Fall is just around the corner, but the pumpkin spice is already in the air 🎃.
Different seasons can bring different challenges and we sometimes need a little refresh. Especially in the habits department. These changes tend to go hand in hand with a lot of stress and flailing around as you try to figure out the new routines. Here are a few of my best tips to help you take some of the stress out of movement and meals.
MOVEMENT:
- Schedule out your workouts: Make it a date, put it in your calendar and have it remind you. There are so many things vying for your attention that putting it on the calendar can be immensely helpful. It can also really help if you try to workout at the same time for each session. This helps establish the habit. Try to pick days when you’ll have the most amount of time to get your workout in so that you don’t feel so rushed or packed.
- Find a workout partner: Workout buddies can really help you stay accountable and make it more of a social date. Which can make the habit more fun vs. feeling like a chore. Reach out to your friends to see who’s schedule might line up with yours a few times a week. Or make it a date with your partner or kiddos. Maybe consider a 2 or 3x a week after dinner stroll. There’s a lot of research that supports showing your kiddos healthy habits so that they’re more likely to continue them and have better health implications throughout life.
- Don’t over do it: A lot of people make the mistake of going pedal to the metal and aiming for 5-7 workouts a week. For most people this is simply too much and the likelihood that you’ll feel overwhelmed is high. To help make it a habit, start with 2 or 3x a week, 30-40 minutes, get those cemented and then add a day if you want and can. This will help you not feel overwhelmed, as well as not get too sore if you’re new to working out or picking things back up.
MEALS:
- Make a menu: Menus and having a plan can be immensely helpful on multiple levels – especially when it comes to building new habits. It doesn’t have to be a strict menu, as far as Meatloaf Monday, Taco Tuesday, or Chicken bake Wednesday. Leave yourself some room if you need and just list out the meals you want and have the ingredients on hand. But if it’s Tuesday and you want pasta instead – go for the pasta. But have the ingredients on hand for the meals you want for the week. This will also save you money on your grocery bill! Fall is a great time to lean into soups that can be packed with protein and veggies. Check out this Taco Soup Recipe –> Here
- Meal prep: Meal prep doesn’t always have to be making all of your meals for the entire week and eating leftovers for days and days. It can include smaller habits like pre-cutting your veggies so it’s easy to throw handfuls in the pan for tacos, pastas, and other dishes. I really like these veggie choppers to make quick work of it –> Veggie Chopper Link
Cooking chicken up either by grilling/baking or putting it in the crockpot for shredded chicken that can be made for dishes like – tacos, teriyaki bowls, BBQ bowls and more.
It can also look like putting fruits and veggies into bags for easier smoothie making in the morning. Meal prep can look a lot of different ways – find what works best for you!
This is not an extensive list of habits – but they will absolutely help you with new routines going into the new season. These don’t have be done as described – make tweaks where you need to. At the end of the day, do what works best for you, your schedule, and your life.