It is very obvious now that the daylight is becoming shorter and shorter and the mornings darker and darker as we progress away from the summer months and heading into the fall. Yes, it is still quite warm/hot outside but the days of sunsets at 9pm experienced in late June/early July are definitely finished for the year.
The advantage of those really early morning sunrises and late sunsets: More time available to get exercise in outside. Early morning walks/runs, post dinner bike rides, swims and other outdoor caloric-burn-off activities have lots of opportunity to take place when the sun rises at 530 am and sets at 9 pm. “Plan A” for exercise during that time period contains lots of opportunity.
Now that the daylight time is diminishing, it is time to strategize a “Plan B” for your exercise. For those that exclusively engage in outdoor activities, clearly there will be a lessening of exercise accompanying the change in daylight time. Here are some suggestions for “Plan B” to ensure exercise continues to the same extent as during the longer daylight time of the year:
- A home gym: I agree that it is not as much fun to workout at home than being outside, but aerobic equipment such as a Peloton bike, elliptical machine and/or treadmill allows for the lights to be on and music or your favorite shows on TV being used to amuse you as you burn off those calories
- Joining a local YMCA to swim and/or use their exercise room OR joining a local gym that allows you to be motivated by seeing lots of other people doing the same thing you are doing: trying to burn off those calories
- Dance classes or other exercise classes: This makes exercising much more fun
The point: To obtain optimal health and weight control, exercise is an important component. We should not allow the diminishing daylight to impact our exercise patterns. It is time to strategize AND implement a “Plan B” for your exercise.
And here is a 70’s oldie from Dan Fogelberg, “Part Of The Plan”. He was a talented singer/songwriter that dies way too early at age 56 from prostate cancer.
