Scott Fitzgerald said, “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”
Autumn is a wonderful time to recommit to your fitness and get in the groove. Summer is a distant memory and life settles down into a more predictable rhythm. Daily routines become more the norm where sleeping, eating, working and exercise take precedent. With the cooler weather most people curb the outdoor activities and head indoors.
Indoor routines create a great opportunity to change things up. Here are a few tips to kick your fitness into another gear and make the most of the fall season.
Create new goals for the fall season
We all know habits and routines are the key to success in living a life of fitness. If your daily routines support your fitness goals, you’ll be more likely to reach them. Take some quiet time and review your daily routine. What would you like to improve on? Is there a daily meal you’d like to make healthier? Can you trim some fat out of your diet? Or do you have an opportunity for more calorie burning activity during the day? It takes a while to establish a new habit. Use this time to choose a couple of new, better habits you can mold into your daily routine.
Build your resistance
With fall here, winter is just around the corner. Coughs, colds and flu season are lurking. It’s a great time to work on your immune system and build your defenses. How’s your sleep? Are you getting enough hours? If not, what can you do to sleep more consistently and soundly? If you aren’t getting enough sleep, what can you do to change your schedule? Assess your stress levels and determine if you need to lower the stresses and strains in your life. Your exercise routine and your daily nutrition can combine to boost your immune system. Find little ways you can improve both to build a strong resistance for the coming winter.
Prepare for the winter months
It gets colder and darker in the winter in most places. The shorter, colder days force you to do different things. Don’t let the change surprise you. Think ahead of things you can do to make the necessary changes. Put away your summer clothes and break out the fall and winter gear. Footwear is especially important. The footwear you need for the fall and winter may be quite different from spring and summer. Layers are also important. What layers do you need for the colder months? It helps to prepare in advance, so you have what you need when you need it.
Switch up your workouts
Vary your workouts and introduce new things. Freshen things up and create new challenges for yourself. Workout at different times. Find new activities indoors. Workout with different training partners. By varying your routines you’re giving your body new and different challenges to respond to. This can help you reach new heights of fitness.
