Guest Article: Welcoming a Healthy Fall

It’s Fall Ya’ll!

Ok not really but if you grew up in Michigan, September is the unofficial start to Fall (the best season)! It means back to school, football games on Friday nights, Pumpkin Spice EVERYTHING, cooler weather (sweaters, jeans, and boots oh my!) and that beautiful sun starts to set earlier (goodbye daylight savings, insert crying here).

This year there are a few things that will be different.  No Friday night lights, school is all crazy and at this point we are not sure when we will be wearing sweaters, jeans, and boots.  But I can guarantee that love it or hate it, Pumpkin Spice will still be everywhere!

Speaking of how different things will be this season, why not just keep up with the 2020 trend and continue to shake things up. Let’s make some changes that will benefit us now and, in the years, to come.  Many people think that New Years is the best time to start something new (new year, new you) but really, it’s right now.  Over the years I have discovered that Fall is a great time of year to start and commit to lifestyle changes, set a routine, and organize.  I believe the reason for this is that we are all mentally starting to hunker down.  Because we are starting the transition into winter mode.

You know what I am talking about!  We may be busy, but things do start to slow down because soon we will be inside a lot more. It starts to get colder and we want to stay warm.  So, we do tend to lean into comfort food. When we eat bigger comfort food meals, we cause our bodies to work harder which in turn makes us warmer.  Then that could possibly lead to putting on a few pounds, falling into the trap of inactivity and having that overall sluggish feeling.  And thanks to the unofficial covid 19 (and I don’t mean the virus) we may have already put on a few pounds.

Because of the sedentary mode that winter brings why not add some activity into your life. This could be at home or at the gym. Yes, I know, most gyms around here are either not open or you need to take precautions when visiting one.  But do not let those excuses stop you from starting.  And working out at home does not mean working out alone, there are virtual groups that you can join.  A benefit of that is you can do the program that you want in the comfort of your home and still have that group atmosphere that pushes you through.

For the parents out there, that are homeschooling or doing a virtual program adding a new workout program is perfect since you will need to incorporate gym time in for your kiddos!  This chance to show our kids how we can add intentional movement and healthy nutrition into our life will be the perfect teaching opportunity.

There are many workout programs out there to choose from. To make it a routine, choose one that has a set plan, clear directives and is FUN.  There is not a right way or wrong way to get intentional movement in.  Dancing, cardio, biking, lifting weights…there are so many choices.  Pick something and try it out, change if it is not something that is fun.  Ask me about how you can have access to hundreds of workouts in one place right at your fingertips.  Because there are so many it makes picking the first one a teeny bit hard.  That’s the great thing about the season we are jumping into, we are home and have lots of opportunities to try out different ones.

What is it about Fall that makes this the best season to organize, set routines and take action? I mentioned earlier that mentally we are getting ready to hunker down. But there is more to it than that. It is almost like we hit reset on our internal clock, and we feel this deep down need to get our ducks in a row.  In January I believe it is more of mob mentality.  We feel like everyone is doing it so why don’t we.  In September we feel the need to actually do it.  Maybe because we know that in 4 months this year will be done and what have we really done.   Whatever the reason is…I am so glad for it! It is a warm and cozy feeling to get things done.  And warm and cozy is what Fall is all about (warms colors, cozy sweaters, and Pumpkin Spice)!

Pick a room to organize (start with 1), a folder on your computer (maybe that huge folder full of pictures, yikes), a new workout program (I can help with that), a new business goal or financial savings goal and get started.  You will be surprised at all that you can get done in these last 4 months of crazy 2020.  This year has been a doozy but lets end it on a high note.  Let us end it saying that we ruled 2020 and not that 2020 ruled us.  We do not know what the future holds as far as viruses, schools and politics go but we know that if we set a goal, we can stick to it and come out of 2020 smiling and confident.

Jilisa Ghareeb has been a Beachbody coach for 5 years.  Her favorite part of being involved with fitness and nutrition is watching her clients change and open up a whole new world.  As a coach she, is able to help others by introducing them to a change that is often scary, intimidating, and full of “what ifs” to an encouraging and inspirational lifestyle full of “I cans”. She uses her own story to show others that everything is possible with hard work and determination.  If you’re interested in reaching out to Jilisa for more information you can contact her via email ([email protected]),on Instagram or Facebook.

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