Healthy Living Tips for Fall
With Labor Day comes the unofficial end of summer. While there are still about three weeks remaining until fall, most of us are making the transition this week. Children back to school, more rush hour traffic, a full office with everyone back from vacation; volunteer groups resuming.
Many people feel burdened by the return to full-blown activities, and feel it's hard to stay committed to a healthy lifestyle. I like to take this time to regroup, and form a new seasonal lifestyle plan. It's something I do with each of my patients sometime during September. It is a time to reflect and reaffirm your lifestyle goals and set up some new strategies.
There are so many reasons why people feel they do well with their lifestyle and weight loss plans during the summer. Perhaps you agree with some of these, just to name a few:
"There's less stress in the summer...."
"So much fresh produce..."
"It stays light later..."
"The weather is nicer..."
"Less activity for the kids..."
"We grill a lot..."
"I'm spend a lot of time gardening..."
What's important is taking that summer energy and translating it to the new season. With just a little thought, you can re-energize for the Fall, and sustain that healthy summer lifestyle.
I'd love to hear about your transition to fall. What are you doing to sustain good health, despite all the demands on your time? The strategies are so different for everyone. Here are just a few of mine.
- Eat seasonal fruits and vegetables: Pay a visit to a local farm stand, or seek out farm-stand foods in your local grocery store. Enjoy the last of the "summer fruits" - peaches, plums, nectarines, and welcome the arrival of many varieties of apples and pears.
- Keep up your "activity of daily living": If you enjoy gardening, plant some mums in fall colors. Keep up with your after-dinner walk, even if it's shorter. It's important family time. Go right after dinner and clean up when you return.
- Stay active with your kids: Go to the playground, and play with your kids. If they are older, and you are no longer part of the "play group," walk the track or neighborhood while they're at a school practice.
- Build in 30 minutes of "personal time": With the increasing tasks that come with the fall, make sure you include a daily time, for whatever you want to do. Whether it's a power nap, a talk on the phone, a walk in the park, a cup of tea and a magazine, or your favorite TV show, it's important to make sure you make this time for yourself. It's not an indulgence, it's a must-do to manage stress.
In these waning days of summer, a little pre-planning for the fall will energize you, and help you stay on track.
How do you make the seasonal transition? I'd love to know!
Comments
it's also harder to get motivated when my body is covered up in jeans and a baggy sweater for fall though i know it shouldn't stop me from wanting to be healthier.
The tips on lifestyle during fall are very good. I will surely try them. During fall people don't feel like exercising, but still we can do physical activities like walking, gardening. For related info I suggest you visit this site on exercise.
I enjoyed the read. Fall is a wonderful season and the strategies to maintain good health during this time are very interesting. Take a look at this site for good diet plans.
Hi, great blog. I really liked it. By following a healthy meal and doing the daily exercises we can stay fit. The tips are very good.
I read somewhere that people gain the most weight in August out of any month since it's so hot, you don't feel like exercising. I'd have to aggree with this because I'm just now getting back into my work out routine. And it's great, because the gym isn't as crowded in September:)
Good site! Good resources here, All the best!
Weekend walks in the fall are actually better - no worries about it being too hot! It is also the ideal time to get out and enjoy a hike, take a trip to a pretty place and enjoy those fall colors - jump into a big leaf pile - fall is my FAVORITE outdoors season
And...don't forget that bugs are gone - all the reason to be outside. :)
hey i loved ur story and i like the tips that ytou have gavenus ont he biggest loser. i would you to email me some of ur tips at my url thakn you for ur time .
I really enjoyed this article, because I love the cooler weather of fall, as I can get back into walking more compared to this summer with the heat index was so high, and I have asthma, so right now till winter I can enjoy as the cold weather I find I wheeze, I do use my Inhaler which helps. We went camping the last week of August, I walked around the block at the campsite, and our dash hound enjoyed it as well, I walk here alot at the horse farm as well, I find that it is better to walk earlier, I park my car farther from the stores and walk, walk rather then take the stairs, and usually get to the floor just as fast or faster then waiting.
I love iVillage it's great. Thank You.
Kathleen
I completely disagree with the advice you gave on the today show on Friday 1/25. To say that eating 3 times a day is the same as eating 6 times a day is absurd. For someone with a fast metabolism it's absolutely necessary to eat more than three times a day to prevent crashes in energy. I also disagree with most of your other advice..You should preface that your advice is for people who our overweight and don't know how to eat the right amount..
Thanks for the thoughtful tips about this topic.
