8 Easy Ways to Stay in Shape This Fall Season
Perhaps you spent the whole spring and summer trying to get in shape, and it will be disappointing if you put on weight during the fall season. Unfortunately, when the crisp fall weather comes, many of us prefer to spend their time watching TV or surfing the Internet to exercise and stay active. We crave more comfort foods, which are generally fatty, sweet and calorie-dense. While these foods can help temporarily boost your mood and reduce stress and anxiety, they can wreck your healthy diet.
Luckily, there are several easy ways to stay in shape during the fall season. Don’t worry, you don’t have to stick to a strict diet and spend countless hours in the gym. You can even lie down for a nap when you feel a little bit sluggish; just make sure you don’t spend the whole day or evening just sleeping and eating. Here are eight rules to follow if you want to stay in shape this fall season.
1. Enjoy the fall foliage
Yes, you read that right! Every season is beautiful, especially the fall season. Make a habit of enjoying the fall foliage daily and it will help you stay in shape this season. How? Easy! Go to your local park daily and enjoy the breathtaking foliage as you walk or jog. Fall is one of the best seasons for exercise, especially for running. You can jog or run every morning without overheating and start your day right. Morning hours usually set the tone for the rest of the day and a morning stroll in the autumn park could do wonders!
2. Drink green smoothies
A glass of a healthy green smoothie in the morning is sometimes just what the doctor ordered. Yes, a green smoothie may not be as delicious as your favorite coffee, but having it for breakfast each day will help you stay in shape and healthy during the fall season. I’m a huge smoothie fan and I think it’s the easiest way to load up a daily diet with more fruits and veggies.
Although a kale smoothie is one of the best smoothies to drink in the morning, you may not like its taste at first. So I recommend you to try a kiwi berry green smoothie or a pumpkin spice green smoothie. To make a kiwi berry green smoothie, you will need to blend a cup of fresh spinach, a cup of water, 1/2 cup of your favorite berries, 1 medium kiwi fruit, 1 small banana, and 1/2 avocado. To make a pumpkin spice green smoothie, which is popular drink during the fall season, you will need to blend 1 cup of fresh spinach, 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 cup of fresh pumpkin, 1 small banana, 1/2 cup of mango, 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin spice and 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. Green smoothies are versatile so you can always make your own green smoothie, without looking for new recipes. Just make sure your smoothie isn’t high in calories.
3. Avoid eating comfort foods
As I said before, a cold weather can make us crave comfort foods, but you should fight this urge. There are many tasty and healthy snacks and meals you can eat during the cold season. Instead of buying that bag of potato chips, opt for some veggie sticks and your homemade dip. You can also make your own veggie chips. Beetroot chips, taro chips, kale chips, eggplant chips, carrot chips, zucchini chips and pumpkin chips are all great options. They are extremely healthy and diet-friendly. You may not like the taste of the veggie chips at first. But a healthy and delicious dip will make their taste much better.
If you crave something sweet, consider making mango chips, banana chips or apple chips. These chips are rich in vitamins and minerals and they are good for kids as well. My personal choice is mango chips. They are plentiful in vitamin C, pectin and fibre and they are amazingly delicious.
4. Boost your fruit and veggie intake
Even if you don’t want to lose weight, eating more fruits and vegetables daily is a must. I’m not telling you to eat raw veggies or fruits; there are many ways to add them to your everyday meals. For instance, you can make a veggie bake, which is a great way to incorporate zucchini, eggplant, yellow squash, carrots, and tomatoes into your diet. You can also make smoothies, juices, vegetable omelets, salads, veggie sandwiches, stir-fry and veggie dips. I love a sweet butternut squash dip, avocado-based dips, tomato and carrot dips. They are all quick and easy to make and they help me stay in shape all year round. Beat the seasonal blues, improve your immunity and slim down this fall season by increasing your fruit and veggie intake.
5. Make low calorie soups
When the weather gets colder, soups are so comforting. Fall is the season of soups, so why not enjoy this healthy, comfort meal each day? Low calorie soups help suppress your appetite and stay slim and healthy during the fall and winter seasons. A study shows that people who eat soups tend to eat less at mealtime and lose weight faster. But it’s important to make a low fat soup. Add more veggies to your soup but don’t add any cream. I love eating low calorie vegetarian soups, but you can add some chicken to your soup if you want. Among the best low calorie soups are a broccoli soup, white bean and kale soup, tomato soup, and, of course, pumpkin soup.
6. Enjoy your favorite fall activities
Fall brings all kinds of fun activities. If you don’t feel like working out this fall season, then enjoy your favorite fall activities with your family and friends. When it comes to weight loss, outdoor activities have a lot of advantages. They help you stay in shape and have lots of fun this season. You can pick those apples, go for a fall scavenger hunt, go through corn mazes, or ride a bicycle.
You can also go hiking. The great advantage of hiking is that it naturally increases the intensity level of your workout that helps you burn more calories and body fat. Enjoy the cool air, the red, orange and yellow leaves and the spectacular scenery of the fall season.
Read also – 8 Fun Family Activities to Try This Fall
7. Drink green tea
Perhaps you know many health benefits of green tea, but did you know that it can help you stay in shape during the fall season? Numerous studies show that green tea helps speed up metabolism and lose weight. The thing is, green tea contains bioactive substances that make you burn more calories, even when you sleep. Moreover, green tea has anticancer properties, helps reduce cholesterol, and can help calm you after a hard working day. Opt for a decaffeinated green tea since caffeine can dehydrate your muscles, and avoid flavored green teas. You can add a slice of lime or lemon to your tea to make it healthier and tastier.
8. Hit the beach
While this idea sounds crazy, it’s actually a great way to stay slim this fall. Most beaches are empty during the fall season, making them perfect places to work out. You can walk or jog on the beach, or practice yoga. I really love this idea, because I enjoy working out on the beach, but it’s almost impossible to do during the summer season because there are many people even early in the morning. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t avoid people and I’m not a shy person, but it’s always better to exercise when the beach is empty. It helps me focus on my fitness goal and enjoy some me time.
Now that you’re aware of some of the best and easiest ways to stay in shape during the fall season, what are you waiting for? Get outside and enjoy this fall season and all the activities that it offers. Moreover, it’s easier to eat healthy in fall since most fruits and veggies are cheap and the choice is bigger. How do you like to work out and eat healthy in the fall?
