Schedule a winter race or other events involving exercise. That’s right, choose a date that is smack dab in the middle of winter, like say, late February. It cuts against the grain, but once you’ve done it, there it is on your calendar with a big red circle around it. Last year for me this was the Redding marathon. Then, looking at your calendar every day or every evening, you see that race or that other event you’ve selected, and you know that you must get to work training for it. 2. Buy a secondhand piece of exercise equipment for your basement. There is nothing that says “I have no excuses” like a ready and waiting treadmill in your own house. In fact studies show that anything at all that we can do to lower the barriers and obstacles for exercising (or any other task for that matter), the more likely we are to complete the exercise plan. So you can keep that in mind in other ways as well. But definitely start by making sure you have a working treadmill or elliptical or spin bike somewhere in your house for the winter months. 3. Buddy up. We need partners, groups, other people with similar motivations to remain healthy and maintain fitness to keep us going. If you have a regular walking partner who’s expecting to meet you every morning, and then have coffee afterwards, you are much less likely to miss the walk or let your partner down. Keep in mind a partner can be a spouse or friend, but it can also be a canine partner. 4. Start small. If I had a nickel for all of the under utilized gym memberships, I could afford college for all my children. So don’t make too big of a move here, spend a lot of money or created drastic change in your daily routines. Start small. Commit, for example, to a 30 minute walk where you bundle up properly and test out the temperatures. 5. Stick with the other proven routines. Continue to stand on the scale every day and monitor your weight. Pay close attention to carbohydrates and keep avoiding them. Stay focused on your mission to maintain and healthy weight. Fall does mean a prelude to winter months, snow and cold temperatures for many of us, but it does not mean the end of our commitment to fitness and healthy weight. Kent Sasse, M.D., MPH, FACS, FACRS Minimally Invasive Solutions]]>
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