Don't Let the Arrival of Fall Kill Your Activity Plans

Mornings are cooler. Green things are turning brown. Shorts and T-shirts become jackets and pants. Baseball seasons are over and football is in full swing. You’re right, summer is ending and fall is creeping in. As I watch the plums and apples ripen and fall from the trees I am reminded of how many of us let our fantastic activity habits from the spring and summer drop off during this time of year and we tend to get dormant like our yards and flower beds.

Now this is absolutely a time of year for change – trees lose their leaves, flowers aren’t blooming, fields are harvested, weather becomes colder, etc. – to prep for winter and the harsh, cold period where everything in the state of Wyoming wishes it could curl up next to a warm fire and not have to venture outside. Many of us do the same thing – one last mowing of the yard, winterize sprinklers, prep the house for winter, put the motorcycle and boat in storage, etc. – but we do not have to put ourselves or activities into storage until April.

I will admit that it is not as easy to go for walks in the park or have a nice long bike ride until the sun goes down, but activity does not have to go the way of your tulips and shrivel up and wait for warmer weather. Just as the seasons change and prepare our world for harsher times, so should we recognize the need for preparation and change to avoid lapsing on our health goals or progress to this point in the year.

Now, being realistic, you may have to change, modify or otherwise alter you normal routine or activity to accommodate for cooler weather or harsher conditions. But, you do not have to STOP activity altogether. Biking may become running, walking, or swimming indoors. It may become a time to spend more hours in the weight room rather than outside. Exercise classes or videos may take the place of the social walks with friends. Even if you absolutely do not want to give up your running or biking, there exists home exercise equipment to match those activities. (For a hibernating old bear like me, that was news and an astonishing discovery!)

The bottom line is simple: Just as our outside views of vibrant flowers and luscious green yards shifts to a different kind beauty – more active deer and antelope, majestic cottonwoods silhouetting their bare forms against a sunrise, the shift in scent from perfumed warmth to earthy comfort – our activity shouldn’t simply disappear, it should be transformed to a different type of enjoyment for the different period of the year and not go away completely.

We want to hear from you! Let us know what activities do you engage in during the fall.

Have Questions?
Campbell County Health's Wellness Department works to reduce health risks and promote overall wellness among employee groups and individuals across the northeastern Wyoming region. To learn more about Wellness, please visit ccmh.net/Wellness or call 307-688-8051.

This blog was written by Troy Stevens, CCH Wellness Specialist