Fall Workout Tips

Fall is my favorite time of the year, especially to be outside walking or jogging. You don't have to be at the gym everyday to workout. Working out in the gym can be tedious especially if you hit the gym hard five days a week. If you enjoy the seasons, you can find plenty of ways to vary your routine. The fall season is a great time to get out and explore local parks and hike the trails while getting great exercise. If you live in the Midwest, and you experience heavy humidity as I do here in Ohio, then you are sure to enjoy fall more.

One of my favorite places to go now that I have moved, is the Germantown Metropark, right here in Germantown, Ohio. You can enter from one of two spots at the park. You can enter from the "park" side, or you can enter from the "nature center" side. The Nature Center area is where you can delve into the scenic trails. The trails range anywhere from 0.5 miles up to 5 miles so you can start out slowly and work your way up to a more grueling walk. The park is rather large, so be prepared to block out part of your day depending on who long you plan to be there. If you aren't used to long hikes, start simple and start with a small trail and don't be afraid to make stops in between. If you have asthma, take your inhaler. Sometimes the wild plants and flowers can cause you to reach for that inhaler no matter how great of shape you are in.

One of my other recommendations is to get a solid shoe to hike in. I recommend either a hiker/runner from New Balance, or a good, durable hiking boot from Cabela's. I personally own both. I have an all-terrain New Balance with the Abzorb in the heel, and then I have a good pair of hiking boots that are 100% Gortex. The Gortex will protect from water and other elements and will hold up great when you choose to hike well into the winter months. Either way, give your foot plenty of room, and get a good pair of socks to wear to since you will be outdoors for awhile.

Your local parks are always a good workout choice in the fall. Although parks may not have trails to hike, they certainly have tracks where you can walk. There was a park at the end of the street where I grew up, and they have stations where you could do chin-ups, pull-ups etc as you made your way around the track. This is a natural spin on the idea of doing interval training. Either way, you can work out more than just your legs and abs by doing these exercises.

Rock climbing is a great way to get in shape too, and increase your coordination. In Cincinnati, there is an indoor rock climbing facility. This is good training if eventually you want to go mountain climbing. I personally have not been mountain climbing, but if you love the outdoors it's a great way to test your endurance. My brother lives outside of Spokane, Washington and used to frequently climb Mount Spokane and Mount Rainier. If you have never been you are sure to see a beautiful sight while wearing yourself out.

Biking or cycling is another great way to get into shape. You don't have to spend a fortune on a mountain bike to get good results. No matter what you are riding, you are going to get good results. Biking works your legs, buttocks and abs, so you are hitting some core areas. I used to bike frequently on an indoor exercise bike. It's not at much fun when there is nothing to look at! However, now that I live close to the Great Miami River, I think I will be spending some time on the mountain bike. Now that we are getting closer to fall that really excites me!