Change your Workouts with the Season

Today is the first day of October. Wow! and with the turn of the calendar there have already been changes in the weather recently that I can't help but notice. I have definitely come to the conclusion that if I'm going to keep up with the fitness side of my routine, I need to make a few changes to achieve the consistency that I try to aim for.

This year I have realized that I LOVE the summer season for working out outdoors. I enjoyed the early sunrises that I catch on my 5:30 in the morning walks through our neighborhood. I enjoyed making a routine out of rising early, with the sun, and getting my day off to a positive start. I would listen to my worship music or Scripture while walking to keep me company or just soak in the silence of nature waking up...which isn't actually silent, but beautiful none the less. My favorite part was getting some "alone time" before spending all day with my kiddos. I love them dearly, but silence is golden...as long as they are still sleeping soundly in their beds!

In the last month and a half or so, I have found that the sun rises later and later, of course. It is no longer light before my husband goes to work, therefore I don't get out for my walk first thing anymore. It is even kind of cold. I am being dramatic about the cold, but things have definitely changed!

So now that I'm not getting up early to get my sweat on, what is my plan to keep my fitness game on point this winter?

I will be the first to admit that I have gotten a bit relaxed on my workout regimen. I am struggling with motivation and have basically been doing walks with the kids most days of the week. It's not wasted time, but I could be getting so much more out of my workout time than I have been. I am also a big fan of listening to your body and not wearing yourself completely out. If you are exhausted and/or depressed it's ok to give yourself a break, but realize that if you are constantly giving yourself a break, you can't be making huge progress either. So choose for yourself what your goals are and figure out how to keep accountable to those goals.

Keeping that in mind, this is how I hope to keep up with my workout routine this fall and winter.

Two things: treadmill and Beachbody on Demand.

That's it, that's my game plan.

I have been wanting to get a treadmill for a while, especially since I noticed the mornings were getting darker and darker. It seems like a no brainer. Sometimes I just want to get a walk in without freezing, going outside in the dark, or pushing a double stroller with 70+ lbs of toddler in them. It's a safe plan that I can always have in my back pocket, especially for the winter time. But I can also still get up at 5:30 in the morning and get my sweat on before the kids are up. You can't get much more convenient than that.

I have raved about Beachbody on Demand in the past and I still love it. I have admittedly taken a bit of a break from it since the weather has been so amazing this summer. However, I am planning to jump back into that and check out the newest programs of the year! I'm particularly looking at Jericho McMatthew's new program called "Morning Meltdown 100." It's simply 100 workouts, aka 100 day program, that are 20-30 minutes each. It may take me more than 100 days to get through everything, but it should be a fun and different experience from what I've been doing lately, which is always refreshing!

I think as we go through the seasons, especially for people who live up north where the winters are almost as long as the summers, it's important to remember to switch things up. Plan to do something different. Our bodies crave change because our muscles get used to doing the same thing over and over again.

If this is supposed to be a lifestyle, then we should remember that variety is the spice of life. You can walk every single day in the summer, but do weight training or Pilates or yoga videos throughout the winter to give your muscles a different kind of workout or a bit of a break. Make it fun and you'll never look back! Start now and plan to change it up and follow through with that plan!

If you don't find time for fitness, you will have to find time for illness later. So, start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. At the very least, you will thank yourself!

So what is your plan for this winter? Do you work out at the gym or in the comfort of your home? Do you use a treadmill or is there another piece of workout equipment that you can't live without?