With the mornings getting darker and colder in the past week, even our normally hyperactive dog has not wanted to get out of his kennel for some exercise.

The good news is June 21 - which has the least amount of light hours in the day - is almost upon us, which means slowly but surely the mornings will start to get a touch lighter earlier and early morning routines can eventually go back to normal.

For now my early morning runs at the park have been abandoned and the gym is proving my saviour. It's light, warm and I know I am going to get a good workout.

Joining a gym might work for you as well. Paying a gym membership can keep you accountable to going at least a couple of times each week.

But for some, getting out the door may seem too big a hurdle to get over at the moment.

Or for those where cost is getting in the way, there is no reason why you can't keep up a certain level of activity through the colder and darker months without even leaving the house. Revisit some online fitness workouts or purchase a set of weights for time-saving, at-home sessions that also keep you warm and dry.

The great news is you don't have to get too complicated to achieve results. Here are a couple of suggestions to keep you going if you are struggling to get out the door before or after work at the moment.

30-minute strength circuit. Pick five exercises and perform them in succession six times through each. This could look like: squats, push-ups, dead lifts, bent-over rows and shoulder press. Work for 40 seconds and rest for 20. Or perform 12 repetitions of each, working through and rest as needed. Make it shorter depending on time. You could even split it into two shorter workouts, one for the morning and one for the evening at home. That could look like legs in the morning - squats, dead lifts, lunges, four to five times through each, changing every minute. Then an arm workout at night - push-ups, bent-over rows and shoulder press.

20-minute cardio workout. The benefits of High Intensity Interval Training have been widely publicised in recent years. For those of you who are not familiar with HIIT, it is basically about working harder in shorter bursts. Pick four exercises and rotate through them, working for 30 seconds then resting for 30 seconds. That could be running on the spot with high knees, star jumps, mountain climbers, squat jumps, plyometric lunges or the dreaded burpees. Obviously, work within your fitness ability.

30-minute strength and cardio. Alternate sets of two exercises for six-minute periods combined, which could be 30 seconds each continuous. For example, pair squats and burpees, push-ups and star jumps, crunches with mountain climbers, a plank hold with skipping or bent-over rows with plank jacks.

If you are continuing to exercise outside while it is darker, finding a good headlamp could be of benefit. Also layer up so you can layer down as you warm up and enlist a buddy to go with you for safety in numbers.

Send your health and fitness news to r.valentine@austcommunitymedia.com.au.

Renee Valentine is a journalist, qualified personal trainer and mother of three.