By Joseph Ascher, PT, DPT
Days are getting shorter, temperatures are dropping, and leaves are starting to fall. Don’t let shorter days shorten your fitness activities and slow you down. A recent study published in the Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that sedentary time increased in autumn despite multiple strategies to curb it (Meyer et al, 2018). That’s the bad news, but the good news is that groups that participated in an aerobic exercise class and a mindfulness-based stress reduction program were able to increase their activity minutes and curb the increase of sedentary time found across all groups. How can you get your physical activity minutes and stay motivated as the seasons change?
Join a Class
Joining a class makes you accountable to yourself, the instructor, and your fellow classmates. It also requires you to put those activity minutes on your calendar, making it much more likely they will actually occur. PhysioPartners offers multiple options for both group and private personal training and Pilates sessions several days per week, as well as new specialized sessions in January 2019 for improving mobility or optimizing bone health for clients with osteoporosis or low bone density. Exercising in a private or small group setting magnifies the accountability significantly and allows personalized attention so that you make the most of the minutes you are spending.
Stay Mindful
Check out our Move Free group session that emphasizes mindful movement and relaxation while improving your mobility, coming soon in January 2019. In the meantime, try the “Stop Breath & Think” application on your phone for some guided meditation and mindfulness training.
Do Something Fun
Go apple picking, get lost in a corn maze, attend a fall festival, or walk around the mall so start your holiday shopping early. Just find something and go do it!
Change up your Routine
Instead of lounging on the couch during your favorite TV series or sporting event, do a home workout or dust off that recumbent bike or treadmill and drop it in front of the television.
If aches and pains are making it difficult for you to get moving or you overdid it on your summer activities, call to schedule a consultation with one of our physical therapists at (773)665-9950.
1) Meyer, Jacob D., et al. “Benefits of 8-Wk Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction or Aerobic Training on Seasonal Declines in Physical Activity.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, vol. 50, no. 9, 2018, pp. 1850–1858., doi:10.1249/mss.0000000000001636.