Stay Active as the Days Get Shorter

There’s a point every year when I suddenly notice that summer has gone.

It’s usually not the temperature that does it. It’s looking out of the window at the end of the working day and realising that the light is already starting to disappear. Before you know it, it’s half past four and its dark.

During the summer, being active can feel relatively easy. The evenings are lighter, the weather is generally better and going for a walk after dinner doesn’t require quite as much persuasion. Then autumn arrives, the days start getting shorter and suddenly the sofa can seem considerably more appealing.

I notice it myself. If I’ve spent most of the day working at a computer, getting outside while it’s still light makes a huge difference. However, once it’s dark, cold and raining, I’m considerably less enthusiastic about heading out for a walk!

So, how do we stay active as the days get shorter? For me, it’s less about suddenly finding more motivation and more about adapting my routine to the season.

Make the Most of the Daylight

As we move further into autumn, waiting until the end of the day to be active can become more difficult.

If you normally go for a walk after work, for example, you might find that moving it to lunchtime works better. Even ten or twenty minutes outside can be an easy way to add some movement to your day.

Of course, not everyone has the freedom to rearrange their working day. However, if you do have some flexibility, look at where you can make the most of the daylight rather than automatically leaving exercise until the evening.

Sometimes changing when you exercise is easier than trying to find more motivation to do it.

Have an Indoor Plan B

I think this is one of the biggest advantages of exercising at home.

If your entire fitness routine depends on good weather, autumn in the UK is probably going to test it fairly quickly!

Instead, have an alternative ready.

If you were planning a walk but it’s pouring with rain, perhaps you do a 20-minute home workout instead. If you usually exercise outside after work but it’s now getting too dark, move that session indoors.

It doesn’t have to be the same type of exercise. The important thing is that one change of circumstances doesn’t automatically mean doing nothing.

That’s exactly where having a library of on-demand workouts can be useful. You can choose something based on the time you have, your fitness level and even how you’re feeling that particular day.

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Don’t Wait Until January

There can be a temptation at this time of year to gradually let healthy habits disappear and tell ourselves we’ll start again in January.

But that’s quite a long time to wait.

You don’t need to embark on an enormous autumn fitness challenge. In fact, maintaining a simple routine over the next few months can be far more realistic.

Perhaps that’s three workouts a week. Maybe it’s two workouts and a couple of walks. It could even begin with committing to 20 minutes of movement on the days when you would otherwise do nothing.

The aim isn’t perfection. It’s keeping some continuity.

Then, when January arrives, you aren’t starting again. You’re simply carrying on.

Adjust Your Workout to Your Energy

Shorter days can sometimes make us feel like slowing down, and I don’t think we always need to fight against that.

There will be days when an energetic cardio workout is exactly what you need. On others, Pilates, yoga, stretching or a gentler strength session might feel much more appealing.

Both can have a place in your routine.

Rather than deciding that a workout only counts if it’s particularly difficult, choose something that suits how you’re feeling. You may find that once you start moving, you want to do more. Equally, twenty minutes might be enough that day.

The important part is getting started.

Make Your Home a Place You Want to Exercise

If you’re going to exercise indoors more frequently over autumn and winter, it’s worth making the experience as easy as possible.

You certainly don’t need a home gym. However, having a little space you can clear quickly, keeping your mat somewhere accessible or putting your resistance bands and weights somewhere you can actually see them can remove one more barrier to getting started.

Music can make a difference too. Put on something you enjoy, choose a workout and make the experience something you look forward to rather than something you have to endure.

After all, the easier exercise is to start, the more likely we are to actually do it.

Keep Everyday Movement Going Too

Last week, we talked about how easy it is to spend large parts of the day sitting, even when you’ve completed a workout.

That becomes particularly relevant as the weather changes.

In summer, we might naturally walk more, spend time in the garden or head out in the evening. During autumn and winter, some of that everyday movement can quietly disappear.

So keep looking for the little opportunities. Take the stairs, walk to the shops, get outside at lunchtime, move around while you’re on the phone or simply get up regularly if you’ve been sitting for a long time.

Your workout is important, but it doesn’t have to be the only time you move that day.

Find Something You Actually Look Forward To

This is perhaps the most important one.

If you’re already struggling with motivation, choosing a workout you dislike probably isn’t going to help.

Autumn can actually be a great opportunity to try something different. If you’ve always done strength workouts, try Pilates. If you’ve never tried dance fitness, give it a go. If you’ve been doing more gentle exercise and fancy a new challenge, perhaps it’s time to progress.

There are plenty of ways to stay active, and your routine doesn’t have to look exactly the same throughout the year.

The Takeaway

I don’t think we need to completely reinvent our fitness routines every time the seasons change.

However, we sometimes need to adapt them.

For me, that means making the most of the daylight when I can, accepting that I probably won’t fancy a walk on every dark and rainy evening, and having something I can do indoors instead.

Autumn doesn’t have to be the point when exercise gradually disappears from your routine.

Make it easier. Make it flexible. Find something you enjoy.

And most importantly, don’t wait until January to start moving again.