Fall is here! Sweatshirt weather. When mother nature changes her wardrobe, extends the dark, and puts a warm glow of sunlight into the air, a season of balancing light and dark begins, a time of transition and transforming.
Our bodies like change or cycles. Getting into the fall season with a fitness routine in place will have you feeling rooted and grounded in good health. Fall and winter bring on colds and flu and your immune system needs a big boost before winter arrives.
FYI: Holiday Bodies are made in the fall. What you do today will be your tomorrow. Today is a result of your yesterdays. Getting into a routine is easier than your mind is telling you.
Fall Fitness Tips by Kathy Dolan:
đź’› Sign up for a Bootcamp or Training with Friends. When you sign up with friends, the days and times you will be working out are all set. You will have the accountability of not only your Coach but your friends too. Real friends push each other! And it’s more fun to suffer and complain alongside your peeps. Even more, going out for coffee or salads afterward is such a reward!
đź’› Watch TV……Yes! Turn on your favorite evening show AND do a 30-minute run on the treadmill, a circuit, or a bodybuilding workout. When you have a home gym set up, weight training is so much better than working out at the gym. No sweat to wipe off the bench but your own. Once you do it a few times it will become a healthy habit! I love me some Shark Tank or Bravo Housewives and why not workout while you catch up? It really does make the time fly and you can turn the TV up as loud as you like.
đź’› Do 10 Minute Abs Before You Shower Each Morning. Click the link and sign up for my email newsletter and immediately receive a FREE Ab Workout! Waking up 10 minutes earlier and rolling on to your mat is so doable. Get it done early and you will feel so much better you did something. And when you fully wake up, it’s over!
💛Celebrate & Acknowledge Past Goals & Achievements If you’re already into a workout routine, high five! You have most likely accomplished some goals and healthy changes in your life. Take some time to acknowledge and value them! The fact that you were dedicated enough to achieve them gives confidence and assurance that you can continue hitting seasonal goals! Close your eyes and be reminded of how good it feels to keep going!
đź’›Build Up The Positive Thoughts, Mantras, and Motivation! Self-talk can make or break your goals. You have a choice as to what thoughts you will allow each day. There’s a reason you started working out, so use that as a focal point on those days when you feel like your motivation tank is on low. Behave your way out of it. If we only worked out when we felt like it, how often would you work out? Is your goal to lose weight? To start feeling more energetic? Whatever the end goal, use it to build up some positivity and willpower. Visualize reaching your goal and how amazing it will feel. The only way to get there is to stay focused and strong in your mind and actions. A workout at 40% Perceived Exertion is better than one at 0%. The one that didn’t happen.
💛Write Down Your Planned Activity Goals. Fall is a great time to organize and write down your seasonal goals. When your notebook is organized, you will feel inspired. Write down and achieve small goals on a daily basis. To see it checked or marked with an “X” as done will motivate you when the going gets tough. It can be as simple as scheduling a 10-minute ab workout or a 10-minute walk at lunch. Make it a goal to park at the farthest parking space at work, the grocery store, or when you make a “Target Run” and done!
đź’› Keep an At-A-Glance Calendar for the Next 30 days. Schedule-in your entire workout in 10-minute increments if you need to. I have done this!! A written reminder is a great way to give yourself accountability and encouragement.
đź’›Update Your Vitamins, Supplements, and doterra oils! Be prepared and stock up on vitamin D and B12, those will help to give you more energy, a better winter metabolism, and improved memory. Try a new protein powder! Not sure what you are lacking? Testing is so accessible these days, get a test!
💛Change of Scenery! Get outdoors for as many workouts as you can fit it! A change of scenery is good for the soul. Walk, run, hike, bike, stack firewood, rack leaves, rollerblade, rock-climb, do yoga, or bodyweight HIIT. Try a few new workouts like TRX, Barre, Tai chi, cardio, and yoga.
💛 Plan to Try One New Recipe, Food /Food Product, or Drink. When you hit the grocery store or farmer’s market, stock up on seasonal fruits and vegetables. Fall harvest is beautiful and should be consumed with spice!
💛Refresh Your Workout Attire, Equipment, Shoes, or Yoga Mat! Feeling fabulous in your workout attire makes the workouts enjoyable! I have done my own unscientific study and find this to be absolutely true! If you’re one of those people who get the best of everything including your Trainer (insert wink and smile here), why not get the best gear for the job? Splurge! Being active always feels better when you’re using, working with, or wearing the best and most comfortable fit.
đź’›Reward Yourselves! Get that massage, new purse, haircut, botox, brows, facial, tickets to an NFL game, or binge your favorite TV series. Reward yourself for how far you have come and for implementing a FALL FITNESS PLAN!
💛If You Fall, Get Back Up. The journey to weight loss, getting stronger, rehabbing an injury, or surgery, is not easy – it will be a struggle with highs and lows. What’s important is to just keep showing up. Consistency over perfection. No matter what, keep going. No matter how hard the situation gets, dig in, crawl, but don’t quit. When you fall, get right back up and keep walking. Start again but don’t quit. The strength of a winner lies in not giving up and your health depends on it.
Kathy Dolan, ACE Fitness Pro, Health Coach, Personal Trainer, Yoga Instructor, is a self-employed business owner. Kathy Dolan is a master trainer with years of experience with the secrets to real results! You will find her teaching and training clients at a gym in the San Diego area or on the Class It Up Virtual Studio, and writing health and fitness programs for clients of all ages. She enjoys spending time with her three kids whether it’s in the mountains or on the seashore.
