1 Rope in your mates
Winter is cold, especially when you’re shivering along outside by yourself. ‘Plan outdoor exercise at weekends with friends,’ says David Kirsch, celebrity trainer and author of The Ultimate New York Diet (£14.99, McGraw-Hill). ‘It could be sport in the park or a ten-mile bike ride, but if you plan it with a group you’re less likely not to do it. Just try not to reward yourself with pints in the pub – find other ways to celebrate a great workout.’

2 Do it for charity
‘Think ahead to spring,’ says Kirsch. ‘Sign up for a charity event and use the winter months to train. You’ll be getting fit for two good causes – the charity of your choice and yourself.’

3 Take small steps
‘Having something to train for is key,’ says polar explorer Ben Saunders. You could even break your training into more manageable, less daunting chunks by using other, smaller events as part of your overall training plan. ‘I pick out smaller goals and events as I’m building up to expeditions – I’ve used marathons, duathlons and 24-hour mountain bike races, as well as daft personal goals like doing 100 chin-ups in a day,’ Saunders adds.

4 MoT yourself
‘Conduct a health audit,’ says Kirsch. ‘How fit are you? Be honest. Then plan what you want to work on, whether it’s shedding some weight or toning up your abs. Winter is a terrific time to work on your body because there are fewer distractions than in summer.’ Britain’s recently crowned world triathlon champion Tim Don agrees. ‘Now’s the time to take stock and focus hard on improving. Keep motivated by working on any weakness in your sport or fitness programme. If you set a specific goal and then see improvements, your motivation will stay high as you track your progress.’

5 Keep a diary
‘Once you’ve picked a goal, work out a training schedule and write the sessions in your diary or on a calendar,’ says Saunders. It may sound a little anally retentive but it’s the best way to track your progress and see improvements, which is the greatest motivation of all. And besides, you’re not likely to show your training log off to your mates, so who’s to know you’re a bit of an anorak?

6 Aim high for summer
Let’s say you don’t fancy entering a race – what are you going to write in your training diary? ‘Set monthly targets to keep yourself focused during the winter, while still keeping the summer in mind,’ says MF’s resident expert personal trainer Jason Anderson. ‘It’s no good thinking about getting your shirt off two weeks before you go on holiday.’

7 Fight flu
The common cold got its name for a reason – can you imagine phoning your boss in June and saying ‘I can’t come in today because I’ve got a warm’? – and germs can play havoc with your training regime. But you can take some simple steps to ward them off, says MF’s contributing GP Dr Rob Hicks. ‘Strengthen the immune system by getting plenty of rest, drinking two litres of water a day, eating at least five portions of fruit and veg, not smoking and laying off the booze. Stress weakens the immune system so keep on top of it. Oh, and wash your hands regularly.’

8 Call in reinforcements
Winter food doesn’t have to mean enormous pies and vats of stew – food can boost your immune system too. ‘In particular iron, zinc and selenium,’ says Lisa Miles of the British Nutrition Foundation. ‘Meat and fish are good sources of iron and zinc, while milk and cheese, wholegrain cereals and pulses also contain zinc. Good sources of selenium include brazil nuts, cashew nuts, fish and shellfish.’

9 Go shopping
‘Buy summery clothes – tighter T-shirts or vests – so you stay conscious of how you’ll look in the hotter months and exercise with a long-term goal of looking good for summer,’ says Jamil Qureshi, a sports psychologist who has recently worked with the European Ryder Cup team (jamilqureshi.com).

10 Get outside
‘Do your aerobic exercise outdoors,’ says Scotland’s rugby union captain Jason White. ‘Run outside rather than on the treadmill. Get on your bike and cover some decent miles outdoors rather than on a stationary gym bike. Fresh air and a cool breeze are really energising.’ It also helps if you tell yourself that regularly.

11 Warm up correctly
‘The body uses about 80 per cent of its energy maintaining body temperature,’ says Anderson. ‘This means you’ll need a longer warm-up to increase core temperature.’ But there is some good news. ‘If you’re exercising outdoors the demand for calories is increased, which means you can eat more without gaining weight,’ Anderson says.

12 Stretch yourself
It’s not just about warming up – once you’ve worked up a sweat, you need to warm down too if you want to avoid injury. ‘Your body is under stress already from fighting off the cold and your core body temperature will be lower, so you’ll have to concentrate on stretching or you’ll be more prone to injuries,’ says sports scientist Elesa Argent.

13 See the light
Daylight is crucial, even when there isn’t all that much of it. ‘Seasonal Affective Disorder [SAD] leaves people less motivated to exercise, even though exercise is good for treating SAD,’ says Hicks. ‘Exercising during daylight hours helps boost mood and can help relieve symptoms.’ If we were really silly we’d say, ‘Don’t get SAD, get even.’ But we won’t do that.

14 Make a brew
Coffee can give you a kick up the backside if winter blues are disrupting your exercise routine. ‘Caffeine can enhance mood and increase alertness,’ says Miles. Just don’t have more than three or four cups a day or you’ll be buzzing like a wasp doing the Countdown Conundrum.

15 Turn on the TV
That doesn’t mean slumping in front of your CSI box set for hours on end. ‘Watch re-runs of summer sporting events, or current sporting events in hotter climates, to get motivated to get outdoors more,’ says Qureshi. Hey, you could even watch highlights of England’s World Cup campaign. Oh, hang on…

16 Get up early
‘Go for your fitness goals in the morning,’ says Jason White. ‘Working out first thing will set you up for the day and it’s easier to exercise earlier than working out in the dark evenings when the temptation to sneak off home is hard to resist.’

17 Bin the junk
‘Don’t seek comfort in stodgy, sugary foods – they may taste good initially but they leave you feeling low and won’t do your waistline any good,’ says White. ‘Stock up on protein to fuel your muscles and complex carbohydrates for slow burn, sustained energy, vitamins and minerals. Fuel your fitness with Myoplex sports nutrition bars and drinks between meals.’

18 Go on holiday
‘Book a skiing holiday and spend time getting into shape,’ says sports performance coach Jimmy Petruzzi (petruzziperformance.com). ‘Downhill skiing is one of the great thrills of winter and it can be a tough workout for the hamstrings, quads and glutes. It’s a great aerobic activity, too.’

19 Get your skates on
Can’t afford to go skiing? There’s one winter sport you can enjoy closer to home. ‘Try ice skating,’ says Petruzzi. ‘It boosts your endurance and works all the same muscles as skiing.’ The going-way-too-fast-and-falling-over bit can be fun, too, although it won’t impress any rosy-cheeked female spectators too much.

20 Try something new
‘Have fun!’ says Don. ‘Step away from your routine and replace a workout with a fun activity. Sign up to five-a-side football or do a spinning class instead of a gym session.’ Saunders recommends roller skiing, which sounds dangerous to us but also proves there are plenty of new activities and sports to try if you take the time to investigate.

21 Push yourself
Saunders has a trick for forcing himself to get up early when he’s not on an expedition. ‘I set my alarm and put it inside one of my running shoes, then hide that in the wardrobe,’ he says. ‘It’s far too easy to hit snooze otherwise. On an expedition I’m usually freezing my arse off in a tent so getting going is a relief, but getting out from under my nice warm duvet is stupendously hard.’

22 Supplement yourself
‘Support your workouts and winter fitness with products to help your strength, endurance and recovery,’ says Don. ‘If you already take sports nutrition try new flavours or products. I rate EAS (eas-uk.com). It’s great having tasty snacks that will help spur you through the darkest days and toughest workouts.’

23 Flash some cash
‘Buying new gadgets and gear is a quick way to boost my motivation,’ says Saunders. ‘Heart rate monitors, GPS systems, even a new pair of running shoes will help if I’ve got a race coming up.’ They say if you invest money in a project you’re more likely to see it through, which is true so long as the project is something you enjoy in the first place.

24 Be a star
‘Visualisation is a key part of my training,’ says Saunders. ‘It sounds narcissistic but I imagine my training sessions being filmed. There was a great documentary called Road To Paris that followed Lance Armstrong’s Tour de France build-up – training in the Alps, climbing through torrential rain and snow. I imagine myself in something similar.’ Saunders is currently working with the Discovery Channel, so it may not be too far-fetched for him. The rest of us will have to keep imagining.

25 Think positive
‘Our exercise habits are influenced by other factors in our life,’ says Qureshi. ‘If we’re happy in our career or relationship, we are more likely to exercise more. The key is to understand what it is that makes us happy and replicate these conditions.’

26 Go large
Winter includes that dangerous time known as Christmas – you may have seen it advertised – but it’s no excuse to give up. ‘If you’re partying loads over the festive period and finding it a struggle to get to the gym, do large movements such as lunges and press-ups at home to maintain muscle mass and fitness levels,’ Anderson says. Cheers!

27 Kit yourself out
That’s all the motivation and expert advice you’ll ever need, so there’s only one thing left – the kit.