Three Reasons We Should Consider Shifting Our Workouts With the Seasons

During life’s most demanding stages, like parenthood and midlife, it can be challenging to stay active, to say the least. Often, there are daily interruptions that quite frankly feel like they strive against our every plan for exercising.

Having a flexible mindset can ensure that we are equipped with a plentiful mix of options when life throws us a curveball. Even if it’s not the workout we set out to accomplish at the start of the day, simply choosing to move in a way that leaves us feeling renewed supports our greater goal of caring for ourselves.

Rather than trying to aim for the bullseye each time and feeling upset when we miss, we can approach exercise with a different focus — strive to more consistently support our wellbeing. Consistency over quantity is key. Michelle Segar, a University of Michigan researcher, long-time health coach and the pioneer of this approach says “making daily decisions that can bend, press and stretch within our changing context allows us to hit the mark every time!”

Using the revolving seasons as an opportunity to make workout changes can be a helpful strategy for sustaining this supreme flexibility.

Melissa Urban, co-founder and CEO of Whole30 recommends using the warmer seasons for light, long and flowing fitness like walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, hiking, yoga or anything outdoors. Winter is reserved for heavy, fast and more structured movement like lifting weights, strength training at the gym, high-intensity interval training cardio or hot yoga, for example.

Changing up our fitness routine with the four seasons can:

Prevent injuries: Mixing our movement up each season helps our bodies recover while calling on different muscle groups.

Boost motivation and support mental wellbeing: Exploring new environments, movement patterns, activities, social groups, speeds, intensities, and/or equipment can provide a refreshing dose of organic motivation for any human. It can also enhance the immediate benefits linked with physical activity, like more energy and reduced feelings of stress.

We can choose movement outdoors through all the seasons to support overall mental wellbeing. Nature can relieve stress, improve cognitive functioning and memory, sharpen focus, reduce negative rumination and enhance creativity.

Balance overall fitness: Mixing it up as the seasons oscillate can help us build strength or endurance in different parts of our bodies with different forms of movement.

Tailoring our movement patterns to the new season can keep us flexible, but we also don’t have to wait until the season shifts to make a fitness change. We can treat our daily exercise like the span of options presented to us at any ice cream shop — choosing the flavor of fitness that matches our current needs, feelings or energy levels.

Sources:

“Three Reasons to Shift Your Workouts With the Seasons,” Melissa Urban, blog.melissau.com, Nov. 11, 2024.

“Sustainable Change in the Real World Newsletter,” Michelle Segar, michellesegar.com, accessed Dec. 3, 2024.