The tricks you need to get your gym routine kick-started again .

You achieved your “beach-body” goals, with all the caveats that problematic term necessitates, and enjoyed a well-deserved vacation from the gym and self-restraint. But after an indolent summer filled to bursting with booze and barbecues, you look and feel like a beached, self-loathing whale. Now it’s autumn, though, you should be able to get back on the wagon and shed the blubber. Right?

Except that seasonal affective disorder renders you unable to get out of bed, lethargic when you eventually do and craving carbs as if you’ve been binge-watching The Great British Bake Off. It’s believed that this SAD-ness is caused by shorter days triggering a drop in serotonin levels, which affects mood, appetite and sleep, and a rise in melatonin, which makes you drowsy. Or it could be due to the disruption to your body clock caused by the shifting sunlight hours. Either way, your overwhelming impulse is to stockpile body fat and hibernate: lying between you and the gym is the cold and wet.

Lest your good intentions fall by the wayside like so many dead leaves, MR PORTER has tapped experts for seasonal fitness tips so you can get – and stay – on the right track.

Firstly, stop beating yourself up. “This won’t help you,” says Mr Joe Meares, a Tier X trainer at Equinox in London’s St James’s. What will help is relocating your motivation. “When I’m working with clients who feel as if they’ve fallen off the wagon, I really dig deep into the ‘why’ element of their original goals,” continues Mr Meares. “Maybe they want to achieve weight loss, muscle gain, improved posture, increased strength, reduced stress or better sleep.” When you’re tempted to hit snooze, keeping your bleary eye on this prize can strengthen your wavering willpower. To quote philosopher Mr Friedrich Nietzsche (via Mindset RX’d founder Mr Tom Foxley, whose podcast will also stiffen your resolve): “If we have our own ‘why’ in life, we shall get along with almost any ‘how’.”

Metabolic conditioning, or “metcon” if you want to sound cool, combines resistance and cardio, muscle building and fat burning. “If you’ve had a summer off, this is a great circuit to get your metabolism firing again,” says Mr Tom Weston, a personal trainer at Equinox in London’s Kensington. Holding battle ropes, raise and lower your arms alternately. Lift a medicine ball overhead then slam it into the ground (without rounding your back). Squat with dumbbells by your shoulders then press them. Swing a kettlebell by hinging at the hips then explosively firing your glutes. Finally, squat down then jump up, tucking your knees into your chest. (Try to land softly.) Perform 8-12 reps of each exercise, with minimal rest between moves, and 1 minute between your 3-5 circuits.

You don’t have to abstain from all bread, pasta and puddings – just be more strategic with your carb intake. “Oats, sweet potatoes, brown rice and bananas supply glucose and fructose for your muscles and liver, as well as fibre, which can stabilise your energy levels,” says Mr Matt Gardner (mattgardnernutrition.com), a performance nutritionist who has worked with Premiership rugby club Worcester Warriors. “You may also feel fuller and less inclined to snack.” A hit of protein at each sitting meanwhile – 100g of meat or fish, 3/4 of a cup of pulses, a couple of eggs or a pot of Greek yoghurt – will bolster your immune system. “These types of foods do not magically appear,” adds Mr Gardner, who recommends blocking time out – Sunday afternoon, say – to plan your week’s meals.

Men are typically averse to classes, making up less than 20 per cent of attendees according to UK group exercise governing body Exercise Move Dance. Perhaps we’re missing a trick though. “Classes can assist with re-establishing your schedule and kick-start your motivation through the autumn months by setting a healthy routine,” says Ms Michelle Morrey, group fitness manager of Equinox. Because classes are appointments, you’re more likely to keep them, whereas because you can go to the gym whenever, you can also put it off indefinitely. “Classes can come a social commitment as much as a fitness one,” continues Ms Morrey. “The group can drive you, and adds a little healthy competition.” Indeed, studies show that men push themselves harder in the presence of women. Mysterious.