Winter
Movement Guide
Reduced movement does more damage than the cold itself. Five habits that survive a Belgian winter.
Targets
Cold, slow tissue — the reason the first ten minutes feel like wading.
How to Do It
- Cat-cow, 8 slow cycles.
- 10 bodyweight squats, easy depth.
- Arms overhead and down, 10 times.
- Do it while you're still warm, not when you arrive.
Duration
5 minutes, every morning
Targets
The habit that stops the whole winter sliding.
How to Do It
- Pick one: a Saturday walk, one leg of the commute by bike, the school run on foot.
- It happens whatever the weather.
- One is enough. Trying to keep everything means keeping nothing by November.
Duration
Weekly, non-negotiable
Targets
The activity you're about to cancel until spring.
How to Do It
- Replace, don't cancel — nobody restarts in spring.
- A 20-minute video at home beats a gym you won't cycle to in the rain.
- Stairs instead of the lift. Swim instead of run.
- It doesn't need to be as good as what it replaced. It needs to exist.
Duration
2–3 times a week
Targets
Stiffness, mood, and the only daylight a desk worker gets.
How to Do It
- By late October you arrive in the dark and leave in the dark.
- Fifteen minutes outside at midday does more than an hour you intend to do after work.
- Walk to somewhere for lunch rather than eating at the desk.
Duration
15 minutes, most days
Targets
Upper traps and neck — the cause of most 'winter neck pain'.
How to Do It
- Underdressed means hunched: shoulders up, arms in, head down.
- Held for a 20-minute walk, that's real work for your neck and upper back.
- Target: warm enough to walk normally.
- A layer over the lower back and shoulders helps if you work somewhere cold.
Duration
Every time you go out
Stiffer since the clocks changed? Usually 2–3 sessions, plus a winter plan that actually fits your week.
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