The leaves are falling and the aroma of pumpkin spice is swirling around in your local coffee shop along with buttery pastries. It’s fall time and while the air is getting crisper our motivation for a slim and sleek beach body is getting less appealing. Why go to the gym when baking recipes on Pinterest is calling at us? We’d rather lay in bed and watch endless episodes on Netflix because it’s “too nippy out.” I know. It’s so hard to care about that little belly bulge when the weather's getting cooler because you think nobody’s going to see it under thick sweaters and scarves. But health should never be something that goes “off season.” It’s not only just important to be active and conscientious about what you eat, it's a necessity. You’ll regret letting yourself eat apple pies five days a week once spring time comes. Being a Community Health major made me more aware of the endless benefits that a healthy and balanced life can give you. But hey, we aren’t perfect. We’re humans and we tend to love packing on extra weight once the colder seasons come around. But that’s no excuse for letting yourself go coo coo this time of year.
Here are some refreshers that’ll help you be healthy, happy, and sane this time of year.
- Do 5-10 minutes of yoga stretches in the morning. I don’t think I really have to say more on this one (:
- Drink a green smoothie to start off your day! There are a lot of recipes online but I always include the basics like spinach, protein powder, almond milk and bananas. I’ll have links to videos on youtube that’ll be located in my about me page here!
- When ordering that Pumpkin Spice Latte, be sure to ask for skim milk, less syrup, and change it to almond or soy milk. It tastes just as good, even better with almond milk!
- Cook yourself home-made meals and make big batches so you can save them for the rest of the week. it saves you money big time.
- Remember, there's always a healthier alternative to virtually any recipe. Make sure to look them up before diving into your favorite holiday recipes!
- Do jumping jacks between commercials while watching Halloween classics on Disney channel. You’ll be able to get a good workout in while still enjoying your favorite Fall festivity.
- What I like to do when I go out with my boyfriend is order a good ole salad and have him order something hearty like a nice burger. We get the best of both worlds that way. Sharing is caring right?
- Make a workout plan every Sunday and squeeze in an hour of activity for at least four days! Anything that gets ya sweating! There are a lot of workout plans out there. My favorite type of plans look like this: upper body for day 1, lower body for day 2, a class (like yoga or HITT) day 3, and then cardio (day four). Add a few necessary rest days in between!
- Print a picture of a tropical and warm destination and imagine that you're going there this upcoming Summer. That just gives you focus and motivation to keep that booty looking good.
- Try cutting out juices, sugary drinks, and pop. It's hard staying away from sugar this time of year with all the caramel apples and candy corn but do your very best because sugar alone is the culprit to a lot of health issues. According to WebMD, researchers found that sugar does have a direct link to higher blood fats. Yeah that doesn’t sound too sexy.
- Wash your hands and drink lots of water. This is the most common tip of all but there’s a reason. You won’t be at your best if you catch the flu or cold. Keeping yourself hydrated and sanitized will reduce your chances of catching those nasty bugs.
- Hit up those awesome farmer markets this Fall! It’s always good to support your local farmers and while junk food is increasing in prices, vegetables and fruits are not! So shop on!
- Make sure to get outside before the freezing winter hits us again. And for my fellow Minnesotans, do as much hiking, biking, and running as possible because we’ll be back in hibernation in no time.
Enjoy this time of year to the fullest! And be sure to treat yourself with nothing but love!
Happy fall!
Bella
