How to motivate yourself for winter workout

When the winter season sets in, don't make excuses to avoid exercise. Instead, follow simple and basic workout plans.

Belinda Bencic, the world Junior No.1 tennis player, has revealed how she keeps fit during the chilly winter.

"Winter training in the off season is important for me and many other athletes because it gives us more time to work on building a strong foundation and also the chance to change any technical aspects of my game.

"I wouldn't be able to do either of these during the season as I'm generally maintaining fitness levels, motivation and trying to stay injury free," femalefirst.co.uk quoted Bencic as saying.

Here are some of the tips that the athlete wants every fitness freak to follow:

* Set yourself goals: You need a plan for exactly where you want to go and what you want to improve. For example, last season I wanted to improve my serve.... I changed my grip slightly and hit hundreds of serves every day. It definitely helped me to have a strong season in 2014.

* Revitalise your workout: Warm up and cool down properly. This is so important in the colder months. Even athletes can get a bit lazy with warming up but it's what gets your muscles loose and your body ready for a tough workout.

* Interval training: Incorporate 20 minutes of interval training into your exercise, try sprinting between the trees in the park or the lamp posts on your street.

* Muscle building. I work on building muscle strength during the off season. My tip for this would be to choose the time of day that suits you best. For example, I never do heavyweight lifting in the morning if I am playing tennis in the afternoon. I always start with tennis and then keep lifting for the afternoon. Otherwise, my body becomes stiff from lifting weights and I am more likely to get an injury playing tennis.

* Have fun: Most importantly, try and make the training sessions fun. I do them with a hitting partner, which is usually my dad or my brother. Yes, you have to be a serious professional but you also have to enjoy what you do.