It's Time for a Fresh Fall Start!

The evenings aren’t quite so hot anymore, kiddos are coming home with an oddly specific list of school supplies, and summer vacation is a lovely memory that’s becoming more distant by the day. Autumn is just around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to rev up your health journey.

At the Fitness Together® brand, that back-to-school season is exciting! It’s the perfect time for a fresh start into the studios, and harnessing that boost of energy that fall brings to help you get back on track after a laid-back summer.

Whether you’re ready to dive back into regular sessions with your trainer or you’re just beginning to toss around the idea of working out, Fitness Together studios are here to help you get back to fit this fall. Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can start fall on the right foot so that you can finish 2024 strong.

Break Out Your Calendar

There’s something fantastic about opening a fresh planner or notebook and penciling in your goals, workouts, and times to meal prep. Fall is the perfect time to dive back into planning your weeks in a way that supports your goals.

If you already have a calendar you like, fantastic. If you need a new one to support you as you head toward your goals, there’s no time like the present to head to the school supply aisle and pick something that suits your fancy.

To support your wellness journey, be sure to pencil in the following activities.

Grocery shopping

Whether you love a leisurely stroll through the grocery store or you’re more of an order-online-and-go shopper, setting aside a little bit of time for grocery shopping each week is a smart way to save money and stock your fridge and pantry with healthy options. Keeping an eye on what fruits and vegetables are in season can help you choose budget-smart healthy options that will taste amazing.

Meal prep times

You’ve stocked your fridge with foods that support your health—now, it’s key to set aside the time necessary to transform your purchases into delicious meals that you and your family will look forward to. If you’re new to the process of meal prepping (or are just ready for some fresh ideas), check out this easy-to-use website that allows you to check off the ingredients that you have in your fridge to generate recipes that don’t require you to make one more trip to the store. Set aside an hour or two once or twice a week to prepare proteins, slow cooker meals, and chop fruit and veggies so they’re ready to use.

Goal deadlines

There’s a saying: that a goal without a deadline is just a dream. Fitness Together studios are here to help you turn your dreams into realistic, achievable goals. If you’ve felt a little lackluster in your fitness journey lately, talk with your personal trainer about setting a new goal. Whether you’re looking to improve your flexibility to prevent injury or you want to hit your healthiest weight, your personal trainer can help. Once you know where you’re headed, create a deadline for your goal, and slap it on the calendar so you can feel your excitement build with every step you take to crush it.

Exercise

Scheduling your personal training sessions, workout classes, and at-home workouts can help you see visual proof that exercise isn’t optional. When you see your workouts on your calendar, you’re far less likely to schedule something else in that time slot, allowing you to keep your self-care at the forefront of your mind, where it belongs.

Remember the Healthy Comfort Foods You Love

While summer is the time for fresh salads, chilly fruit bowls, and honey-drizzled yogurt parfaits, autumn brings unbeatable cozy deliciousness that will fuel your workouts as the temperatures begin to drop. Check out this amazing pumpkin soup recipe, this classic chili recipe that’s as perfect for a rainy fall evening as it is for a sunny day of tailgating, and this garlic & herb turkey roulade recipe that will get you excited for Thanksgiving.

Fall fruits and vegetables like apples, pumpkin, squash, collard greens, and yams tend to last longer than the berries, melons, peaches, and tomatoes of summer, making it easier to eat in-season. Fall produce also lends itself more easily to bulk cooking, so you’ll be able to shorten your meal prep time or more easily create healthy dishes to serve a hungry crowd.

Work With a Professional

You don’t have to figure out how to get back on the wagon on your own—that’s what the pros are for. Working with a personal trainer and/or registered dietitian can give you the encouragement and support you need going forward.

Often, working with a fitness or nutrition professional can provide you with the unbiased, objective outlook that you need to make progress. Your personal trainer or dietitian will be there to provide you with ongoing support every step of the way. Whether you’ve stuck to your plan this summer or you’re curious about how to get back on track, your personal trainer or dietitian will provide you with the support, care, and action items that you need to get where you want to go.

Recommit to Tracking

Tracking your nutrition and workouts is a fantastic way to keep yourself accountable and make sure that you’re staying on track toward your goals. Over the summer, it’s easy to get off track. Between family picnics, graduation parties, and neighborhood BBQs, the “I’ll track it later mindset” is easy to fall into, and it’s also easy to fix.

If you’re struggling to remember to track your food, try these tips to help you get back in the groove:

• Switch up your method. If you usually use an app, try the paper-and-pen method of tracking your food. Set a reminder on your phone to do so a few times each day until you get back into the habit.
• Find accountability. Whether you ask your personal trainer, a friend, a family member, or a dietitian to help you stick to your tracking habit, having someone hold you accountable can help you stick to daily tracking.
• Incorporate tracking into your goals. When you make a new goal, establish the action steps you’ll need to take to get there. If this includes tracking your food and your workouts, you may be able to shift your viewpoint from seeing tracking as one more thing to have to do to seeing it as a way to move closer to your ultimate health goals.

Set End-of-Year Goals

Believe it or not, 2025 is just around the corner, but there’s no need to wait for the new year to recommit to your fitness goals! Your personal trainer is here to help you make the most of the end of 2024.

If you’ve fallen off track over the summer, no worries—Fitness Together studios are here to help. There are ebbs and flows to every fitness journey. All that matters is that you get back up and keep trying. Be transparent with your personal trainer about your goals, and together, you’ll be able to work as a team to help you get where you want to go, one session at a time.

Fall Into Fitness Together!

At the Fitness Together brand, helping you reach your fitness goals is top priority, no matter where you’re at. Whether you’re interested in hitting strength goals, are working to achieve a certain aesthetic, or simply want to feel great. When you work with trainers at Fitness Together studios, you’ll have the positive, uplifting support that you need to persevere no matter what life brings your way. Reach out to your local Fitness Together studio today to learn more and schedule your first session!