Four Ways to Stay Fit as the Seasons Change and Fall Begins

Ahh, summer. It's a lovely, relaxing time. My schedule is light and the weather is nice. There's always a great time to go for a jog - even in the evening, when the sunlight lingers until 8 or 9 PM.

Come September, that all quickly changes. I go back to work as a high school teacher. Courses resume at Rutgers. The temperature dips, and the sun starts to retreat sooner and sooner. Before long, it seems that I don't have the time or daylight to go out for those daily runs anymore.

But Fall doesn't have to spell the end of your workout regimen. Whether it's the weather, your schedule, or simply a growing boredom with your current workout regimen, you can switch things up and keep yourself fit and healthy. Here are four things I've done in the past to keep my workouts fresh and Fall-friendly.

Play Sports - An Adult League or a Pickup Game

A few years ago, a friend of mine mentioned that he was playing flag football with some of his co-workers. They played every Sunday on the field in front of the local high school. Somebody brought flags, everybody that showed up split into two teams, and they played until everyone was tired or enough people had to run off to other engagements.

I came along with him, and it was great! It was fun, and the comraderie of twenty guys playing football broke up the usual monotony of workouts. It was also a great workout. Playing cornerback or receiver means a lot of high intensity running, and playing on the full-contact line means a good strength workout.

Joining a regular pickup game - or an organized league - is a great way to up the intensity of your workout and break out of your usual rut.

Hit the Gym On Your Way Home

I love running, and I love exercising outside. But in the Fall the weather starts to get bad and the light fails early. Running in twilight during the summer is great, but Fall evenings start to get chilly fast.

Although I rarely hit the gym in the summer, I do go once or twice a week in the fall. Part of the convenience is that I have class at Rutgers in the evening, so I can stop at the University gym on the way home. After a little weight lifting and some time on the exercise bike, I've had a nice workout and I can head home for the evening.

If you have a gym at work, this would be a good time to check it out. Or, look for a gym on your way home from work. The convenience makes it easier to stick to the plan. If you're a gym rat, you might want to go three times a week, but even for the rest of us a once-a-week trip to the gym offers a respite from the cold evenings of October and November.

Workout Without the Gym

Don't feel comfortable at the gym, or there isn't one conveniently placed on your way home from work? Then workout at home without all that gym equipment!

This isn't the best idea for all you Olympic weight lifters, but it works out just fine for the rest of us normal people. With a few pieces of basic equipment, you can get a great full body workout without heading to a real gym.

There's no need to invest hundreds of dollars in a Bowflex or some kind of expensive cardio machine. One great investment is the Perfect Pushup - which will give you a great upper body workout. Another simple purchase is a medicine ball, which you can use in a variety of exercises to work just about every part of your body.

Add in a quick 10 minute jump rope routine, and you've got a nice home-based workout that didn't cost you a couple hundred dollars.

Set Goals - Register for a 5k Road Race

If you're a runner, you'll probably head out into the cold and gloom anyway... Fall or no Fall. If you do, it helps to have some motivation. What's better than a goal to work towards?

It's easy to slough off a run if you're doing it just for the heck of it, but when you've got a race coming up in three weeks you want to get in all the miles you can! Look for a local 5k race - there are usually plenty of them in the Fall.

Mark it on your calendar, and think about the upcoming race everytime you want to shirk your responsibility as a runner. Better yet, schedule a couple races spaced out throughout the fall so that you have an incentive to work hard all season.

Bottom Line - Get Out There and Do It

The bottom line is you need to get out there and do it. Yes, the Fall means less time and more bad weather, but that's only an excuse if you let it.

Need some motivation? Find a pick-up game of football somewhere and feel the burn. Or sign up for a 5k and keep your goal in mind.

Need to get out of the cold? Hit the gym or start a home workout routine.

Fall is almost here, so get to it. Decide on your own plan.