Fitness Tips for the Fall

25 TOP FALL FITNESS TIPS

1. Set Goals
Start by setting short simple goals, such as exercising for 20 minutes as soon as you wake up on Mondays. By doing it this way it makes achieving the goals more realistic and allows you to progress to longer-term goals.

2. Make a Motivation Board
Make yourself a bulletin board  and attach a list of your goals on it. You can put things there such as progress photos, inspirational sayings, updates with your accomplishments and more. Place your motivation somewhere prominent – like your bathroom mirror or your office at work -- so you’ll see it regularly.

3. Adopt the 3 “C’s”
Commitment, Convenience and Consistency: Adopt these three strategies into your lifestyle to help you stay active and eat right for good.

4. Make It Fun
Make your workout fun by mixing it up with new activities like hip-hop dancing, yoga, kickboxing and Pilates.

5. Plan Ahead
Plan your workouts for the week ahead of time, and also plan your meals so you’re not scrambling for something to eat at the last minute.

6. Stock Up on Healthy Food
Keep your kitchen well stocked with unprocessed, whole foods that are quick and easy to munch on. Cut-up veggies, lean meats, olive oil, coconut oil and nuts are all great options.

 
7. Schedule Your Workouts
Schedule your workouts on your calendar just like an important meeting. This way you don't miss them. You can also fit activity in throughout your day by walking, standing, climbing stairs and stretching (as opposed to sitting) whenever you get the chance. You just have to place a HIGH PRIORITY on it and schedule your day around the exercise, not the other way around.






8. Grab a Friend
Partnering up with a friend who has similar fitness goals will boost your motivation and your accountability. Plus, it’s more fun to exercise with a partner.

9. Get Outdoors
Instead of going to the gym, head out to your local park, sidewalk or forest preserve. Take in the changing leaves and scenery while you fit in a great workout.

10. Change It Up
Add variety to your favorite activities, such as swapping your step aerobics class for kickboxing or yoga for a day of strength training.

11. Moderation Is Key
It’s OK to indulge once in a while with your diet, just be sure to keep your goals in mind each day. If you do
veer off course, don’t beat yourself up over it. Simply make better choices at your next meal or try the 80:20 rule (eating right 80 percent of the time and being more lenient for the other 20).

12. No Gym? No Problem
Many of the best exercises can be done anywhere.  Consider jumping jacks, push ups, squats, crunches and mountain climbers, which you can do in your home, office or hotel room. Various workout DVDs or apps for your phone are also available.

13. Gear Up
Update your old baggy sweats with some new yoga pants, running shorts or shoes. Looking good makes you feel good and will motivate you to exercise more, and harder.

14. Snack Right
Rather than letting unhealthy snacks sabotage your diet, keep healthy snacks like apples, almonds, or hummus and carrots handy. Focus on what you should be eating, instead of what you shouldn’t.

15. Try Fruit for Dessert
If you’re in the mood for something sweet, a piece of whole fruit provides vitamins, minerals and antioxidants without an overload of sugar. A piece of dark chocolate is another healthy treat option.

16. Stay Hydrated
Pure water is essential for healthy metabolism and detoxification, and for warding off dehydration. Try adding sliced cucumbers, lemons and limes to your water for added benefits, like help with indigestion, heartburn, headaches, and preventing water weight gain.

17. Get Proper Sleep
Lack of sleep is strongly linked to weight gain, low energy and fatigue. Without adequate sleep, you’ll have a harder time sticking to your diet and your exercise plan.

18. Workout to Music
Listening to music while exercising can increase your endurance by 15 percent and it usually is more motivating as well.

19. Track Your Progress
Write down your daily workout details (how long you exercised, how much you lifted) so you can track your progress. There are many useful apps, such as Fitness Builder, if you’d rather do this digitally.

20. Ditch Your Scale
Pay attention to how your clothes fit and how your body feels rather than the number on the scale. If you must monitor your fitness more closely, body fat calipers are one of the most trusted and most accurate ways to measure body fat.

21. Take Time for Recovery
Overdoing exercise is counterproductive and can actually damage your muscle tissue and cause injuries. Give yourself adequate recovery time between workouts and be sure to alternate muscle groups or body parts in your exercise sessions.

22. Grab a Little R&R
If you’ve fallen into a workout rut, take a few days to recharge and regroup. Sometimes, taking a break from your routine can do wonders to renew your motivation.

23. Reward Yourself
When you reach a fitness goal, reward yourself with a massage, an evening out or a new piece of clothing. After all, you worked hard; you deserve it!

24. Don’t Give Up
The greatest goals are achieved one step at a time. Keep persevering one day at a time and you will eventually reach your dreams.

25. It’s All Up to You
You have to make the decision to get fit. When you commit to it, you’re making a contract with yourself. Be the change you want to see in your life!


- information provided by Dr. Mercola