New Fall Resolution?

New Fall Resolution?

I have always railed against New Years resolutions. That’s largely because contrarian blood courses through my veins. I relish doing things opposite from everyone else. I love driving in the opposite direction of rush hour traffic. Being a Private Personal Trainer typically has me driving toward people’s homes in the am rush while everyone else is driving to work. Oh the joy! I am committed to being tattoo-free because nowadays everybody is doing it! I used to sport a pierced ear as an act of rebellion before it became so mundane that now I refuse. I do not give in to trends.

But that's really only part of the story. The fact of the matter is ever since I was a kid New Year's resolutions fail. They fail all the time. As do lots of trendy styles! And the failure rate is even higher for fitness goals that are set around the New Year. Consider the list of things you have working against you.

Work usually becomes very demanding after January 1st! The relaxed mode of the holidays is over. Clients are breathing down your neck! Last year’s budget is never what the investors hoped for. So whether you have a boss or you own a business, it’s back to work with a vengeance! It's also dark in the morning which is typically the time that people can find to add a workout to their schedule. And if you wanna draw out that equation, it also means it will cost you more sleep. And who can afford that? Oh and, by the way, it’s cold out. Or at least it is in most of the country! Oddly, being a contrarian, that cold always used to get me going. I would always pick up my morning run routine in mid-winter. But I believe I am in the minority!

The ideal time to make a fitness resolution is the fall. Fall is the start of all things new! Let me tell you: I can vacate with the best of them! The speed with which I typically go all year round, friends and family are shocked at how well I can turn it off during the vacation months of the summer. I love it when things slow down. It's my favorite time of year when everybody is out of town and the hustle and bustle that exists between fall and late spring has taken some time off. So consequently I'm really ready to get back at it when September rolls around. The kids are back to school and routine is king. Everybody is looking to get back into that groove. Schedules are agreed upon. Extracurricular activities are cemented. Even the weather is cooperating. Everything in the yard stops growing like it's on steroids. I love parking the yard equipment for a few weeks before the leaves hit the ground. The temperatures drop down a bit. And that refreshing morning workout is energizing rather than an uphill battle against the cold. Fall is great!

The fall sale season is a great time to add to the gym equipment as well. If you have a nice gym set up maybe it's medicine balls. Maybe it's a suspension trainer. Do you have a set of hanging straps to do crunches? Or if you're just starting, go pick up some lightweight and/or adjustable dumbbells, a Swiss ball, and a yoga mat at a Back-to-School sale. Those inexpensive additions along with some body weight training are the perfect start to your fall exercise program. Next you can get coached up on a new program ansd you are on your way!

Do yourself a favor. Get a jump on your winter body rather than try to rediscover it after the overindulgence of the holidays. Believe me when I tell you that a well composed body-- by that I mean more muscle and less fat tissue--can handle the excess of holiday parties a lot better than the average body. And when the partying is over and you wake up on January 1st, you won’t get caught by reactionary thinking. You won't jump in with the masses on a club membership that will lose steam. You'll just be getting back to what you've been doing all fall.

So find your groove right now when the going is good. Your body will thank you for it!

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