Don’t wait until New Year’s Eve to make fitness and dieting resolutions. Take advantage of fall’s beautiful weather, and seasonal fruits and vegetables to get fit and healthy. Following are a few tips to get you started.
Choose outdoor activities while you still can. Once the temperature drops, you may be forced to stay inside at the gym or in front of exercise videos. Hiking, mountain biking and rollerblading are all great activities this time of year. By developing a healthy routine now, you’ll be less likely to give in to temptation as the holidays and winter months come around.
Keep the whole family striving for better fitness by picking family activities like canoeing, biking or playing football. Plan a weekend trip to check out the fall colors at a state park, go to the local orchard and pick apples or visit some of your community's playgrounds; this variety will keep everyone excited about staying active.
Use fall as a time to try a new activity, and set a goal for the following spring or summer. If you and the family want to play tennis together next year, start learning now! Beginning something in the fall will put you that much closer to your goal come spring.
Add color to your family’s diet with fall’s brightly colored fruits and vegetables. Check out the local farmer’s market and orchards to get fresh produce. Squash, carrots, beans, apples and berries are great additions to weekly meals. And you can freeze them for use throughout the winter when fresh produce isn’t available.
Find your own way to stay motivated--whether it's preparing for a race, strengthening and toning or just improving your overall health. Challenge yourself to stick with this new fitness plan for at least 30 days. After that it will very likely become part of your daily routine.