South Carolina’s fresh, cool fall is ideal for a heart-pumping workout. The cool temperatures are a great way to keep you alert and your body temperature cooler, longer even in the most grueling exercises!
Challenges are at the heart of staying healthy, and fall is the best time to put yourself to the test! So, bundle up into your favorite autumn workout clothes—and get away from pounding your feet on treadmills and the constant crash of weights—with seven ways to exercise in the fall!
1. Walking
Walking is one of the easiest and most fun ways to get in an autumn workout! Go for a walk around your neighborhood or one of your favorite local parks, and get those extra steps and movement into your day. Plus, in the fall, there are a ton of fun activities you can do on your walk! Look for apple picking, corn mazes, leaf peeping opportunities, or pumpkin patches around your local area and make your walk a fall extravaganza! Maybe you can even walk to Starbucks and pick up a (skinny) Pumpkin Spice Latte to take your fall theme to whole other level.
2. Biking
With the cool, crisp air and the leaves turning shades of red, orange, and yellow, fall is a beautiful time to go biking! An hour-long bike ride can burn plenty of calories with little effort from you. Just peddle your heart out! If the weather is a little too chilly for you or the outdoors isn’t really your thing, classes like SPRINT or RPM are a great way to get the bike ride feel at a more intense—indoor—speed.
3. Hiking
Take a hike! No, really. You should definitely take a hike this fall! Not only are you getting outside and enjoying the beauty of an Indiana fall, but you’re also getting a great workout in! You’ll kick up your cardio and work some major muscles groups—glutes, hamstrings quads, calf muscles, and feet.
4. Running
Running in place on a treadmill can get old fast, especially when you see how beautiful it is outside. Fall is the BEST time to run outdoors! It’s not too hot and not too cold. All you need is a light jacket! Want to challenge yourself on your next run? Bring your four-legged friend along and try to keep up with their pace. Have a cause you’re absolutely passionate about? Find a charity near you that supports that cause and sign up for a race! It doesn’t matter if you walk or run a 5k. All that matters is you’re out there exercising and raising money for something you truly care about.
5. Outdoor Sports
Who’s ready to shoot some hoops, score a goal, or make a touchdown? Get a group together—your family or a group of friends—and start a game of soccer, football, basketball, or any other activity you love! Playing a sport with your friends and family is a great way to get outside and work out without feeling like you’re exercising. An hour-long game can get your heart pumping, work multiple muscles groups, and burn off a ton of calories! Win or lose, you’ll have a blast and a fun workout.
6. Trail Runs
Love hiking and running? Try combining them! Going on a trail run is a great way to get your cardio in and take in the beauty of the trails. Plus, with the uneven ground and changing elevation, a trail run can improve your heart health and build muscle! Cardio and strength all in one workout? Why wouldn’t you take advantage? What’s more, a trail run also helps with your balance. Put those yoga skills to good use by dodging uneven ground, rocks, twigs, and sharp turns with your core.
7. Group Classes
Fall is all fun and games until the temperature begins to drop. Finding the motivation to exercise outside can get a lot more difficult when the weather gets chilly and you’re trying to balance work, your kids’ school—and extracurriculars—and a regular workout routine. Escape the cold with a group fitness class! These one-hour workouts are designed to get your heart rate up and give you the opportunity to socialize with your friends in class. Oh, and don’t worry about your kids. If you’re only able to make it to the gym after school, Alpha Athletics is built to keep your kids safe and having fun while you get your sweat on.
Winter is quickly approaching, so take advantage of the beautiful fall weather before the snow hits! Whether you love to run, walk, bike, hike, or stay indoors with a group fitness class, you can always find new ways to exercise in the fall.
With our location in Little River, South Carolina, the Fitness Zone is committed to healthy living and social responsibility.
Fall fitness time! I’ve noticed that parking at my gym in the mornings has become a bit more of challenge the last couple weeks. The weather is cooling off, school has started, and people are finding their way back to the gym. Indoor exercise always seems to pick up in the fall.
How can I begin fall fitness when I head back to the gym?
If you have been active this summer, this becomes a much easier question to answer. You can probably jump back into any routine you have used previously and see success/progress. Modifying weight and some of the exercises may be necessary to start, but you’ll be back to feeling comfortable and confident in no time.
If you haven’t been as active this summer, for whatever reason, getting back to the gym can be a much more daunting task. Scheduling time can be a limiting factor and soreness is inevitable.
Regardless of which group you are in, the following are key to your success back at the gym:
- Set reasonable, SMART Goals. These goals will help motivate you. SMART Goals are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time Bound
- Resistance training is important but remember to start off easy. Jumping back into an old routine at the levels that you were at before can cause excessive soreness or injury.
- Cardio in the gym or an indoor setting is different than some of the cardio that you’ve been doing outside. Gym equipment is less modifiable for individual stride lengths and foot placements. Make sure you are setting the gym equipment to the right settings for your height and weight.
- Flexibility is the key to success. Mobility exercises are very important as you get back into your gym routine. They help with eliminating soreness but also help protect us from injury and can also be a very good active warmup or cool down.
- Variety is important. Variety is important for several reasons as you get back into exercise. From preventing overuse injury to keeping us interested and motivated, variety is key.
Our individualized exercise plans evolve throughout the year. As your fall fitness program changes, make sure it changes in a smart, fun and appropriate way. Remember that there is no perfect exercise, exercise machine, or workout plan that works for everyone. There is though, a great plan out there that’s perfect for you. Good luck in finding that perfect plan!
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