When the weather starts changing and the days become shorter, some people find it harder to stay motivated to workout. Following are a few activities and ideas you can try that can help you stay fit and focused, with the change of seasons.
A few fun activities you can do outdoors to help you stay active are apple picking, navigating a corn maze, hiking, or cycling. Activities like these offer short bursts of intensity and keep you moving. Apple picking requires overhead stretching, as well as twists and extra walking. A corn maze might inspire you to sprint through or walk at a fast pace. Hiking will definitely get some extra steps in, and you will probably meet a hill, which will require some quad and glute work. Cycling is just an overall great cardio workout, and you can cycle for hours, enjoying the scenery.
Changing up your routine by getting different types of motion than you normally do at the gym, can improve fitness, overall, since you’re using different muscle groups. Plus, being outdoors gives you an additional mental health boost.
Fall is also a great time to run. Many cities have “fun runs” you can try. There are turkey trot runs around Thanksgiving. There are color runs, leaf runs, many 5k races, etc. Most races offer a walk option, and most have post music celebrations and award ceremonies. Fall is a great time to start running, if you have always wanted to try it. It’s the perfect weather for running, as it is not too hot or too cold.
Working out should be fun. It should not be thought of as doing a chore. Dancing is a form of exercise. Some benefits of dancing can be lowering your cholesterol, improving your balance and strength, and dancing can even boost your self-esteem. There was a study done, where women noticed these benefits, after just four weeks of dancing. Dancing is also social, and being social is just as important as being physical, for your overall health.
As I mentioned, it might be more of an effort to exercise, as the evenings get longer and winter approaches. Maybe, instead of those high intensity workouts, think about practicing yin yoga or pilates. You might be surprised at the workout you get doing yoga and pilates. Yin Yoga, specifically requires you hold poses a bit longer than a regular yoga class. These poses are held anywhere between three and five minutes. This actually gives you time to clear your mind. This is a win/win because you can relax, but at the same time, you are strengthening your muscles. Pilates is also a way to relax and get a great core workout.
Home gardening tasks like raking leaves or planting flowers for spring, also forces you to move in different ways. Every move requires muscle movement, and if you are doing something you’ve never done, you are working different muscle groups. I have also always said that change is needed to see results. You can’t keep doing the same thing over and over and expect change. These home activities are actually sporadic bursts of exercise, and are pretty intense. Raking, cleaning the house, carrying the groceries, and walking up and down the stairs, are all great forms of exercise.
All the above forms of exercise are beneficial because adding even just a few minutes a day can improve cardiovascular function, regulating blood sugar, and lowering the risk for type 2 diabetes. This is especially true for people who are sedentary most of the day.
Strength training is another form of exercise, and this doesn’t require a lot of time. Strength training can be very efficient, and just a few sessions a week can make a difference for helping you feel stronger. Most people associate strength training with building muscle or being a bodybuilder. You do not have to use heavy weights when strength training. When you do this form of exercise, you are activating your muscles, and your muscles stay active for an average of up to two days, depending on your size, height, and weight. When your muscles are activated, you are burning fat. Cardio is great, but cardio only burns fat for the period in which you are doing it. Strength training, again, continues to burn fat. I will say, as I have in many articles, cardio is a must, because it is the only way to work the heart muscle.
Regardless of the season, you need to keep moving. If you do not exercise regularly, maybe use this fall as your starting point. Think of it as doing something good for you!
“Autumn is a gentle reminder that changes can be beautiful.”
Make this autumn, the season and time to change yourself. Do it for you!
