Tweak Your Fitness Plan To Fit The Change Of Seasons

Those long summer days of 2009 are slowly coming to an end. Although some of us here in South Florida may beg to differ, summer is just about over. We are all enjoying the warm days, pool parties and barbecues, and also the not so enjoyable things like 90% humidity and mosquito repellent. No matter where you live, though, soon we will be going into Daylight Savings time-which is great, given we can sleep an extra hour, but this change in seasons impacts our bodies more than we think. Our fitness plan, eating habits, and overall mood are affected by both physical and psychological factors.

Now you can use this change to your advantage, although many of us pass up the chance without ever realizing it. Ever notice how we all worry about “beach-ready bodies” in the

Start thinking about the changes you will need to make to your fitness plan once we start heading into Fall 2009.

summer? Well, because it’s hot, days are linger, and more of us is more likely to be exposed. And everyone, whether they admit it or not, worry about physical appearance to a certain degree. When the weather cools off, we may have extra leeway to cover up the one too many chocolate bars that make their way into our diets.

Despite this change in weather and more lax attitude, many people still find ways to keep fit and focused even through the harshest winter months. Now we still have a ways to go before winter kicks in, but I want to give you some tips now to prepare yourselves and avoid packing on the pounds as the weather slowly cools off. Also realize that some places will begin to see snow as early as next month! So, read on, get ready, and enjoy cool crisp Fall weather to your advantage and as a welcome break from all that mosquito spray!

Tips For Escaping the “Winter Bulge”

1. Continue to eat well and to count calories! This is a biggie since our biological tendency is to eat more during winter months. And while this may have been advantageous for our ancestors who needed extra body fat for insulation, it’s not necessary in our modern world of specialized winter clothing that can keep us warm with no added effort. We are also not as active as our ancestors who hunted to survive and therefore expended more calories in seeking food than we do in opening the refrigerator.

2. Stay active. So many people get caught up in those warm blankets a little long during winter months and without even noticing, drastically decrease their activity level in doing so. And the roblem with decreasing activity level? Well, it inreases the risk of gaining weight through excess calories and a slower metabolism.

3. Change up the routine. While you may be accostomed to a late afternoon run in summer, it may be too dark for that run at the same time during winter months. Why? Well, remember clocks “fall back” an hour, meaning that it will get darker sooner. So how do you avoid any issues with this? Try changing around your schedule to get your exercise in early morning or mid-afternoon instead if at all possible.

4. Keep up your appearance and never lose focus. While baggy winter clothes and layers may give a temporary cover up for those love handles, don’t forget they are still there. And you, as the sole caretaker of your body will have to face the fact that they are still there. You don’t want them there, but if you doin’t do anything about them, they will never go away. So? Keep focused on you fitness goals and keep several reminders of those goals where you will see and remember them each day.

5. Ease into the time change. This is one a lot of people pass up. Rather than just waiting for the day that you need to put your clocks back an hour, ease in to the change by adjusting your bedtime little by little to accustom your body to the new, shorter days. For example, rather than turning your lock back an hour and sleeping in, start going to bed 10 minutes earlier each day the week before. By the time the day rolls around, your body is already used to the time change and the adaption process is that much easier.

This by far is not an exhaustive list, but it’s a start. Just some ideas to keep in mind and to keep you focused on your fitness plan no matter if your in sunny South Florida, or cool and calm Minnesota.

Take Charge!

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