5 steps I’m taking to make this my fittest fall yet

Some say there are only two seasons in Toronto: winter, and construction. What’s worse than trying to get to the beach, or drive home from the cottage, only to run into yet another road closure?

That’s what fitness feels like for me lately. I’ll be on this awesome journey, going full-speed down the highway toward my workout goals, and then — Bam! — roadblock. My new house, new job assignments, new life partner, part-time school…all of these things (as exciting as they are) stop my fitness journey in its tracks.

The good news is, winter is coming. Construction season/summer is winding down, and as much as I’ll miss lazy days by the pool and quality time with my kids, it’s just what my workout routine needs.

Falling back into fitness

For lots of people, workout-disrupting roadblocks come down in the fall. The kids go back to school, and their parents go back to the gym. Even people who don’t have kids — and who haven’t set foot in a classroom for years — seem to feel some kind of inner “reset” button that gets pushed after the long weekend.

The thing is, not all roadblocks disappear come the first day of school. You need a strategy to overcome them. If there’s construction on your way to the beach, you don’t turn around and go home. You manage to get through it, or you find an alternate route. Sure, you might get a few more impatient “Are we there yet?”s from the back seat, but you keep going until you make it to your destination.

Your journey to better health is no different. There will always be roadblocks — things that make your journey slower and more challenging than you’d like. But you can’t give up and go home at the first sign of congestion; it’s an inevitable part of the ride.

The system of small changes

The key is starting small. Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to overhaul everything at once. Commit to making one little change, and once you’ve solidified it, make another.

To maneuver my way around all those pesky roadblocks and get myself back on track, I created a 5-week plan. Every week, I made one new, small change. My plan looks like this:

Week 1: Get in the kitchen 

Summer vacation always reminds me just how much indulging I’m capable of — and how time-consuming healthy meal prep can be. As back-to-school season put lunch-packing back on the table, I decided it was time to bring in some reinforcements. I still pick our recipes (so I can minimize temptation), but now I choose ones easy enough for my kids to help me make. Meal prep is easier on me, I get to spend time with my kids, and everyone gets a healthy dinner.

Week 2: Hold yourself accountable 

In week 2, I got my act together and found a new personal trainer — and a coworker to train with! Now, I can’t make excuses and talk myself out of going to the gym; I know they’re both counting on me to show up.

Week 3: Make a realistic adjustment

This week, I got real with myself: Where were all those extra calories coming from? I’d taken up a summertime habit of winding down every night with a glass of wine. I knew it was an overindulgence but I also know myself and, realistically, I wasn’t going to cut wine out of my life forever. So, instead of having a nightcap every night, I treat myself only on Friday and Saturday nights. (See week 5 for my new nighttime routine!)

Week 4: Find some healthy competition

I guess I’m a little competitive (cue laughter from my coworkers!), so challenges and team faceoffs really motivate me. For week 5, I slapped on my Fitbit, grabbed my personal training partner, and got to work with weekly step challenges. Soon, our whole office was in on it! I was running up and down the stairs during my breaks, taking walking meetings, and joining classes I hadn’t done in years to make sure I was coming out on top.

Week 5: Have a midnight snack

I’m well aware that snacking at night is a big no-no. But after I put the kids to bed, it’s my time to lay back and relax — so out come the tasty treats. Just like I’m not going to say goodbye to wine forever, I know that with my long days and erratic schedule, I’d be absolutely starving if I didn’t eat anything at all in the evening. So, after 9 pm, I’ve instated a “veggies only” rule. I get to eat as much as I want guilt-free, knowing that I’m only having stuff that’s good for me.

Feel free to take my plan and use it as your own — or build a new one that works for you. Just remember to start small and commit to doing one little thing at a time. You’ll be amazed to see the big difference your new little habits will make — and how much better they stick.

Sherry has a diploma in Fitness & Lifestyle Management from George Brown College, and is a YMCA Canada Training Educator. As the Manager of Program Development for the YMCA of Greater Toronto, Sherry builds and advances our group fitness programs and coaches staff and volunteer instructors at all of our Health & Fitness centres. She also works with YMCAs across Canada to bring our latest and greatest group fitness classes to more people in more communities. Sherry has been a personal trainer and group fitness instructor for over 20 years, and currently teaches MuscleFit and Arriba at the Oshawa Mary St. YMCA. She is the proud mother of two children who get more than their fair share of exercise at the Y, and a #SweatForGood Ambassador whose Instagram — @sherryperezfitness — will fill your feed with #fitspiration.