Motivation is hard to come by in January. No matter how many times that freshly reinstalled fitness app chirps at you, it’s tricky to overcome the mental and physical blocks that engulf us at this time of year.

It’s human nature in moments of struggle to turn to those things that feel comfortable and familiar. For some, that’ll be indulging in their preferred foods or a hug from their mum. But might we suggest the same logic applies to your workout gear?

Just like a favourite T-shirt or bag, we all have that one piece of fitness clothing – those super comfy running sneakers that helped us across the finish line on a particularly trying race day or that well-worn sweatshirt that feels like a second skin (even more so now it’s seen you through a lockdown or three) – that we can’t do without.

Even if you’re one of those men who always, no matter what, without fail sticks to his New Year fitness resolutions (congratulations, would you like this medal?), these are the items to reach for now. Here, the MR PORTER team share the workout essentials they’re putting their faith in this year.  

Everyone knows that the hardest thing about working out in winter is not the exercise itself, but summoning the motivation to leave the house. That’s why I build my January workout wardrobe around warmth, the rationale being that the less I can feel the cold, the less likely I am to talk myself out of going for a run. One approach here is to pile on the layers, but I prefer a more high-tech solution in the form of this swanky Aeroloft gilet from Nike Running. It’s lightweight and breathable, so, unlike a sweatshirt or hoodie, you don’t need to take it off and tie it around your waist after five minutes.

I’m one of those people that only seems to be able to work out in the morning. Basically, if I don’t get it out of the way as early as possible, it’s just not happening. Still, it’s really, really hard to get up for a morning workout when you only managed to get four hours of sleep (blame the Doomscrolling in bed). But now that I’ve decided to take up running in my local park, I’m hoping this Nike T-shirt with its stern-looking anime character will show that I’m serious about my Couch to 5k. The brand’s mantra helps, too; nothing says “just work out” like a T-shirt that says “Just do it”.

I briefly started running with a neighbour, but work, family life and my innate unwillingness to run (unless after a football, a bus or an errant child) got in the way. Now, my only exercise is walking around my neighbourhood at the end of the day. I know I should be pushing myself harder, but I like exploring my area on foot, going farther each time with only a good podcast for company. With these Master & Dynamic wireless in-ear headphones I might even start listening to music again (something that has been strangely absent from my life in the past year). Who knows? I might even start running again. Slowly.

Having just got back from a wet and windy January bike ride, and now my fingers are functioning again, I can confirm that a winter jersey, waterproof jacket, tights, overshoes and thick gloves (never forget gloves) are on the mind of the cyclist. Better days are just around the corner (or “Banana Split Sprint”, as it is called on Strava). Given that Café du Cycliste is based in the south of France, basking in the glorious Côte d’Azur sunshine, the brand does a nice line in warm-weather gear, although its gilets and insulated jerseys will also see you through the more frigid months. This lightweight jersey comes in a blistering shade of orange, so no passing motorist can claim not to have seen you.

Unlike my colleagues who are braving the January elements, my New Year workout plan continues from where 2020 left it – at home training in a bid to justify the panic-brought gym equipment from lockdown 1. My workoutwear has always centred around comfort, which means I gravitate towards fabrics that are lightweight, breathable and, more often than not, black. This District Vision T-shirt ticks all three boxes and is designed with airflow in mind so it’ll keep me cool while looking as put together as I can lunging in my living room.