Staying Active as the Season Changes

At this time of the year when it is often dark when we wake up and is starting to get dark earlier it is tempting to want to stay inside.  Your bodies clock is regulated by exposure to light so it is critical that we get outside during the daylight every day and let ourselves sleep an hour or two more as winter approaches.

Here are a few tips to stay active as the season changes:

Plan for it

Change your walking time to mid-day if you can to capture maximum sunlight

Think through barriers that will arise to your exercise plans and create solutions:

• Lack of time: Schedule short bursts of exercise throughout your day. Sneaking exercise into your day
• No motivation: Workout with a buddy or a personal trainer so you are accountable
• No energy: You will get energized as you start to move. Tell yourself that you will start and if you don’t feel better after 10 minutes you can stop

Internalize the benefits:

Living our lives feeling like we “should” exercise and we “should” eat right and we “should” call our mothers does not feel energizing.  Try changing your attitude to exercise to “fitting in a walk outside and some strength work today will improve my mood, lubricate my joints, build my bone density and make me feel alive and happy”

Sign up for something you need to train for:

On dark and cold days you will be motivated to get moving if you have something to train for.  Why not sign up for a spring 5k walk or book a trip that involves walking or hiking in the spring?  Vintage Fitness hopes to recruit a team of walkers for a spring walk so if there is a charity that you support let us know.