Credit: Alora Griffiths from Unsplash

The carefree days of summer are almost over.  Long, lazy days in the sun with weekend travel and spontaneous adventures will soon turn, like the autumn leaves, to a more even paced fall and winter routine.  For many of us, the fall means transitioning to gym workouts if we exercise primarily outdoors in the summer.  Whatever fall exercise means to you, it can be hard to slip into the rhythm and momentum of cooler weather workouts. Let’s look at a few ways to help you think about your fall fitness routine.

Don’t be too hard on yourself. It takes baby steps to get back to a fitness routine, so try to be kind if you don’t achieve all that you desire in a workout.  Americans are conditioned to think if a little bit is good, a lot must be better.  When it comes to exercise, the truth is that some is better than none.  Embrace the some and set goals for more.

Try something new.  Have you been thinking how cool it would be to try that Tabata class?  The fall is a great time to start a new fitness routine because many programs are starting new classes and offering classes for new students.

Find an actual groove to get you moving. Re-energize yourself with some cool new tunes on your playlist. No matter what kind of music you like, there’s a great song in the genre to make you wanna move.  For some great ideas check out Fitness magazine’s list of the 100 greatest workout songs. According to scientists, your favorite gym-time jams may act as natural pain relievers and help you to move faster without even realizing it.

Whether it’s SoulCycle yoga, or Crossfit, a workout can make you feel great and help you cope with the changing seasons and mixing it up helps reduce your risk of overtraining.

Andrea Groth Wellbeing Detective

Andrea wants to live in a world where the neighborhoods are walkable, bike lanes are plentiful, and the food is fresh, delicious and readily available.

A 20-year veteran of the health and wellness industry, she started her career in the fitness industry while earning a master’s degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion, and then on to the burgeoning field of worksite wellness. Andrea has competed in collegiate level soccer, worked as a personal trainer, fitness instructor, wellness coach, and master trainer, climbed 14ers, and completed cycling centuries and metric centuries. All of these experiences give her the opportunity to view well-being from many different perspectives.
When she’s not helping others to be their healthiest self, you can find her at a farm to table restaurant, down dogging at the yoga studio, or experiencing the Colorado landscape on a bicycle, snowshoes, cross country skis or on foot.