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The Fall Workout

Eric Minkwitz

Summer is over, and the warm days of volleyball and swimming seem like a faint memory. It’s time to embrace the crisp fall season and transition your workouts from a warm-weather mindset to a new fall and winter paradigm.

Look at the change in season as a great opportunity to accomplish three main health and fitness objectives: First, you can address any injuries that may have arisen during your summer training; second, you can make a plan to drastically change your training regimen to keep your body fresh and ready for the shorter, colder days ahead; and finally, if you are an avid winter sportsmen, you can start conditioning for the rigors facing you in the upcoming season.

1.  Recover and Rebalance If you were very active in the summer months, and perhaps dabbled in a mini-triathlon or two, fall is the time to address any overuse injuries you may have sustained during warm-weather aerobic training. Of course those sessions are great for improving your cardiovascular system, enhancing fat burning, and helping lower cholesterol. But excessive miles on the road can put stress on your knees, tighten your quads and glutes, and compress your lower back. Try eplacing your long road workout sessions with interval training on the grass or on the stair machine. For instance, after a warm-up, do 100% effort for 30 seconds, drop intensity down to 60% for 90 seconds, and then repeat the interval sprint five times. Also, try concentrating more on flexibility sessions, such as Yoga classes, and using the foam roller for on your quads and IT bands for myofascial release. These sessions will work in conjunction with your cross-training and help strengthen and lengthen connective tissue, balance achy joints, and improve blood flow.

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