As the seasons change, get creative about your exercise routine and try something new. There are many ways to be active throughout the year, no matter your fitness level. You can also change up your diet to incorporate fruits and vegetables that are in season.
Staying Active
In the winter, head outside to enjoy the snow. Light exercises include building a snowman together or ice skating. To amp up the intensity, spend the day skiing or snowboarding, or volunteer to shovel your neighbor’s snow-covered sidewalk after you complete your own. If you’d rather stay indoors, take dance lessons or join a mall-walking group for light exercises. For more intense workouts, visit an indoor rock climbing wall or join a jazzercise group.
Temperatures begin to rise in the spring, and it’s a great time to start a garden, which offers light exercise. You can also ride a bike, going at whatever pace is comfortable for you, or take your dog for a walk around your neighborhood. If you want a higher intensity workout, go for a run or a hike. You can bring your dog along for either of those activities as well.
Summer brings even higher temperatures, so cool off in the water. Take a water aerobics class. You can also surf, kayak, or go for a swim. To avoid the heat altogether and stay indoors, walk the mall or head to the gym.
Fall leaves provide great opportunities for physical activity. You can take long walks with a friend or your dog to see the beautiful fall colors. Once the leaves have fallen, raking is good exercise. Fall is football season, so consider joining a local sports league. They offer other sports too, such as basketball and soccer. Some sports are even played exclusively indoors.
Eating Healthy
Small farmers have been using farmers’ markets as forms of direct marketing for centuries. From Peru to Asia to America, growers all over the world gather to sell their produce directly to the public. The United States has seen a spike in demand and popularity of farmers’ markets over the last decade. Many sites offer search tools to find one near you.
A farmers’ market usually involves a group of local farmers who gather to sell their products once or twice a week at a designated public place. Sometimes they have their own location, and other times they set up in a park or a parking lot. Besides produce, farmers’ markets often have live entertainment and sell crafts.
Buying produce from a farmers’ market means you’re getting the produce when it’s in season. In-season produce is fresher, so it tastes better and has higher nutritional value. Also, the produce isn’t traveling as far to get to you, so the produce is less expensive. Buying seasonal produce and crafts also supports your local economy.
Check to see which vegetables and fruits are in season in your area. Typically, spring produces broccoli, peas, and asparagus. These vegetables can be used in a salad or to make a stir-fry. Berries, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, and squash are usually available in the summer. Make a healthy berry smoothie or a cool summer salad with these options. In the fall, root vegetables, pumpkins, cranberries, and apples are plentiful.
Fall is a great time to make vegetable soups or bisques. Use apples and cranberries to make desserts, jams, and other dishes. Winter offers squash, leafy greens, and leeks. Stews and pot roasts are great for cold winter days and nights.
Take Advantage
Each season brings a unique experience of food and exercise ideas. Switch up your meals to match which produce is in season. Shake up your exercise routines to correlate with the season outside. Take advantage of what mother nature brings you throughout the year.
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