Ten Tips to Transition Into Fall Fitness

If you are living in a cold-weather climate, it’s clear the warm, care free-days of 2010 are just about over.

The leaves are changing, the winds are blowing colder and the days have been getting shorter since fall was officially ushered in Sept. 22.

With fall now kicked in it does have an effect on how active many people can be or choose to be. But there are still many great ways to stay active, while also preparing for the colder days ahead.

Here are 10 tips to transition into fall fitness:

1 Power walk – Plan ahead for what the weather might be and dress accordingly for a brisk hike on a trail in the woods, or even just a jaunt around the neighborhood.

2 Go for a bike ride – Many falls days make for the perfect temperature to go for a 20 or 30 mile bike ride, or maybe even longer if you’re a seasoned rider.

3 Organize a pickup game – Whether it’s football, basketball or even a fall-ball softball game, get some people together for some friendly outside competition on some of the last good days of the year to do it in cold-weather states.

4 Yard work – Get a good workout while doing your seasonal fall chores at a brisk pace, such as raking leaves, cleaning flower beds and winterizing the house. Your place will look a lot better, you’ll burn calories and feel good overall about being productive.

5 Get your inside workout room ready – Take some time to plan ahead for where you’ll work out once the weather does force you inside more – unless you’re a Nordic, winter games type athlete.

Do things such as cleaning your workout equipment, making sure your treadmill and/or elliptical are working correctly and maybe consider adding fitness equipment to your home gym.

6 Improve your diet – Take a good honest look at your diet and determine if there are areas you can improve in. It’s a lot easier to put weight on during the winter months if you’re not careful, so establish good habits now.

7 Get enough sleep – Make sure to get enough sleep as it will help you enjoy better overall health.

8 Run in a road race – There are lots of local 5K and 10K races held each weekend. This is a great way to stay in shape and stay motivated while training.

9 Go for a water ride – Go on a canoe, kayak or rafting trip as you soak up the fall atmosphere.

10 Make time of yourself – If people aren’t careful they can get burned out on the hectic pace of life. Take some time for yourself to unwind. Stop and smell the roses, or in this case, hear the leaves crackle under your feet on a nice, peaceful fall walk.