Transitioning into Autumn with our Exercise, Mental Health and Food
Transitioning into Autumn!
Movement is very important to me and so is eating Seasonally.
It is officially Autumn in the UK (22nd September- 21st December) and with this shift in Temperature, we may have already begun to notice that our mood may have also changed.
Darker colder mornings are one of the first changes to have an impact on me and for that matter most people I believe. No longer are we jumping out of bed with that summer motivation that may have fuelled and ignited our exercise routines or even popping out to the shops and grabbing all those lovely summer salad foods. Well, I do not know about you but as soon as Autumn begins, I NO LONGER DESIRE A SALAD. My body is very good at letting me know that it's time for a shift in my meal preps as well as my exercise routines.
Let's take a look at how we can make this Autumn supercharge your health and keep your motivation levels ALIGNED with the right amount of balance (avoiding burnout or the opposite, winter slouch )
1.How many of these foods did you have in September?
September
Aubergine, Beetroot, Blackberries, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Courgettes, Chicory, Chillies, Cucumber, Damsons, Garlic, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Lettuce, Mangetout, Marrow, Onions, Parsnips, Pears, Peas, Peppers, Plums, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Radishes, Raspberries, Rhubarb, Rocket, Runner Beans, Samphire, Sorrel, Spinach, Spring Greens, Spring Onions, Strawberries, Summer Squash, Sweetcorn, Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, Turnips, Watercress, Wild Mushrooms.
Mine where :
Aubergine, Beetroot, Blackberries, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Courgettes, Chicory, Chillies, Cucumber, Damsons, Garlic, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Lettuce, Mangetout, Marrow, Onions, Parsnips, Pears, Peas, Peppers, Plums, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Radishes, Raspberries, Rhubarb, Rocket, Runner Beans, Samphire, Sorrel, Spinach, Spring Greens, Spring Onions, Strawberries, Summer Squash, Sweetcorn, Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, Turnips, Watercress, Wild Mushrooms.
I must tell you though, I am forced a little into seasonal foods as I choose to have my organic veg delivered every week by Riverford. Their veg is amazing and so is their ethos.
3. Walking outdoors - will you still get plenty of fresh air or are you falling into your seasonal bad habits?
I am a person who feels the cold and have noticed how easy it is to just turn the heating on and stay where it is nice and warm. When delving into this thought process I can truly see that we can create mindsets that become engrained with our seasonal habits that have buried deep into our self-conscious body and mind.
Looking from the inside out always appears to be worse. So standing at your window looking out at some drizzle always appears worse than what it actually is.It will be darker in the house but when you go outside it's much lighter.
A good Chinese doctor told me (and my parents but I did not listen at the time ) to wrap up before you get cold. Chinese medicine and healing is all about the chi (energy ) flowing and being used appropriately and maintaining warmth in the kidneys. So for me, I have invested in clothing that does keep you warm (wool ) I just wish I could get wool pilates leggings as fitness apparel is not designed to keep you warm.
I am out 2-4 times a day. My dog makes sure of this. But if you do not have a dog, maybe consider other ways of getting outdoors every day. Standing in your garden, breathing fresh air into your lungs for 5 minutes, walking to the shops, set up a new habit of just walking around the block if you work from home that is.
4.Knowing when you under exercise and over exercise
We all probably know the national guidelines of how much exercise we should be doing daily but what if we are over exercising or under exercising and how do we pick up on these signals
Well either one is just as damaging..over exercising will burn you out (you will have restless leg syndrome during the night) which is an imbalance in your potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sodium. These are the 4 main minerals of the human body that spark up your entire system. It may also be that you struggle to settle into your parasympathetic nervous system with the inability to have downtime and you may feel agitated. Maybe your sleep is not restful and you wake up tired.
So what about under exercising ?
You will feel lethargic, low mood, and lack of motivation.
Your mental well being will suffer before the physical body.
Your decision making may be more indecisive and you do not see clarity as well.
Your shoulders and hips will stiffen first.
So let us approach this autumn with good clear intentions.
How many varied autumnal fruits and vegetables can you get through this October.?
How many times a day/ week can you walk outdoors and get some fresh air?
How many times a week (at least 5) can you carry out some exercises for your spine, hips, and shoulders ?. Lots of Pilates classes to choose from. And remember you can select whatever suits your mood. Switch it up.. 1-day strength, 1 day stretching.
Happy Autumn
Claire x