, a beanie and a scarf and get your blood pumping by braving the winter cold with a fast paced walk. Whether it’s with friends or taking the dog to the park, walking is a great exercise to get you moving in the colder months.

4. Inspire yourself

On those days where you’d rather stay in bed, it is important to remind yourself WHY you initially wanted to make a change. Write down why you’ve started and refer back to it when the weather is really getting you down. There’s no better motivation than seeing how far you have come, or how much better you feel as a result of all your hard work

If you make time for exercise, it will be worth it.

5. Buddy up

Team up with a friend to ensure that you’re keeping active and encourage each other during those cold workout sessions. Find a park that has an undercover area so that you and your friend can work out in rain, hail or shine.

6. Make time

It’s not easy, but all of your consistency and dedication WILL pay off. If you exercise and eat a healthy diet during the winter months, by summer it won’t feel like a chore, it will be a habit.

7. Warm up

Finally, I strongly recommend warming up before a workout especially in winter weather. This is because your body can be more prone to injury as your muscles may be tighter if they aren’t warmed up.

The June issue of Brand’s Exclusive’s online magazine The Exclusive is out now.