There’s something about the month of September that encourages your mind to turn back to the comfort of routine. Holidays are over, the kids are going back to school, mum’s happy – and that summer weight gain needs to be brought back under control before the Christmas season kicks back in again.
That back-to-school feeling is a mixture of excitement, anticipation, and dread. Putting on a new uniform and shiny new shoes is something that we all experience in our lifetime, and if you’re lucky, you remember it with fondness and good memories – getting back into a routine of lessons and study after a summer of fun, freedom and maybe a bit of boredom too (which is never a bad thing).
As parents of school-going aged children, that same rhythm of crisp autumnal days waving the kids off should be an opportunity for you to re-assess your own routine and make the effort to get back into some form of regular exercise again.
While the holidays give you a welcome release from the ten months’ worth of school runs and provide you with a great excuse to ease back into your own routine, you know full well you need to get back into an exercise routine if you want to lose weight and get rid of that summer bulge.
Make that commitment
Sometimes making the first step back into a routine is the most difficult. Why? Because you’ve slipped into a different kind of routine, one that you need to break. Your summer holiday routine when the kids are off school is going to be different from your term time routine, but muscle has memory, and if it is just a case of going back to what you’re used to, then it shouldn’t take too much effort.
However, if you are looking to start a whole new routine, a new way of life, then that is going to take a much bigger concerted effort.
The most effective way to approach this change is to mark your progress towards it and make that commitment to change. In the days leading up to when the kids go back to school, create yourself a weight loss chart, and stick it on the fridge. Research an eating plan and write a shopping list so that you have everything ready for making the change. Work on getting into the right mindset to make those changes and start to look forward to it (as opposed to dreading it – whereby you are immediately setting yourself up for failure!)
If you’ve not exercised for a while and feel that you need some support, it may be wise to seek professional help through a movement coach.
What is a movement coach?
A movement coach will take a much gentler, more targeted approach to get you back into exercise by encouraging you to move according to your individual biomechanics, as opposed to trying to squeeze you into off-the-shelf exercise packages.
Often, if you’ve got out of the habit and routine of exercise because you’ve had a family and other priorities, getting back into it can seem like a daunting prospect. The boom boom environment of some of the bigger gyms can be intimidating and overwhelming, which, in itself, is a barrier to getting back into the routine of exercise.
Finding the right environment for your own personal journal is a crucial element to re-establishing an exercise routine that is going to be one you stick to and that will be sustainable. The more you dread it, the less chance of you maintaining it.
The more that routine becomes an enjoyable and welcome part of the rhythm of your life, the more likely you are to stick to the routine and work towards achievable weight loss goals and see gradual but definite changes.
Autumn is the new spring
When it comes to making changes to your lifestyle, the new year and springtime are always the most feted times. However, for mums and dads up and down the country, those crisp autumnal days when the kids go back to school, and the new daily routine kicks in is absolutely the best time for establishing a new exercise routine to lose weight and get fit.
It gets you back into the swing of exercise and movement before the nights start to draw in, and the dark evenings make it more difficult to go out.
It puts you in a much better state of physical and mental health before the Christmas scene is upon us and the festive eating and drinking season kicks in.
Having lost some weight before Christmas, you are more likely to maintain better habits over the Christmas holidays, which means that you start the new year in a much stronger position again.So, make sure you embrace the end of the summer holidays and get the kids back into a routine by creating your own routines.
Discover how Be You can help you achieve your lifestyle goals
If you need help and support, then Be You Health Studios can help you create the right programme for your individual needs.
