People tend to be exercise more and eat healthier during the summer months. The days are longer, the weather is better, and fresh produce just seems more abundant. As people get back into their routine in the fall, time seems to be at a premium. Workouts that seemed so easy during the summer are harder to fit in with kids going back to school or vacations ending. Fall also means more food related holidays, from turkey and all the trimmings for Thanksgiving, to all of the treats that are available at Halloween. Let’s not forget some early holiday parties in the latter part of autumn. All of this can spell disaster for your diet, and pain and bloat for your belly. You do not need to suffer though. There are ways to carve out extra time for exercise and some great autumn vegetables to try.
Find Something That You Love and Stick to It
Everyone can find an exercise that’s fun and that they enjoy. An easy way to commit to it is by signing up for a class if you prefer indoor activities like a strength training class, dance class or yoga. Most people will stick to an exercise class if they have paid for it. If you are a runner, there are still races in the fall that you can sign up for and it will help you stay committed. If you can’t make the time for traditional exercise, there are hundreds of apps that you can download to your smart phone so that you can work out from the comfort of your own living room. You can even try a seven minute workout app – c’mon who can’t find 7 minutes in their day?
The Hardest Part is Getting Started….
The hardest part of maintaining an exercise routine is getting started. Once you find something that you love, and you realize how great you feel after, you’ll want to stick to it. Schedule activity like you would a meeting in your day to stay on track. If you can find a workout buddy, that’s even better – you’ll motivate each other.
The Benefits
Everyone knows that exercise is good for them, but think about why. Yes, it’s good for your heart. If you are a woman, strength training not only helps you achieve a healthier body weight, but it preserves muscle mass and bone mass, important for preventing or slowing osteoporosis. It also helps you decrease the chance of injury as you age. One of the hidden benefits of exercise is regularity. Experts are divided on if it’s the actual activity, or the fact that you are more likely to drink more fluid when you are active; either way it helps keep things moving. Best of all, exercise can improve your mood by releasing endorphins and helping you sleep better at night. What’s not to love?
Fall Fibre
It’s easy to eat more fiber filled foods as the temperature drops. Oatmeal is a great way to start your day, and it has the benefit of being a soluble fibre (fibre that attracts water and turns to gel during digestion to slow the process. Insoluble fibre passes through our digestive tracts in close to its original form). Vegetables that are in-season include butternut squash, acorn squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, leeks, cauliflower and parsnips. Roasting is a great way to bring out the flavours of many of these while not sacrificing fibre. Fruits that are in season include apples, pears, grapes, guava and persimmons. Try to eat the fruit whole to get the health benefits. A diet rich in fibre also promotes regularity.
Need a Little Help?
You aren’t alone. More than 25% of Canadians experience constipation each and every year and 56% of those slow movers are too embarrassed to speak to a pharmacist about the appropriate laxative to take. Constipation is caused by different issues in different people so there isn’t a one size fits all laxative. Common laxative types include:
- Daily Use – these are meant for people who do not get enough fibre in their diet and includes Lax-A Fibre with 100% naturally sourced psyllium fibre
- Gentle Relief – this includes stool softeners and Lax-A-Day, the #1 doctor recommended osmotic laxative (also known as PEG3350) that just make things easier
- Overnight Relief – these include laxatives like Lax-A Senna that are naturally sourced and meant to work over a few hours, not immediately, which brings us to…
- Immediate Relief – better known as enemas like Lax-A Nema, which brings immediate relief from occasional constipation
These products may not be right for everyone. Always read and follow the label. They are not meant to be taken for long periods of time. It is always best to speak to your doctor or pharmacist to determine which laxative will work best for you. For more information, check out LaxA’s website Just remember to keep exercising to get things moving in more ways than one.
* This article is sponsored by LaxA
