Fall is a fantastic time to reinvigorate your efforts in your fitness journey. The change in seasons can inspire many of us to make new changes or to come back to the gym. But for others, the premise of dark evenings and cold mornings can make us feel put off from exercising, leaving us to abandon our training routine. If you’re feeling hesitant about how your exercise routine might change with the change in season, we’ve got 7 essential tips to help you get your fall fitness on.
01 Embrace training outside
While fall might not have the rays of sunshine that we welcomed during our summer workouts, training outside can still be a great idea. The changing colors of the leaves and the refreshing air can be a wonderful accompaniment to your workouts. To make the most out of the outside sessions, make sure to layer up. Bring your water bottle with you, as you still need to stay hydrated even if you don’t feel as hot as you do in the summer.
02 Schedule workouts for better time management
Fall is typically a busier time, and with a smaller amount of daylight, you might need to shift priorities around to fit in your workout. Figure out what time works best for you, whether that’s early morning, during your lunch hours, or even later in the evening. Scheduling workouts allows you to keep in mind when you’re working out and can help you prioritize your fall fitness. If you need to, make your workouts shorter by doing circuits or a HIIT workout.
03 Revisit your goals and update them
Fall fitness isn’t just about staying active. Many of us have set goals to be in a particular shape by the end of the year or to achieve a particular result in a sport or the gym. Fall is the perfect time to return to that goal and see how close you are to achieving it. Alternatively, setting goals can help with motivation, as it gives you something to look forward to.
For example, if you set the goal of growing your muscle mass by two kilos in the next month, you’ll be more motivated to work toward that. Make sure your goals are specific and achievable.
04 Learn accountability
It’s one thing to set goals and it’s another to follow through. A great motivator for a fall workout is seeing progress. Learn to track progress in a way that works for you, whether it’s doing regular performance tests or simply ticking off how often you go to the gym.
05 Practice good nutritional habits
Fitness is related to your nutrition. If you’re eating foods that make you feel lethargic and slow, you likely wouldn’t want to continue working out. Alternatively, your nutrition will also impact your recovery. If you’re sore, you might not want to work out, so changing your nutrition to help you recover is essential. As a general rule, prioritize protein, and seasonal veggies, and don’t forget your healthy fats for hormone function.
06 Stay flexible with your routine
Feeling caught in your routine of going to work, then to the gym, then home, and repeat? That can drain our motivation to exercise. Don’t be afraid to change up the types of workouts you do, or even take up a new sport or fitness class and put it into rotation with your existing workouts. This way, you’ll have something new to look forward to, which might make you more excited to train.
07 Give yourself an energy boost
Sometimes the cool weather and the tiredness of our workday can de-motivate us. When that happens, a good tip is to re-energize your body with a bit of caffeine. Drink a coffee before you work out or consider a pre-workout supplement. The energy jolt can help push you toward going to the gym.
Alternatively, tell yourself you’re just going to work out for 10 minutes. Once they’re up, If you don’t feel like continuing, go home, but chances are that you’ll want to keep at it. The tricky bit is starting, the rest will come to you.
Fall fitness doesn’t have to be something you dread. Learn to set goals, stay accountable and disciplined, and make it easier for yourself to enjoy your workouts. This way, you’ll be on track to reach your personal goals and you’ll have an easier time remaining active during the colder seasons. If you’re looking for more tips on remaining active, check out the Knowledge Center, where we have a variety of posts that can help you make sense of recovery or find new ways to train, like with functional training.
