Why Fall is the Season for My Biggest Fitness Progress

As summer temperatures start fading away, I have my fall fitness progress in mind. This is an odd time of year when exercising doesn’t tend to make its way into the spotlight.  I can understand why.  The summer is over.  Kids are going back to school.  We’re less likely to be going out to do things outdoors.

However, this season actually comes with a lot of advantages over the hot summer and cold winter. This is a great time to renew a focus on exercising and fine tuning your fall fitness progress.

When’s the Best Time to Focus on Workouts

Many people feel their best workout times are at New Year or in the springtime when the threat of bikini weather looms ahead. These make sense.  After all, when you think about it, most of your fall fitness progress will be covered up with bulky clothing.  There’s a reason they call it sweater weather.  We have heavy sweaters to hide the evidence of all the rich foods we eat during cold days and nights.

This can make it tough for many people to be motivated for fall fitness progress. Not for me, though. For me, it’s fall. There are actually a lot of reasons for that. There are many reasons that can make it easier for me to be driven forward during this season, even as the season for shorts, tanks and swimwear comes to a close.

I try to keep up my fitness all year round, of course, but there are certain times that it is more successful than others. Fall is the time of year that beats them all.

Here’s Why Fall Fitness Progress is a Great Way to Kickstart Winter

Weather

Likely the most obvious is the fact that the fall temperatures give a wonderful break from the heat of the summer. I can head outside, workout just as hard as I wanted to in the summer without drowning in sweat or getting lightheaded from becoming dehydrated and overheated. When I know I’ll be able to stay on my feet the whole time, it’s a lot easier to keep pushing forward.

That said, the dead of the winter it can be too cold to get out there every day.  At the same time that it’s not too hot anymore, it can be difficult to get outside and work out when it’s well below freezing and the sidewalks are slippery.  The parks may or may not be cleared and

Smaller Gym Crowds

The closer the year gets to the holidays, the fewer people go to the gym. They’re too busy and unmotivated. I’m busy, too, but I’ve made a priority of taking care of myself. I know the difference it makes in my energy levels to keep up with my kids as well as how it helps me to stave off depression.

Mental Health

Speaking of depression, I’ve struggled with it off and on, but I know that the more I keep up my workouts, the less likely I am to sink into that dark place. This is especially important as the days get shorter. Seasonal Affective Disorder can be a problem in the winter. In the fall, I tell myself that now is the time when I make my fitness goal commitments to myself. The habits I set up in the fall are the ones I’m most likely to stick to at least until spring. Getting through SAD and keeping depression away depends on me exercising and eating right the majority of the time.

The Neighborhood is Beautiful

As soon as the fall even hints at getting started, the entire neighborhood changes. The leaves start to change color. People put out different colors of flowers and plant arrangements, like chrysanthemums (which seem to come in more colors every year!), and a lot of houses have great seasonal décor out like bales of hay, colored leaf wreaths, maize cob door hangings, scarecrows and more. It’s fun to have a look at the way the neighborhood changes for the season and to do that, I need to get out and walk!

The Kids Are in School

Finally, as though the rest of these points weren’t enough, the fact that the kids are back in school means that I have a few minutes to myself every day. Suddenly, I’m not exercising just to get it done, like I was in the summer. I can exercise to enjoy it and take my time a little because my kids are in their classrooms.