Fall Fitness: Get back to your fitness routine

By Abbey D’Costa

Fall is just around the corner and those days of enjoying summer BBQs, sleeping in late, beach days, and grabbing fast food on road trips are over.  Now that the kids are heading back to school, it’s time to get back into a regular fitness routine. Where do you start?

Make it Fun: If over the summer you enjoyed playing soccer, basketball, or any sport with your kids, join an adult league in your area. Improve your skills and get a great workout.

Schedule Your Workouts: Be sure to schedule your workouts when you have time.  Avoid trying to work out just before picking up or just after dropping the kids off. Plans change quickly.

Grab A Buddy: Exercise is a lot more fun with a buddy, plus it makes you accountable.

Start Small: Develop habits, then worry about equipment: Getting back into working out is hard enough, learning how to use those complicated machines is for another time. Stay with the basics and design your exercise program to be simple. Start with 10 minutes a day and then add on from there.

Go At Your Own Pace: If it’s been a while so don’t expect to be at the same exercise level you were before the summer. Progress slowly! With a good fitness plan and dedication, you’ll be back to your pre-summer body before you know it.

Think Healthy, Not Pounds: Once you start, it will be much harder if you are watching the scale all the time and become frustrated if the numbers are not what you’d like to see. Instead change your mind frame to thinking healthy.  Jump starting your exercise routine will help you become healthier. Once you feel good about yourself, all the other elements, such as motivation, weight loss, and diet will fall into place.