Better than New Year’s for a Fresh Start? New School Year

Why a new school year is the perfect time for a fresh start?

Even if you’re not a parent of school-aged children, the first-day photos that flood your Facebook wall, the flashing school zone signs, and big yellow buses back on the road — all trigger that “new year” feeling you had for so many years in school.

It’s also the perfect time to make new fitness goals. The days are still warm, and this invites more activity than the cold days of January when many people make their fitness resolutions. The gyms aren’t as crowded as they will be at the start of the new year. Plus, if you start now, think about how far ahead you’ll be of everyone else that starts next January!

If you’re a stay-at-home parent, work from home, or have a flexible work schedule, you really do have more time to schedule for yourself while your kids are at school all day. This isn’t selfish, it’s selfless! So if you have flexibility in your schedule, give yourself some time to become a healthier you. Your whole family will benefit.

Set Yourself up for Success

1) Routines get reset in the fall, especially if you have school-aged kids at home. Take this opportunity to set up a routine that fits what you want to accomplish this year. Schedules are in flux at the beginning, and you can build the routines you want now. (Routines are so important to your success; check out our blog for an article about that later this month.)

2) Bedtimes make a comeback. Summer can lead to late nights for everyone, and that’s fun for a while. But fall is the time to rein it back in. It may be a fight at first, but establishing a good bedtime for your kids gives them the rest they need. It also gives you some time to relax and the ability to get in bed at a good time yourself. When you get enough sleep, you’ll feel ready to meet your new exercise commitments the next day.

3) Give your kids more responsibilities. Your kids are getting older, so it’s a good thing to give them a few new responsibilities as you’re setting up a new routine. We know they’re busy too, but it’s good for everyone when the kids learn to handle a few responsibilities such as lunch prep for the next day, or loading the dishwasher, their own laundry, pet care… all depending on their age and available time. 

4) Say “no” when you need to — right from the start of this new school year. Realize that every “yes” you give, is really a “no” to something else. Don’t say yes to too much! Guard your time for what you want to accomplish.

5) Remember that our personal training sessions at Jesse James Fit and most of our Outlaw FitCamp classes are half an hour. We know you’re busy, but if you can commit to half an hour of fitness, we’ll get you in and out of the gym with an efficient, effective workout in no time.

August really is the new January!

We’ve been conditioned since the time we were children that fall is the time of new beginnings. Many people find it’s easier to get motivated to start a new routine and work on improving habits in the sunny days of August, than the dreary cold ones of January.

In fact, an August survey on Pinterest surveyed 2,000 adults, and almost 70% of them said that small improvements in the fall were easier for them to achieve than New Years’ resolutions. 

When school starts this year, take advantage of this perfect time to start a new routine. Set aside time to increase your fitness level and work on your health. Contact us today about personal training sessions or group exercise classes for a great start to your “new year.”