Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill: ‘There were so many times when I thought I can’t be bothered’

Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill might be an Olympic champion, but she’s just like the rest of us when it comes to exercising in dreary British weather.

The former heptathlete, who won gold at the London 2012 Olympics, admits that even at the height of her glittering athletic career there were times when she just didn’t feel like putting her trainers on.

“There were so many times when I just thought ‘Gosh, I’m so tired, I can’t be bothered to go training, I can’t be bothered to run around the track and do an 800m session in the rain’,” recalls Ennis-Hill, 40.

“Motivation definitely went up and down. I think every athlete will say that – there’s no one person that’s motivated all the time, every day. That is not achievable.”

Indeed, new research from Vitality has found that 42% of runners have skipped runs due to rain, and more than a quarter (27%) feel their 2026 goals have already been disrupted because of the changeable spring weather.

But while changes in the weather can mean changes in exercise routines, exercise consistency is vital in order to get results. “Staying consistent, even in small doses, ensures you’re still being active,” stresses Ennis-Hill.

She retired from competitive athletics in 2016 and now regularly appears on the BBC as an athletics pundit, but she still runs and works out regularly. While Ennis-Hill no longer has to be “ready for World Championships and Olympics”, she says: “I still keep very fit and just enjoy the variety of exercise,” she says.

“I do lots of different types of exercise and movement – without as much expectation and pressure from the world.”

The Sheffield-born mum-of-two, who’s married to Andy Hill, says she does weights and resistance training, plays padel and does yoga and reformer Pilates “when I can fit that in”. She also runs two or three times a week – come rain or shine.

“I very much still love running,” she says, “but it can be really difficult when we’ve had a lot of rain and very dark, dreary days – the motivation definitely wavers when it’s like that.

“When the sun’s shining, it’s very easy to pick up your trainers and go out for a run. But for me, knowing the weather’s terrible might mean you perhaps don’t want to go out knowing you’re going to get wet.”

But she still manages to get out for her runs, whatever the weather – and here’s her advice on how to do it…

Make sure you’re properly prepared

Don’t just throw your trainers on and start running – make sure you’re wearing the proper gear, advises Ennis-Hill.

“Just make sure you’re prepared – you’ve got good trainers on, you’re layered up, you’ve got a cap on,” she says. “It’s putting all those things in place so you get out there and stay as dry as you can, and you still have that amazing feeling on the other side of it, when you’ve accomplished a good run when you didn’t really want to go out.”

Be open to adapting your workout

If the weather’s rotten, or if you’re really tired, Ennis-Hill points out that there’s no harm in changing your workout a bit.

“Just recognise that you can have off days,” she says. “Everyone has days like that, so maybe just adapt what you do.

“If you’re a bit tired or the weather’s terrible, don’t go out on a long run. If you’re feeling exhausted, change the way you’re going to exercise and do a bit of yoga, or go on a shorter run. Just change it slightly so you’re still doing something, but it’s in line with how you’re feeling.”

Run with friends

Ennis-Hill says that while she enjoys running on her own, she also likes running with friends – and that can be a key motivator for going out in dismal weather.

“I mix it up,” she says. “I love going out on a run by myself with my Cocker Spaniel, with my headphones in, listening to a podcast, or just having a bit of time to myself.

“But I also love running with friends – we’ve got a little group where we’ll go out together, and do you know what? It makes going out in the rain and terrible weather a lot easier when you’ve got three friends that you’ve said you’d meet at this particular time, and you’ve got to all be there together.

“So I really like running as a group as well, because I think it helps with motivation to get out there when you perhaps don’t want to go on a run.”

Set realistic goals

Although most of us aren’t very likely to win an Olympic gold, Ennis-Hill says it’s still important to set realistic, measurable goals when you start exercising. “So don’t feel like you have to go on this massive hour run to start with,” she advises.

“Even if you’re just running for five minutes, and then the next time you run for 10 minutes, and you just build up gradually, you’ll get to your end goal in a much more sustainable way, where you perhaps enjoy it more than doing a really gruelling run to start off with that you don’t enjoy because you’re not quite ready for it.”

Anticipate your runner’s high

Exercise-induced endorphins can give you a ‘high’ when you’ve completed your workout, so Ennis-Hill urges reluctant runners to try to think of how good they’re going to feel at the end to motivate themselves to get out there.

“When you’ve done a tough run and you know you’ve ticked off what you set out to do, I think you definitely have that massive feeling of adrenaline,” she says, “and that runner’s high where you feel a huge sense of achievement and accomplishment.”

Wear your workout gear during the day

Just the thought of getting changed to exercise can sometimes make people think they can’t be bothered, so Ennis-Hill suggests wearing your work out gear during the day – which means getting ready to exercise is a little less daunting.

She says: “If you can already be wearing a pair of leggings or some shorts, then it definitely makes it easier. There’s that phase in your head thinking, I want to workout or go for a run, but then actually making it happen can be the part where you just say you’re not going to do it.

“You procrastinate too much – you get a drink, or you start getting changed and everything takes a really long time, and then you talk yourself out of it. But if you can just quickly get your trainers on and get out there before you’ve had time to tell yourself you don’t want to, that’s a key part of getting out and doing it when it’s a bit tougher than normal.”

Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill is an ambassador for Vitality and has teamed up with them to help the nation get moving again this spring.