Learn how to adapt your fitness routine for the fall season with Ayurveda. These seasonal tips will help you create balance, stability, and energy to support your health during this season of the year.
Did you know adapting your fitness routines to fit each season strengthens your energy levels & helps you avoid burn-out?
What your body needs in the spring is different from what it needs in the fall.
According to Ayurveda, aka: “The Science of Living,” each season brings its own unique characteristics. And when we add in routines that balance those characteristics, we can create health and well-being all year long.
Ayurveda is the science of adapting your lifestyle choices to create balance with your environment and in your body.
I am not an Ayurvedic doctor, I am a movement and manual therapist who is hungry for systems that work. And, in my opinion, Ayurveda provides strategies that are the most efficient and effective.
As I put Ayurveda’s mindset into practice I am constantly shown how being in tune with nature and adapting lifestyle choices accordingly will create optimal health and unlimited energy.
The Power of Opposites in Ayurveda
Ayurveda’s teachings really boil down to one simple concept: it’s all about balancing opposite qualities.
If you’d like to read more about Ayurveda and each season of the year, check out this blog post: Longevity Through Seasonal Fitness With Ayurveda.
As we dive into the Fall Season.
Ask yourself:
How do these qualities show up in my life?
And how can I bring in the opposite qualities to balance them out?
The beauty of the Fall season is that it allows for movement, expansion, and creativity in our life. As we transition into fall, we can harness this energy even more and allow it to support whatever areas of our lives may need a little bit of movement and inspiration.
The Seasonal Shift of Fall
The heat of the summer brings the transformation of fall.
Characteristics of Fall:
- Dry
- Windy
- Cold
- Rough
- Empty
- Mobile
These qualities can aggravate:
- Achy muscles & joints
- Anxiety and worry
- Dry skin and hair
- Constipation
- Depression
- Forgetfulness
- Insomnia
How to Counteract the Windy Dryness of Fall
Lifestyle Tips:
- Keep your body warm (always cover your head and feet)
- Moisturize often (oil up your skin before/after you shower)
- Use a sauna (keeps you warm and sweating supports transformation)
Movement Tips:
- Slow your movements down
- Focus on proper form
- Activate stabilizer muscles
- Sync breath with movement
Ayurveda Inspired Exercise for the Fall Season
Incorporate these into your routine:
- Balancing exercises (use a BOSU or stability ball)
- Stabilizing exercises (especially for hips & shoulders)
- Planks & side planks
- Single arm/leg movements
- Pilates exercises
💡 Pro tip: Hold exercises longer instead of rushing.
Examples:
- 5 slow, mindful squats > 15 fast, mindless burpees
- 90-second plank > 20 quick push-ups
- 20 minutes in the sauna > 30 minutes of jogging
This time of year carries an energy that is expansive and mobile, being diligent about routines is really the key to creating a stable container that helps to channel this energy into its greatest potential.
The Key to Fall Health and Well-Being
Remember these three guiding principles:
- Stability
- Warmth
- Slowing Down
And no matter what you do, always:
- Listen to your body
- Trust that you know your body best
- Meet yourself where you are
Transformation can feel scary.
Letting go isn’t always as easy as the trees make it look.
But by making small adjustments to your movement and lifestyle, you’ll support your body through the seasonal shift.
Allow yourself the space and time to feel connection with what’s around you – loved ones, nature, community, and most importantly, yourself. Allow that connection to bring a sense of calm and stillness into your life!
Read more about Lifestyle Adjustments for Year-long Seasonal Health and Well-Being in this blog: Longevity through Seasonal Fitness with Ayurveda
