A new season is always a great time to make a fresh start, and fall is the perfect time to change gears to meet your health and fitness goals before the end of the year. Most people use spring as their get-in-shape season as they look forward to the warm months of summer, but those healthy habits tend to die off as the warm weather progresses. That means by fall, a lot of people are ready for an out-of-shape winter hibernation.
Don't let that happen to you. There's no reason to let the cool weather of fall put you into hibernation mode. In fact, that will just make it even tougher to get in shape next spring. Stay in shape year-round instead with this fall health checklist.
Do Something - Every Day
The crisp, fall air might make you want to get bundled up and stay inside, but you can do that after you've done something physical. A gym with weights and/or cardio equipment is great, and even indoor exercise classes and aerobics are perfectly sufficient for getting your daily activity, but take advantage of the fall weather. Get outside and enjoy a good walk, run, bike ride, or any other type of physical activity.
And depending on your goals, you don't have to do something with 100% intensity every day. There's nothing wrong with mixing it up to keep your motivation moving, but don't forget to stimulate your mind as well as your body. When you're outdoors, make a point of taking in all the sights and sounds, and if you have a partner to be active with, light up some stimulating discussion. Remember, good health is a balance of physical and mental, and that's especially true during times of isolation, when you may not be able to get out as much due to weather or any other reasons.
Get Rest
Don't ignore sleep as part of your health checklist. A good night of sleep is not only vital for feeling energized the next day, but it's also when you recover physically from whatever type of exercise program you're on, whether you're lifting heavy weights or going on nature walks. You need to let your body and mind fully recover either way.
Plus, with the ridiculous amount of stress in our lives, sleep is your one real chance to push the reset button for the next day. A good night of rest goes a long way toward any healthy-living plan.
And speaking of stress and rest, reduce or eliminate any alcohol intake and turn off those electronics! Sure, alcohol might feel like a stress relief once in a while, but it can become a new source of physical stress on your body, it hampers healthy hormone production, and it can drop your will power so you're more likely to give in to unhealthy habits. As for electronics, turn off your phone or tablet and step away from social media at least an hour before bed. The rapid-fire world events and picture posts will all still be there in the morning.
Eat Your Fruits and Veggies
You should obviously be eating your recommended servings of fruits and vegetables every day throughout the entire year, but that's an especially important habit to get into during the fall months. Cold and flu season can wreak havoc on your life if you let the health of your immune system slip, but fruits and veggies have the vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and antioxidants that help boost your immune system response.
But you don't like vegetables or have trouble picking good fruit without it spoiling in the kitchen? Buy less and do it more often to avoid the waste, or pick up some Green Supreme Fusion to make life easier,” or to simply get even more servings of fruits and veggies in your diet. Each glass provides the equivalent of five servings of fruits and vegetables, is extremely easy to mix, and tastes shockingly delicious. Plus, it's high in Omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and probiotics on top of the health-fortifying natural antioxidants.
Keep Washing Your Hands!
The importance of washing your hands to prevent infectious disease is something we hear constantly now, but that's not new. The fact is, washing your hands and not touching your face have always been the best way to fight off many diseases. If that's just now becoming a habit for you, great! Stick with it and continue to wash your hands often, regardless of whether there's a pandemic. Good hygiene is one of the best ways to remain healthy through the cold and flu season of fall and winter, but it can also keep you healthy throughout the rest of the year, so keep washing your hands.
