September is here and for most of us that means back to school, back to work, and back to reality. Backpacks replace beach bags. Lunchboxes replace picnic baskets. Soccer and hockey practices replace lazy afternoons at the lake.
And life falls back into its usual busy, hectic pace.
But for many of us, back to school also means back to fitness and exercise. A long, hot summer filled with beautiful sun-soaked vacation days is often the perfect excuse to abandon a workout routine. Maybe your gym buddy went on holiday and you found your motivation was lacking when you were on your own. Perhaps you were busy entertaining the kids at the cottage so they stopped going to their regular ballet or karate classes in town. Whatever the reason, now that summer is over it’s time to stop making excuses and instead get back to making regular exercise a part of you and your family’s lifestyle.
Simply making the time can often feel like an insurmountable challenge. The key to being successful is to go that extra step and make a commitment to integrating it into your regular routine. That way you can’t use the age old ‘I don’t have time to work out’ excuse because you’ve made the effort to schedule it into your week.
A simple way of keeping your kids active is to sign them up for a regular weekly lesson or program. That way, both you and your child know that at the same time every week, they will be expected to show up for their swimming lesson, skating lesson, climbing lesson, etc. where they will get their daily dose of exercise. Organized programs also teach kids new skills, help them gain self confidence and give them a sense of accomplishment when they successfully complete a program or move up to a higher level or badge.
It’s important for mom and dad to make the same type of commitment though – kids learn by example after all. Whether you opt to hit the gym at lunchtime, sign up for a yoga class or decide you’re finally going to learn to play squash, making time to exercise will be a decision that your body (and your mind) will thank you for later.
Remember – it’s easy to make being more active a goal for you and your family but in order to achieve that goal, you need to commit to it and make it part of your daily and weekly routine. Don’t put it off any longer and make exercise a part of your life starting today.
Dalplex, Dalhousie University’s main fitness and recreation facility, has been proudly serving the community for over 30 years, offering a wide variety of fitness, wellness and recreation programs and classes for adults, children, youth and seniors. Visit their website or follow them on facebook .