Setting Clocks Back Doesn't Need to Set Your Fitness Back

It's that time of year again. The weather is getting colder and the sun is setting much earlier. The colder temperatures temp us to seek comfort foods usually in the form of carbs and sugar. The falling temperatures and the dwindling day light deter us from sticking to our outdoor summer workout routines because we don't want to leave our nice warm houses.

As humans we tend to be creatures of habit. We enjoy routines. As long as we have a routine we can stick to it. So, when seasons change causes a kink in our health and fitness plans. This is why I promote the idea of keeping your workout routines fresh. Learn to adapt and find ways to enjoy working out for each season.

I live in Pennsylvania where the outside conditions are drastically different in the spring and summer than they are in the fall and winter. While I enjoy the freedom, fresh air, and beauty of running outside in the spring, summer, and early fall, I find that it is neither fun nor safe to run outside in late fall and early winter. It gets dark so your a less visible to traffic and the amount and types of precipitation make it difficult to keep your footing. That and I hate being cold. I hate it with a passion. So, running outside when temperatures drop below 50, let alone below freezing is not my idea of fun and it's not a fitness routine that I could stick with. So, in the winter I bring my workouts inside. I've done anything from my own workouts, to EA Sports Active 2, to a variety of Beach Body workouts. As a matter of fact I just took the Insanity fit test today. I will be starting Day 1 of the 60 day Insanity program tomorrow.

Switching your fitness program every so often is a good idea even if you live in a area with more mild temperatures year round. Changing things up keeps your fitness routine fresh and interesting. Plus it might force you to workout aspects of your fitness or body that you've been neglecting in your current routines thus improving your over all fitness level.

Cold Weather and Warm Food

If you're like me, colder temperatures sends you raiding the cupboards for warm comforting foods. This can be dangerous especially since, as I've always joked, Halloween kicks off the eating season. From now until just after the New Year you'll be bombarded with cookies, cakes, snacks, and treats of all kinds. Who can resist the warmth of fresh baked breads, cookies, or cakes? While many of these things are absolutely delicious, as we all know, they wreak havoc on your health and weight loss goals.

I will never be one to tell you that you must completely deprive yourself of the occasional treat. I strongly believe you can enjoy some of your family's traditional holiday grub and still stick to your health and fitness goals. Just limit the amounts of the goodies and make it a point to reach for healthier foods for meals.

You can still get the warmth and comfort of your favorite winter time meals if you choose healthier versions of them. For instance you can choose whole grain versions of you favorite warm cereals, pastas, or breads. Even better, you can pair a smaller serving of your favorite comfort food with a side of steamed vegetables. Doing this will reduce your overall calorie intake and add healthier more filling components to your diet!

Since I started my journey back to health and fitness I have become a big fan of soups for my winter time meals! Soups are the ultimate comfort food since they are often low in calories and filling as well a hydrating... unless of course they are cream based soups then the low calorie factor is null and void.

So setting your clocks back doesn't have to set back your health and fitness routines too! With a little bit of creativity and adjustment you can continue making progress toward your health and fitness goals!