Don't just "Get in Shape for Summer." Make Exercise a Lifestyle.

Summer, sadly, is coming to a close in the next month or so, and while the hot weather will stick with us for a while, we Wisconsinites know all good (warm) things must come to an end. What will you miss most about summer?

For many of us, we find that we miss the opportunity to be outdoors. Summer is a time to get outside and enjoy being active—to swim, run outdoors, play Frisbee, kayak, golf, and so on. When the air becomes brisk and the leaves change their colors many of us lose the motivation and the drive to exercise. We blame the cold weather, or say we are too tired to exercise. We blame the local gym for having expensive membership fees or being too far away.

But who takes the blame, the responsibility for our health? Our communities need to promote healthy lifestyles by making the healthy choice the easy one, but it’s up to us to then take the tools our environment supplies us with to be active, healthy individuals.

So how do we fight the fat? How do we overcome our desire to hibernate over the winter? We need to look at exercise in a different way. Exercise and physical activity should be a lifestyle, not an obligation. When we put physical activity into our daily routines it becomes a habit. We dread it less, look forward to it more, and can really see and feel the full potential of physical activity when we place it in a positive light within our minds.

Fall and winter may keep us inside some days, but we can still add new ways to be active into our everyday lives during the chillier seasons, and here’s how:

Take the stairs—You will burn more calories and increase your cardiovascular health. And does taking the elevator get you to your destination that much faster, anyways?

Fidget—More movement equals more calories burned. Just try not to knee your co-workers or fellow classmates too much.

Suck it in—sucking in your stomach or gluts can increase muscle tightness over time and give you more tone while burning calories at the same time.

Walk or bike during your commute or lunch break (for at least ten minutes if you can)—Not only will you get some extra cardio, but you’ll decrease your carbon footprint as well!

Use commercial breaks—When watching T.V., take the 3-5 minute commercial breaks to get moving. Stretch, do jumping jacks, jog in place, or jump around during that time. It will make waiting for your show to come back on more entertaining.

Make housework work for you—Put aside time each week to vacuum, sweep, mop, or dust. Bonus to this activity: a clean house.

These are fairly simple and easy ways to add a little extra movement to your day. But try to add other forms of exercise, too. If you seem to hear yourself saying you are too tired to exercise, remember this—exercise actually has the complete opposite effect on you. After a workout you will feel rejuvenated and energized. If you can’t seem to find time in your schedule for physical activity, treat it like an important appointment and put it in your planner. Don’t change your exercise appointment for anything (unless it is an emergency) and eventually you won’t need to make those appointments, because they will be a part of your routine.

Regardless of the season, you must remember that the most important thing you need to do to stay fit does not come from actual exercise, but how you think about it. Set goals for yourself that are challenging, but you can accomplish over time. This will help you to enjoy being active as you meet your goals.

In order to think positive about pushing yourself physically is to start getting excited about exercise. If you are going for a run after work, think about the mood lifting endorphins you will receive after a hard day of work. If you are a student playing a pick-up game of basketball, think of the stress and anxiety relief you gain as a benefit of your active lifestyle.

Yes, summer may be saying goodbye to us in a month or so, but we don’t have to say goodbye to the physical activity we enjoy during the summer. Let’s start giving ourselves a positive outlook on exercise now, and allow ourselves to enjoy its benefits later.