You may not know this but my wife and I met while training for a mini-marathon together. That was a long time ago but even after all these years we both still love to exercise. I always joke about this but it really is true, exercising for me is like taking a daily Prozac. Exercising helps stabilize me and it makes me feel better about myself. It also helps me look and feel younger. For a guy in his forties who still has young kids, this is important. What I can also tell you is that because my wife and I both exercise, we have additional ways to connect and have some fun, while being able to maintain our fitness levels. Plus, I love the fact that my wife cares about her health and exercises regularly. She really looks great.  So with the fall temperatures coming now is the perfect time to improve your health and connect with your spouse in a fun way. Here are a few tips to jump-start your fall fitness routine…

I am the type of guy who needs sunlight. I do much better when the sun is shining as opposed to living with cloudy and gray skies (probably time to move out of Indiana). It really can affect my state of mind if I let it. Did you know that between 40-75% of us are deficient in Vitamin D? Why is this important? Well because Vitamin D is important for bone health, and has some pretty great preventative qualities, too. The good news is it’s a vitamin and a hormone, so we can actually get about 90% of the Vitamin D we need all by ourselves…as long as we get enough sunlight. Getting out in the sun also ups your serotonin levels, and helps regulate your sleep and wake cycles, too.  

Then there are those amazing endorphins (I love these), the chemicals that give you the “runner’s high” you may already be familiar with. They reduce stress and anxiety, and exercise is a great way to produce them.  

So, exercise has obvious benefits and doing it outdoors is a great way to soak up all the natural sunlight you can during the gorgeous fall weather. Once winter hits, you may be forced to head back to your local gym or the basement and power up that treadmill you may find less than inspiring.

I have learned that there are other, less tangible benefits to exercise, too. For one thing, how often do you let yourself disconnect and be alone in your head? We’re always connected somehow, tethered to our phones and our screens, but we genuinely need a certain amount of space in our life where we can unplug. Physical activity can offer one of those times. Even if you use a running app or listen to music on your phone while you exercise, you are still able to turn off all of the distractions in your head and just focus on being in the moment.     

If I still haven’t inspired you yet on why you need to get outdoors and start exercising, you may be in a rut. After all, sometimes when we think of exercise, we may fixate on activities such as running and lifting. This may completely turn you off. That is okay. You really don’t have to be so formal about it. You can play sports, bike, dance, do martial arts or yoga, play tennis, take group fitness classes, hike, and the list goes on and on. Even taking a brisk walk outdoors with your spouse three times a week will go a long way in improving your health and give some quality time with your spouse.    

If you could use some help in coming up with an exercise routine that fits you or need some suggestions on improving your food selection, I would strongly recommend contacting my wife Ally. She is very knowledgeable on these topics. She can be reached by email at: allyhedrick@comcast.net

So, go for it. Now is the perfect time to get outdoors. Boost your mood, reduce your stress, improve your health, strengthen your marriage, feel better about yourself and build up your Vitamin D reserves before the winter hits.  

Remember, we need to see each day as a blessing. We can’t wager our time. Each day is a canvas to be painted. Now go and paints yours by first taking care of YOU!!!

Was this helpful? Feel free to leave a comment. Would love to chat with you!

God Bless,

Doug Hedrick