Leaves are falling, Autumn is calling

Summer is definitely over, the days are getting shorter and lots of us are back in an office which can mean a sudden drop in our step count.

When we can’t get as much exposure to sunlight and the weather gets grimmer and colder, it’s quite natural to be less active.

This is partly since exposure to direct sunlight helps us produce vitamin D, which has been shown to have a positive impact on our mood and mental wellbeing.

If you live in the UK, you should really be looking into a vitamin D supplement to take throughout the year, or at least during the colder months. We love this one as it has both vitamin D and fish oils (another great supplement to support your health!) – it’s gelatine free and Kosher if that’s relevant to you.

Now that we’ve taken care of your vitamin D levels and your mood, you still need to make more of an effort to get your steps in if you can’t go out as much during the day.

Do you feel a bit lost and have no idea of where to start?

As usual, your SHEROES are coming to the rescue!

We’ve got some pro tips for you – we might not work in an office but a personal trainer’s life is not as active as you’d think. Some days, fitting a couple of walks in between clients, school runs, house chores and appointments of all sorts can be a real challenge!

1. Shuffle your day around: take out pen and paper and write down the things that you must do on a daily basis. Shuffle them around so that you can include any outdoor activities and walks when the day is light. Can you eat lunch at your desk and use the break to go for a walk instead? Can you do your grocery shopping online and use that time to get out for a while? You could save your shopping as a favourite so that next time it will take even less time. Can you prep some meals in the evening so that you can spend time during the day to be active rather than cook?
2. Team up: maybe all you need to get out in the evening is some company that can motivate you to go! Involve your family, friends or neighbours. Meet up regularly for a walking chat, it will be good for your body and soul to unload at the end of a long day.
3. Invest in water resistant clothing: good rain jacket and walking boots are a must have in a British household! If you haven’t got some, then it is time and we have plenty of suggestions on our Instagram feed, just check out our #Thursdayedits! We have suggestions for beautiful jackets and shoes.
4. Avoid lifts and escalators: if taking the tube or going up to the office or in a shopping centre, avoid standing in lifts and on escalators like the plague! It might not seem like much but walking up stairs and escalators can add up lots of steps by the end of the day.
5. Shift your day slightly: starting and ending your day earlier can mean that you get to enjoy more daylight and get to be more active. You don’t need to make drastic changes and suddenly wake up two hours earlier than usual, but you can anticipate your alarm by 15 minutes every few days and get a walk in first thing in the morning, or just after breakfast.
6. If nothing seems to work, get out and unleash a toddler (your own is best!). That step count will fly high like a kite in no time!

Do you still need some extra help and accountability? Then join our next aceTRANSFORM intake. For 12 weeks we’ll be supporting and pushing you to reach your goals. This involves daily check-ins to ensure your step count doesn’t take a beating, as well as a bunch of other stuff (get a little snippet here). If you’ve been putting it off, then it’s time to join!!

Drop us an email for any questions on transform@ace-lifestyle.com