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Don't Let a Busy Fall Season
Get in the Way of Exercise
There is good reason to stay motivated to exercise in the fall. Exercise has many timeless benefits regardless of the time of year, but during busy seasons, it is that much more beneficial. In addition, if you keep up with your routine now, it will be that much easier to maintain when the holiday season arrives.
When school and other fall activities start, it is difficult to find time for exercise. However, it is even more important to continue your exercise routine when you are busy. This is because your body will benefit from staying active during what could be a stressful time of year.
Whether you feel it or not, your body is feeling a certain amount of stress when you are busy. This is because you are running from one thing to the next and your body naturally starts to tense. There are a lot of unhealthy ways to relieve stress, but they are simply not good for you; however, exercise is a healthy option.
Basically, when you engage in physical activity your body releases endorphins, which help you cope with and fend off external stressors. They are the "feel good" hormones of the body and other benefits of endorphins include relief from pain and depression.
Now that we have established why you need to stay motivated to exercise, it is time to learn about how. It is one thing to know why and a whole different challenge to put a plan into action. With that said, the first thing you need to do is make a plan and set goals within that plan.
Goals give you a challenge or something to work for and a plan allows you to meet those goals. Take this a step further and track your progress in a fitness journal. If you are visual or love check lists this is a great way see progress.
Next, choose exercise you truly enjoy. You do not have to torture yourself to attain physical fitness. Think about it, you are far more likely to stick with and get more out of an exercise activity you enjoy than one you dislike or even hate.
Finally, be willing to adapt your routine or move it to a different time of day. This is a tough one to follow if you like your schedule to remain the same from day to day, but sometimes you have to make sacrifices to get what you want. When it seems hard to be flexible, just remember all the benefits you get by making physical activity a consistent part of your daily routine.
Here are a few more tips to help you fit exercise into your schedule and stay motivated during the busy seasons of life:
- Exercise during your lunch hour.
- Walk or bike instead of driving or taking public transportation.
- Go to bed an hour earlier and wake up early to exercise.
- Exercise with a friend for accountability and motivation.
- Ease boredom by getting a personal trainer to show you some new exercises.
- Adapt part of your schedule so you are more efficient and have more time for exercise.
Remember These Four Words for Fall Fitness
- Embrace. You just made it through the heat of summer and to do this you may have spent many a day exercising inside. Now is the time to embrace the cooler weather by getting outside before winter rolls in and steals it away again.
- Hydrate. Cooler weather can trick you into thinking you do not have to hydrate quite as much, but you must remain mindful of fluid intake even as the temperature decreases.
- Layer. During fall the ever-changing temperature is confusing until we finally settle on cold weather so layer your clothing because it is confusing to your body as well.
- Nourish. Take advantage of fall produce to nourish your body with new vitamins. You are probably getting a little bored with summer time choices anyway.
Make Dinner Easily with a Crockpot by Chef Noche
 You have to be realistic when your schedule or your family's schedule gets busy. One place you can put this into practice is in the kitchen.
During a hectic season, you are not going to be able to prepare a complicated dinner every night; however, you do not want to eat unhealthy and let all that exercise go to waste.
You also need to eat well because healthy foods are another way to combat stress. It is only natural for a body without the proper fuel to have difficulty battling stress.
One way to make an easy meal is by utilizing a Crockpot or slow cooker. If you have never used one, then you are missing out. All you have to do is add your ingredients, turn on the slow cooker and anywhere from four to eight hours later you have a meal. Here is a stew with some popular autumn produce:
Autumn Chicken Stew
2 lbs chicken breast cubed
3 cups of squash cubed
2 apples chopped into bite sizes
1 medium onion diced into bite sizes
1 lb baby carrot diced
1 can chicken broth (14 ounce)
1 1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt (or a little more if you like)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
1. Layer the bottom of the Crockpot with squash, apple, onion and carrot.
2. Put cubed chicken on top of the layer of vegetables and apple.
3. Add chicken broth over the top.
4. Add spices as the final touch.
5. Cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high in a slow cooker.
Approximate Nutritional Information:
Calories - 250
Fat Calories - 25
Fat - 3 g
Carbohydrates - 45 g
Protein - 14 g
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