Whoever picked January 1 as the kickoff to initiating new health and wellness routines had it all wrong. Sure, I get the “clean fresh slate” concept of a New Year’s Resolution, but it just seems like a recipe for failure when you consider how deeply the odds are stacked against us at that time of the year.
It’s cold outside, which is not an inviting environment for any outdoor activities, and even the idea of bundling up to drive to the gym is daunting. Besides, it gets dark so early, which further diminishes any momentum you might have had.
Not to mention the fact that you’re broke after all the holiday gift-giving and celebrations; hardly the ideal time to pony up for a gym membership.
Sure, you could pop in a DVD or stream a fitness video and just work out at home, but you can’t find three square feet of floor space that isn’t covered with toys or tattered tinsel. Good luck with finding enough room for a jumping jack that doesn’t knock a lamp over, or a lunge that doesn’t catch your heel under the edge of the coffee table.
And anyway, you’re still sluggish from all the ham, fudge and candy canes. While that might also seem to be an excellent incentive to lose weight and get fit, let’s all pause to acknowledge that we live in the real world here.
So forget January! Look around! Right NOW is the perfect season for health and wellness! And it doesn’t have to involve stuff that actually looks like exercise!
The family has settled into its back-to-school routine, those awful days with the three-digit heat index are over, and the hectic holiday season is still a distant dot on the horizon.
Temperatures have cooled, taking the heat off the summertime pressure to look good in a bikini, or even to look decent in Bermuda shorts, but the motivation remains.
So seize the season!
Walk your kids to the bus stop! Depending on their age, they might hold your hand and skip happily along at your side, or they might slouch along a few paces behind or ahead of you without ever making eye contact, but either way, this is a great opportunity to spend some “unplugged” time with your kids and send them into their day with a cheerful wave and words of encouragement.
And get in a few steps for yourself while starting your day on the right foot, so to speak.
Keep the momentum going in the evening or over the weekend with a stroll along a walking trail at one of the local parks, or explore the paths at Rudy Mine Trails. You’ll have so much fun watching the squirrels and kids scampering along, you won’t even realize you’re exercising!
With a decrease in heat and humidity, there is no better time than now to work on your lawn and landscaping! Whether it’s late-season mowing or early-season raking, weeding the flower garden or picking up loose twigs, give yourself credit for getting yourself in shape as well as the yard.
Whatever you do, remember that health and wellness have as much—maybe more—to do with attitude than with athleticism.
So forget New Year; it’s time for No Fear! Step out into Fall Fitness…and stay cool.
